Las Animas Bay is a Beach Club and Restaurant located only 15 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta at the beautiful beach of Las Animas. “The Restaurant at Las Animas Bay is ready to please you with the most exquisite seafood plates to the exquisite taste of our brick-oven dishes; in here we have merged the best of both worlds!” Their activities offer a Waterfall Trail Hike, Kayaking, Snorkeling, Sailing and even Scuba Diving! You will enjoy the Beach Club’s wonderful view of the Bay of Banderas and experience an excellent service accompanied by beautiful sunsets and paradise. Las Animas Beach Club also offers memberships for Puerto Vallarta residents only, to encourage and support local customers with discounts up to 25% Beautiful and Natural Jungle Paradise Enjoy a relaxing massage! You can visit their website at www.lasanimasbay.com

 

Finaly! A dear friend, Carlos Juvera, has published his discontinued magazine again: Paradise Magazine. It is a free modern magazine about Mexican culture, cuisine, beaches, beauty, nature, art, history and so much more.

The independent magazine focuses on many things, places and stuff that you don’t find in many magazines circulating the Bay of Banderas. Even though it’s focused mainly on Puerto Vallarta and its surroundings, it is about Paradise in Mexico. The official website can be found at www.paradisemagazine.net and to read the full online version you can click here.

We wish him and his magazine the best and hope that it will stay around for a very long time.

 

Vallarta Verde (Green Vallarta) Ecologico was a total success. The entire afternoon at Cuiza Restaurant Bar was filled with music, drinks and people from everywhere. Rastas, Hippies, Grandpas & Grandmas, everybody with some rhythm in their blood was present.

UPDATE

(Video Source: Vallarta Verde)

In case you missed it, we have some pictures especially for you and for our german friend Ajim and his drummer girlfriend that did an incredible job on stage, not to mention: for free and for the good of keeping Puerto Vallarta green. Everybody that performed today/tonight was outstanding and drew big happy smiles on everybody, not to mention the people who danced through every song.

La Cuiza is a neat hidden place on Rio Cuale but not too difficult to find and only one minute walk from the new Malecon Bridge that connects El Centro with Olas Altas. Just follow the stairs that go down right in the middle of the bridge towards Oscars and River’s Café.

To help support the Vallarta Verde Ecologists, you can buy t-shirts, hats, drinks at their events, so please don’t think twice about it, buy something, knowing you are supporting the ones that want to keep Vallarta as what it became famous for (The green fishing port) and not the gray, cement Acapulco 2 City.

In the news: Fieste Ecologica - VALLARTA VERDE 

Barbara Sands

Puerto Vallarta - Vallarta Verde, a group of young and ardent ecology-minded activists has launched a new initiative to foster “green” thinking among Vallartenses.

Spearheading the new group’s efforts are Greta Fuentes, Tatiana Meneses, Carole Oury and Mercedes Sanchez among others. Joe “King” Carrasco of “Nuevo Wavo” musical fame, a transplanted Texan, is lending his group to bring Tex-Mex and reggae flavor to the day and promises to round up a bevy of local musical talents to keep the island moving to a green beat till evening.

The keynote theme of the day is information and ecological awareness. All it takes, sometimes, is a bit of chit-chat among friends and neighbors to uncover common concerns and to determine ways to address them.

Vallarta Verde aptly conveys the aims of the newly established group to build public interest in exploring all ways to preserve what very few green spaces we have remaining to us.

Major among these spaces is the eastern end of the Isla Rio Cuale whose development into yet another commercial corridor has been envisioned by the last two municipal administrations. The Isla is still a micro-nature preserve for iguanas, squirrels and an amazing numbers of birds.

But, more importantly, it’s a cool respite on a hot day; it’s a shady outdoor classroom for kids during the summer months and remains a small verdant microcosm in the Cuale. What an idea it would be to label those many varieties of trees; to have a plant and animal map. John Huston would find himself less lonely in his director’s chair.

The Isla effort will go hand-in-hand with public education through the press, in schools and in city-wide presentations to encourage ecologically sound waste management along with water and other natural resource conservation.

Development has moved so quickly in Vallarta that concrete bastions rise before our eyes without warning. Development certainly cannot be confused with progress and isn’t always the best answer for the municipality.

We can’t forget what put Vallarta on the map besides the torrid Taylor-Burton affair. It is its very Mexican-ness, its leisurely demeanor, its tile roofs and feeling of a city with proud roots, and those it has in abundance.

All those who have grown weary championing the preservation of our beautiful city’s native charms can only applaud these new faces picking up the challenge and bringing in new troops to carry on the battle to preserve our beautiful surroundings, our trees and the city’s heritage.

From the southbound bridge, Cuiza is located down the stairs and toward the ocean. From the Malecon, access is down the stairs and straight ahead to Cuiza on the right past Oscar’s and River Café.

