Puerto Vallarta – Hotel District, April 2025

We asked our husbands – they didn’t want to go to Mexico late April – “It will be nice here/I’m going to the cabin/lake”. So off we two adventurous gals in our mid 60’ s went!

J booked the Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico in Puerto Vallarta, a place they’ve been so many times she is warmly recognized and greeted. Me – I’m relatively new to Mexico; our usual vacation spots no longer holding appeal.

Puerto Vallarta is a quick 5-hour flight from Calgary. J highly recommended paying a little more for “SunWing Elite” status: priority check – in, seating and baggage. That was definitely worth it, even though Calgary airport is notorious for its baggage handling upon landing.

What a surprise PV was! The Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico is an all-inclusive, adults only resort. Beach front, we walked twice a day. The only reason to bring water shoes is the afternoon heat on the sand/pool deck. We were lucky enough to watch hatched turtles being released, kids building castles and moats, family’s body and board surfing. The water, the temperature of a bath.

Maybe a few times a day during our walks we were approached about a massage or horse ride, but there was no hounding as people walked, strolled or ran.

The Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico is as well kept as any hotel I’ve been in. Staff are exceptional and friendly from check in to departure. The rooms have two double beds pushed together and a sitting room nearby with a hide – a – bed, tables and chairs.

All-inclusive here means All-inclusive. Tips are appreciated but not mandatory. We tipped 20 Paseos/1.00 USD per two drinks and 40 Paseos/2.00 USD for buffet lunch and 100 Paseos/5.00 USD for al a carte meal.

The al a carte restaurants/meals were outstanding as was the buffet, especially if looking to build your own salad, an abundance of fruits, desserts and hot meals. Most entrees identified food allergens, but it is always wise to check and double check if you are not sure.

There are several pools. J advised getting to the swim up pool earlier in the day before the party started. Very good advice I thought.

We spent our days at the quiet pool reading and sipping something under the shade of an umbrella, except for the morning we walked into Bucerias. A small town about 3.5 km from our hotel. You can walk to it by way of the beach or a stunning pathway, paved in places, cobblestone and sandy paths. There are typical Mexican Markets and many restaurants, art galleries and upscale gift stores.

Once off the All – inclusive site, items feel expensive, so do the math, it may be or not. A medium bag of potato chips at the resort was about $8.00 Canadian, at the airport a bottle of water was $10.00 CDN.

Bring a big floppy hat, sunscreen, some friends/family and enjoy the sunsets/sunrises and a slower pace, if even for a short period of time.

Would I go again? In a heartbeat!