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Driving to Puerto Vallarta


cjoseph

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We drive fairly often between Bucerias and Guadalajara and always take the route through Ameca. My husband does al the driving, and he says the lack of trucks and buses clinch the deal for him. We rarely get stuck behind slow vehicles for very long. And the road has been in good condition this year.

We'll be taking it again in a week or so.

Going this route on the free road don't you approach Bucerias from the N end of PV and have to drive north..whereas coming in on the quota you hit Bucerias first?

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  • 2 years later...
2 hours ago, Zach Matuszak said:

Is the Route 70 more dangerous to travel 

Not recommended for folks who don't like or have experience with serious mountain driving.  Also not recommended for those in a hurry.  Very scenic but serious work for the driver.  A great moto road except for a great deal of bad pavement.  Dual sport country!

Take your time, stop for photos and eats, and have fun with it.  Maybe take the other route back.  Alternatively, drive down the coast and visit some of the beach towns between PV and Melaque.  Some truly fabulous beaches, much nicer than the ones in PV.  From Melaque take the free road 80 back to here, also very scenic and in a little better condition albeit with some rough stretches.

 

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3 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

Not recommended for folks who don't like or have experience with serious mountain driving.  Also not recommended for those in a hurry.  Very scenic but serious work for the driver.  A great moto road except for a great deal of bad pavement.  Dual sport country!

Take your time, stop for photos and eats, and have fun with it.  Maybe take the other route back.  Alternatively, drive down the coast and visit some of the beach towns between PV and Melaque.  Some truly fabulous beaches, much nicer than the ones in PV.  From Melaque take the free road 80 back to here, also very scenic and in a little better condition albeit with some rough stretches.

 

Generally agree with MC about beaches. Melaque is horrible but further north La Manzanilla isn't bad but we never returned after the first visit. A little further north we used to stay frequently at the Blue Bay Los Angeles Loco all inclusive. Great beach and almost all Mexican clientele and it used to be cheap but I think prices have gone up. Food typically for the Mexican clientele but that was fine for us. Beaches in PV itself are nothing to write home about. I shouldn't post this but one of the best beaches around here is Playa La Manzanilla, not to confused with the town to the south. Midweek during non school holidays is perfect. Lots of shade and ramadas and a very nice beach with a shallow dropoff. Past Bucerias before Punta Mita turn just before the Bombero building. Not much signage. Google playa la manzanilla nayarit, images to see for yourself.

People who live here won't be in the ocean for a good bit until the rivers start running clean and most of the grungy runoff has cleared.

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Whoa, dude, complete disagreement about Melaque. One of the nicer, calmer, low-surf beaches around. And BIG. There are also a couple of restaurants that serve excellent seafood at prices that are half what you would expect to pay.

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Different strokes......... The steepness of the beach was not our cup of tea. Spent a month there a few years ago and that was plenty. Not enough shady ramadas for our taste but El Bigote's was indeed a find for great inexpensive food. It surely is BIG.

Update.  I have received reliable info that the beach in Melaque is no longer steep as it once was. Sounds like a good choice.

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No, not yet. It's supposed to eventually pass inland from Bucerias and somehow connect right near Home Depot. Now you can only go as far as Compostela as far as I know. Don't hold our breath.

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We drove the Ameca route to and from PV in May and the road was in good condition. We drive it at least two times each year. When we drove using highway 200, we saw accidents on almost every trip. We have been driving back and forth since 2002.

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