Puerto Vallarta!

Where to begin? I have so many photos and aspects of our trip to share so let's get to it.

Our trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was short, but awesome. We stayed at Barcelo, an all inclusive resort in Mismaloya Beach for four nights.

This was the manfriend's first trip outside the U.S. and I think I have him hooked on intercontinental travel. Now that we have the passport, the options are endless (well, if we had a money tree)!

The food at Barcelo was amazing. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this definitely exceeded them. From the options to the quality, we were always pleased and well fed. 

There were three restaurants at which you could make reservations for dinner (Italian, Spanish and Mexican/Brazilian), a buffet that was open almost all day for breakfast, lunch or dinner, an outdoor sit down grill for lunch and the cantina for drinks and a chips and salsa bar.

Shrimp, chicken and steak fajitas I ordered for dinner one night. A-mazing!

The fruit was probably the best food I ate because it was so fresh and close to the source (I assume). Each morning I had a nice pile of fruit with my yogurt, nuts, coconut flakes and granola.

The margaritas were the best I've ever had. We stuck primarily to margaritas or cervezas (Tecate Light) and of course water. The water at the resort was filtered so it was safe to drink and there was also plenty of bottled water too.

The pools were awesome. This was the activity pool where the music was bumping as well as the swim up bar. There were also two other smaller pools and two hot tubs.

People reserved their pool chairs by 7 am so it was tough to get the good chairs (location wise), but because I was usually up early to head to the hotel gym, it worked out.

The hotel gym was well equipped with treadmills, bikes, ellipticals and weights. I took advantage of everything and even squeezed in a 6.5 mile "long run" on an older treadmill in a stuffy gym. 

While in Mexico, we knew we wanted to take advantage of the spa. 

The manfriend got an overdue haircut (his words, not mine) the first day and the next day we got a couples massage (25% off!) on the spa balcony with the waves crashing below. Seriously so relaxing and cheaper than the massages I get at home. 

While the vacation itself was a splurge, I really tried to remind myself we were on vacation. Doing something small like a massage really made the trip feel extra luxurious. Therefore: bring on the massages!

Randomly awesome: Each afternoon, they would set out a variety of tequila bottles, shot glasses, lime wedges and salt. On your way to lunch or at the cantina in the evening you could simply take a tequila shot at your leisure. I can't say we didn't partake in a few. :)

And by now, you well know my obsession with sunsets. In this area, Puerto Vallarta also did not disappoint. We had some amazing sunsets and beach views. 

Thoughts on Barcelo: The manfriend and I both agreed we would recommend Barcelo to anyone traveling to Mexico. They have hotels in several different cities.

The service at Barcelo was hands down the best I have ever received at any hotel. There was always someone ready and willing to grab you another drink, make sure you were happy and had everything you needed, or simply offering a "Buenos dias" as you passed by.

*Our only regret is that we didn't book another night or two. You live and learn. 

What else do you guys want to know/see that I didn't cover? If you're thinking at all about booking a vacation, whatever type it may be, do it. You won't regret spending the money once you're relaxing and taking in new sights, sounds and tastes.


Next up: Vallarta Adventures!