For more information or to offer assistance, contact Greta Fuentes: zuckyinc(at)yahoo.com; Mercedes Sanchez: aisforartist1 (at) hotmail.com; Carole Oury: carolepvr(at)yahoo.com; Tatiana Meyeses: llomera(at)gmail.com or Barbara Sands: barbsands007(at)yahoo.com. Musicians or singers (dancers?) DJs or MCs who want to be part of the action can contact Joe King at joeking(at)joeking.com. Please! drummers need not apply.

 

Its almost here again folks, Valentines Day is just two weeks away! On this international day of love, people around the globe will be showing how much they care for each other with chocolates, flowers, romantic dinners and sunset walks on the beach among many other things!

For those of us lucky enough to be spending this day of amor in the Puerto Vallarta area, most of our favorite restaurants, bars and hotels will be having special romantic menus guaranteeing us some truly fine dining and an excellent evening!

A great example of fine cuisine is the Valentines Day menu at Bruce’s Back Alley Bistro, home of the best steak in Puerto Vallarta’s romantic zone! Their menu is as follows: 
Amuse – Bouche, Wild smoked salmon “hugged” with citrus scented bok choy and a sesame glaze.
Salad -Roma tomatoes and mozzarella drizzled in a blueberry coulis with a white truffle “kiss”.
Appetizer- Bar harbor stuffed crab with a gentle “nudge” of citrus beurre blanc.
Main Course- Filet mignon and pomme frites with a velvety red wine bourdelaise sauce and fire roasted asparagus with samurai shrimp.
Desert is a surprise!

Special features for the evening include a draw for tickets to this seasons Becas Ball (valued at $1500 pesos!), to be held at the end of the evening and a meet and greet with this years stars of Puerto Vallarta! Reservations in advance are highly recommended.

Calling all ladies, for those of you who are single, once were single, wish you were single or would just like to party; Café Roma is having an all you can eat and drink special for $150 pesos! Included in this feast will be food from their regular menu as well as beer and most mixed drinks like Margaritas and Pina Coladas.

Yes you can bring a male partner, but they pay regular prices, no sharing. There will be live music from 5 to 8 pm and all tips go to the KIDS. Go early for a good seat as they are expecting to be jammed to the roof. Thursday, Feb 14th, Valentines day, from 5:00 pm to close at 10:00 pm at Cafe Roma.

And last but certainly not least join Xocodiva on February 14th, the day of love and friendship, in extending a helping hand to the local children’s shelter. With every donation your name will be automatically entered to win the special Valentine’s basket filled with champagne, chocolate-dipped champagne glasses, truffles, a 2 for 1 certificate for a couples’ massage from Body Time Spa, and Xocodiva chocolate massage oil.

All funds raised will go to the Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza (R.I.S.E.) who are currently caring for 53 children that could use you help now and throughout the year. The lucky winner of the gift basket will be announced February 13th, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

A very important thing to keep in mind this Valentines Day no matter where you plan on spending it, is that reservations can be key to having the perfect evening!

For those of you who are not here in Puerto Vallarta, why not think out of the box this year, who wouldn’t love a whirlwind Valentines Day trip to Puerto Vallarta! Many travel companies are offering special romantic getaways to the Puerto Vallarta area.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton aren’t the only ones to ignite their love in Puerto Vallarta. “Love is in the Air” everyday at Casa Velas adults-only all-inclusive boutique hotel. A three-night package provides couples with a romantic stay in a Grand Class Suite with Bulgari amenities; a secluded, four-course dinner for two on the beach surrounded by tiki torches served by a private waiter; spa treatments and more.

With Casa Velas’ Love is in the Air package, guests can indulge themselves at the 6,500 square foot Spa Casa Velas with a daily spa credit of $35 per person to be used toward any massage, facial or body wrap and unlimited use of the Spa’s hydrotherapy facility.

The package also includes breakfast, lunch and dinner a la carte at the hotel’s restaurants; use of the oceanfront Beach Club featuring a pool, Jacuzzi, and private beach; and premium liquors at the Lobby bar and Aqua Bar. Shuttle service to and from airport and taxes and gratuities round out the package. The three-night Love is in the Air package is $1,770 per couple. For reservations or more information, visit www.hotelcasavelas.com

February 26 to the 3rd of March 2008 are the dates for the 2nd Vallarta Wine Fest. The Festival organizing committee said the first fest (2007) was such a success there was no doubts in holding a 2nd. 17 wine aficionados held courses and lectures concerning wine, Mexican wine and that of many different countries.

This year there were 14 hotels and restaurants that participated in the event and every one of them stated that the attendance was fantastic, encouraging them to put their names on the list for a 2nd Wine Fest.

“An exciting option for tourists that not only want sunshine and sand , the Fest offers cultural interest for people vacationing here on those days and for the citizens of Vallarta”, stated the organizer Nacho Cadena.

