A couple years back, A and I were talking to her godparents. They have a couple timeshares in Mexico, and said their children (A’s “other” siblings) weren’t interested in going anymore. We jumped in that we would be delighted to adventure to Mexico with them one of these years, and now we are doing so!
They booked timeshare resorts in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, but with there being no flights between them, we are doing a week-ish in between in Mexico City, one of my favorite places in the world.
I’m a bit less sold on Mexican beach resorts, mainly because I’m worried about having less to write about and dealing with too many American tourists. But hopefully I’ll be proven wrong, and even if not, time on a beach with a book and a margarita is time not exactly wasted.
The basic itinerary is below. You’ll note that I have significantly more things planned for Mexico City than for the others. Hopefully by the time we actually leave (coming up soon), there will be more. Otherwise I’ll have the joy of discovery.
Day One – Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta
A flight, a cab, a check-in, a drink, a sunset. A good start.
Days Two through Seven – Puerto Vallarta
I was here once as a kid for a day on a cruise. I remember nothing. So I’m excited to explore the city. I found a taco discovery walking tour, so that seems fun. But the highlight is that I will be participating in a release of baby turtles!!
I’ve always wanted to do this, and am grateful it happens at sunset to give the little dudes the best chance at survival. I hope my photos do justice to every David Attenborough special.
Beyond that, PV is known for a solid dining scene and great seafood, so I hope to have some good “research” to do along those lines.
Day Eight – Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City
It’s a short flight, and then I get to be back in one of my top 10 cities in the world!
Days Nine through Thirteen – Mexico City
So many plans. Tequila museum and mariachi? Yes. Hot air balloons over Teotihuacan? Of course! Templo Mayor? Si! Add in the canals of Xochimilco, exploration of the art of both Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, the insane anthropology museum, and some of the world’s best restaurants, and it will be a crazy busy week, but a great one.
If you want a refresher on my Mexico City experiences from the very early days of The Royal Tour, click here and go through. Wow, was I a different writer or what?
Day Fourteen – Mexico City to Cabo San Lucas
Another short hop to the tip of Baja California.
Days Fifteen through Twenty-One – Cabo San Lucas
I’ve been to Cabo twice. Yep, you guessed it, on cruises for a day each. And I remember not loving it. So I’m excited to return to see if there’s more here than just resorts, cruise ships, and Americans. (You might recall I asked the same question in Nassau.)
I expect most of this week will be spent relaxing, but I’d love to be proven wrong and to find some terrific local culture. If you have ideas, please send them my way.
Day Twenty-Two – Cabo San Lucas to Los Angeles
Home, probably with a few good bottles of tequila and some terrific sunset photos.
So that’s the basic trip. And honestly, despite my noted lack of excitement for straight up beaches, I’m pretty jazzed to spend some quality time with some truly amazing people. And yeah, I love Mexico. So let’s do this!
If you want to follow along, since content will be delayed, the best way to do that is to follow me on Bluesky. Plus join anyway; it’s a great community!
For those who like such things (me!!!), below is a map of most of Mexico. From left to right, the flags are Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Mexico City.
