PV Road Trip #1

Puerto Vallarta is a resort town. People come here from all over the world for vacation. We live here. We escape PV when we go on vacation. That’s not to say it isn’t a great place to live … because it is. But like many resort towns, it’s easy to get “island fever” here. And sometimes, you just need to get away for a while. Fortunately, there are lots of very appealing places near here that make for easy one or two day trips.

One very cool quick and easy adventure from PV (either one day, or overnight trip if you want to do it like we did), is a journey that takes you to the southern part of Jalisco state … to the small towns of El Tuito, Mayto, and Tehuamixtle. While you can get to El Tuito by bus, you’ll probably want to go by car, especially if you plan on including Mayto and Tehuamixtle.

After traveling south on Highway 200 for about an hour, first along the coast then inland over the mountains, you’ll find the old farming town of El Tuito. It is a throw back to the way many Mexican towns used to be. Dating back to the 1500s, the population has now grown to about 3000.

The center of activity here is based around the large town square. Here, you will find numerous shops and restaurants, and specialty stores that sell local cheese and raicilla, which is moonshine tequila that will knock you on your butt. Here, it helps to know basic Spanish, because unlike Puerto Vallarta, English is not widely spoken. That being said, the locals are used to gringos invading their small town, and they are both welcoming and accommodating.

If you want to stay here, there is a great little B&B called Jardin del Tuito. Operated by a couple of escapees from Paris, rooms are large and the pool/garden/patio is relaxing.

But for us, El Tuito was just a stop along the way. From there, we headed west on a well maintained dirt road (though we were in our SUV, it would be no problem making it in a regular compact car). And nearly an hour later, you reach the Pacific coast at Mayto. There is very little in Mayto, mainly because it is out of the way … way out of the way. But that is part of the appeal of Mayto.

What Mayto lacks in most amenities, it makes up for in accommodations. Because here, set on one of the most beautiful untouched white sand beaches that stretches on for miles, is the Hotel Mayto. It is clean, has a pool, small restaurant, TV, Internet (when it is working). There is also an area for beach camping here. It reminds you of what most of Mexico was probably like 50 years ago before sleepy villages were converted into mega-resorts. They charge per person here … about 500 pesos each, which depending on the exchange rate will get you a room for about $80US for two.

But the real appeal for us on this part of the coast is what you find about five miles south of Mayto. It's the equally small fishing village of Tehuamixtle, famous (and I do mean famous) for their fresh oysters. There are two restaurants on the cove and both serve up oysters pretty much any way you want them … on the half shell, pan fried, you name it. And when you order them, they don’t come out of a refrigerator. They come out of the ocean. Yes, they are that fresh. We always go to Restaurant Liz Adriana. Owned (and staffed) by the same family for more than 20 years, it is right above the small bay. It’s a friendly place where the beers are cold is and the food excellent.

It can be a bit intimidating at times to venture out on your own here, especially if you are unsure about the language and where you are going. But we have never had any problems, and look at each trek as a new adventure.

And such was our getaway from Puerto Vallarta for this day. To view the video of this trip, click HERE. And if you have any questions, drop me a line. I’ll fill you in. Happy travels.