For the 2nd wine festival, a guest country will be adding their help to bring more culture to the interesting and diverse schedule. Not only about wine, the outside influence of another country will add flavor to complementary entertainment, Vallarta’s Department of culture will oversee a few short films having to do with the main theme.

With wine being a year round interest for many, the committee is putting together a series of events to be held at different times in the year, the first of which was a wine seminar scheduled August 29th through 31st. 3 hours per day of curricular value, featured wine testing and theory available to anyone who holds an interest in learning more about wine.

Info at:
VallartaWineFest.com

 

Waiting at the Marina

Our adventure was about to start with our arrival at the Marina. There wasn’t any cruise ships in sight which made the Marina look a little bit smaller than usual when it’s filled with two or three enormous cruise ships.

There is some pleasant entertainment after you check into the waiting area from where you are then led to the Vallarta Adventures boats. There is a mime/clown for some healthy laughs and guacamayas (parrots) to take pictures of.

Trip to Caletas

The boats can carry between 50 and 100 passengers and we were lucky to get the smaller boat with less than 50 passengers which makes it more comfortable to walk, see and enjoy the boat.

Our trip started at 6:30pm, right in time for the sunset and a beautiful photographic ocean-view.

On the way, there is a free bar and party music entertaining the passengers.

The ambient is happy and everywhere you look you see people talking, dancing and laughing together with the willing boat crew.

 

Arrival at Las Caletas

20 minutes before arrival at Las Caletas, there is a funny show starring the crew in a “almost” real strip dance. The sun is completely gone and left is only the black sky with little bright dots that become clearer with every wave we approach to the beach. As we get closer to the beach the torches seem brighter, illuminating every path at Las Caletas.

We go pair wise along the paths passing a few scenarios where we can see actors dressed as Indians performing mystical ceremonies and rituals.

The sound of drums and other instruments gets louder the deeper we walk into the jungle. It is amazing how wonderfully nice structured and decorated the place is.

The Scenery could be described as if it was a mixture of an untouched natural world with the architectural work of mankind.

 

Also impressive is that almost everything besides the food and people is made out of stones, ropes and wood. After a few meters walk, the line of visitors is split in two, one to go to the buffet and the other to go view the show.

We managed to sneak into the buffet line, since we wouldn’t want to see the show with an empty tummy.

Buffet

Everybody gets a unique table spot and there are special ones extra for couples located along the beach. Some are only a few inches distance from the water.

Drinks are served immediately from waiters keeping an eye on our needs and wishes. The buffet is nicely illuminated with candles that are sitting aside every food plate. It is a little hard to recognize everything on the buffet but don’t worry, there is no way to choose wrong because all the food is deliciously prepared by excellent gourmet cooks.

These are the moments you wish for more space in your tummy and lets you turn over in your bed, thinking about every single plate of food you didn’t try. One of Vallarta Adventures’ staff went through every table asking for feedback and making sure everything was fine.

You can see people that have fallen under the magical Caletas spell chitchatting with the crew and other staff members about how wonderful Caletas is. After a few glasses of wine and a full plate of exquisite food, we were advised to go to the show located deeper inside the area.

Show

The show starts by seating everybody on benches up a hill like if it was a theatre play just before all lights go of and the crowd is surrounded by total darkness. Now we become aware of the benefits of an open-air show.

The stars are as bright as stars can get and the hidden speakers start playing drum rhythms. Then color starts appearing on stage. First red, then green and violet playing synchronized with the actors and music.

Fire, smoke and drum beats stimulate all our senses, pushing our heart beat faster. The show takes about 20-30 minutes being perfect timing for our bum sitting on the wooden benches. After the show finalizes with an impressive act, everybody is getting ready to go back to the boat and head back to Puerto Vallarta.

Way Home

On our way to the boat you can hear people say things like “I want to stay here”, and staff people replying “Stay here, we’ll come and pick you up tomorrow”.

Everybody is back on the boat and believe it or not but with all the different kinds of alcoholic drinks we had, the boat didn’t seem to move more at all.

Here and there you can see people getting very tired, embracing each other or leaning on some body’s shoulder for a nap.

There isn’t as much party on the way back, which is good because it let’s you enjoy the rest of the night and some people can continue fantasizing about all that food and drinks they didn’t try.

By the way, if you are going to drink more than one cup of any alcoholic drink on the boat, you should stick to the beer. All our drinks were prepared and served in front of us at the bar, and you can see the rum is poured out of a Bacardi bottle, which we now know wasn’t Bacardi.

Just thinking about the different drinks we tried makes everything spin again and the truth is that we have never drank that little and gotten so drunk. 24 hours later our heads still hurt like hell, but it still was a five star experience that we would repeat any time (but only beers).

Last Words

Rhythms of the Night is a MUST SEE. There is no arguing, anybody coming to Vallarta with a good taste in food and scenery, will love this tour. We haven’t tried out many other tours offered by Vallarta Adventures, but we believe that this is probably the best one.