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View Full Version : Any experienced Mexico travelers out there?



sadie427
09-16-2007, 09:46 PM
Hi all. We have two weeks in late April/early May, although we might not travel the whole time. I was envisioning something like 1/2 city and 1/2 beach. DS is 4. Ideas I was throwing around were Merida/yucatan coast and Guadalajara/pacific coast. We are generally independent travelers although this would be our most "adventurous" trip with DS so far so we wouldn't want to get too crazy. I might even be open to a bus trip between cities, as years ago I thought the first-class bus travel there was great, although that may have changed. Anyone have any experiences they'd like to share? TIA.

longtallsally
11-14-2007, 10:57 AM
I know your post has been up for a while, but since nobody answered you, I thought I'd give you my two cents.

Ten years ago, I lived in Guadalajara for a year, and I think that a Guadalajara plus beach locale would be a GREAT cultural family vacation. There was lots to see and do in GDL when I was there(Ballet Folklorico performances, the San Juan de Dios market, Plaza de los Mariachi, the zoo, Basilica de Zapopan, the nearby towns of Tonala and Tlaquepaque etc). I would fly into GDL and stay 3-5 days, then take a bus to one beach location and use it as your home base for a week, then return to GDL for a few days before flying out.

As for selecting an affordable beach locale, Puerto Vallarta is easy of course, but I really liked Manzanillo. I stayed north of Las Hadas on Playa Santiago in a condo-style hotel called Casa Blanca, which was great but kind of isolated. Our condo was right on the beach, which had nice not-too-strong surf, and was shallow for a long way out (great for family). There was a nice little pool, and the condo had three bedrooms and a small kitchen with cooking utensils. We brought our own food; you'd probably have to cab it to the nearest grocery store.

I have also stayed in Barra de Navidad at Hotel Delfin, which was a great budget option in a very walkable little town, but not the greatest set up for family. The surf is strong, and the beach drop-off is steep, and the hotel was a few minutes walk from the beach, no kitchenettes in the rooms. You might also want to consider Melaque, which is a few minutes away from Barra.

I can't imagine that the first class bus service has gone down in quality of experience; it was great when I was there. You can easily get a first-class bus from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta or Colima/Manzanillo and possibly even to Barra de Navidad, though you might have to get a connection in Colima/Manzanillo. I would do some research on that before you go.

Note that if you take a side trip from Guadalajara to Tonola (go Thursday or Sunday for street market days) or Tlaquepaque, you WILL NOT be able to resist buying some of the awesome stuff they make and sell there (pottery, glassware, furniture etc). You will probably want to leave those excursions to the end of your visit (when you come back to GDL to fly out) in order to avoid having to haul your goodies with you on the bus to the beach. The places in Tlaquepaque might ship stuff home for you, but Tonola is pretty much cash and carry. You CAN catch local buses to those towns, but it would be MUCH faster and not terribly expensive to cab it.

Also, make certain your vacation doesn't conflict in time with Semana Santa, the two-week vacation period around Easter when every upper/middle class family in Guadalajara tries to get out of town, or you will have a hard time getting accomodations in Manzanillo, Barra or Melaque.

Hope that helps. Frommer's makes a decent guide for the Guadalajara area; check it out. Have fun!

longtallsally
11-14-2007, 10:59 AM
Correction, make that Casa Blanca a la Mar in Manzanillo.

tiapam
11-19-2007, 11:31 PM
PP has good advice re Guadalajara. I think the last time I was there was 2002. In case you go, here are some good restaurants in Guadalajara:

Karnes Garibaldi
Garibaldi #1306
Cheap and fun, not for vegetarians. I think there is more than one
location. You basically just order a small, medium or large of the meat cooked in its juices and onions, with tortillas of course. Very good.

Cafe de Charly
Lopez Cotilla 1568 (esquina Marsella)
A nice place to eat dinner or just have dessert.

Jacarandas (very nice restaurant on top of this hotel, still pretty cheap by our standards)
Hotel Crowne Plaza
Live Piano
Tel. 3634-1034

Peña Cuicacalli (very nice place for entertainment, I think the food is more like appetizers)
Live Folk Music
Tel. 3825-4690
Niños Héroes 1988

La Rinconada Mexican/Intl (downtown, not sure if still open)
Tel: 3613-9914
Morelos 86, Plaza TapatÃ*a

In Tlaquepaque, I like Restaurante sin Nombre at Madero 80. Tel is 3635-4520 or 3635 - 9677. They have an outdoor patio with exotic birds.

-Pam

DD - 3 YO

sadie427
11-25-2007, 11:11 PM
Thank you so much, such wonderful suggestions. We ended up deciding to go to Merida and Playa del Carmen, among other reasons it's easier/cheaper to fly to Cancun from where we live, but I think we will do Guadalajara and the coast next year. Thanks again!