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The Los Angeles Locos had the "best" choice food of the four places I went to. They had the best buffet and a little Italian joint for off-hours. But Locos also had the worst fried-food snackbar on the beach. I can't recall... which place has the restaurant on the cliff? That was top notch. A place in PV was so bad all I could eat was the guac.

Another note: in an effort to "energize" everyone with lots of activities, Locos also had the busiest, loudest, most irritating poolside activities ever. I had to go way down the beach every day just to get away.

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It all depends on expectations and current needs. I have enjoyed planning for trips in the past...where to stay, where to eat, etc., but sometimes  the reality came nowhere near my hopes.  I can see where a reliable travel agency like Charter Tours could put together a trip that could be a relaxing, no brainer kind of excursion in which, if you get half decent meals and rooms, it could be a pleasure. No need to make a pig of yourself to "get your moneys worth", since that's just bad for your body. 

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On 7/24/2018 at 6:08 PM, camillenparadise said:

Sayulita is a pit of tattoos, sewage in the streets and water. Only reason I go there is for a great haircut by Marta. Years ago, my group and I went weekly for tacos al pastor, which were great, but now there is no place to park and absolutely no sanitation. A recent wedding party of 50 just had to go for an ocean dip the night before the wedding. 49 of 50 got sick, wedding postponed, party ruined. Avoid it like the plague it is....also a den of thieves.

Camille-not sure if you've been here lately (in Sayulita) but changes are happening. They finally managed to turf out the tyrant who's been in charge of the water system and the sewage treatment plant for a small forever. Proper sewage pipes are being installed as I write this, and hopefully the treatment plant will be run properly. I am finally getting consistent water coming down the line for the first time in 10 years. There were always excuses before- every time we had a little electric outage, the pumps went on the blink or died, because the tyrant pocketed the money instead of hiring technicians who know what they're doing, and investing in decent equipment, and duh, some voltage regulators.

So hopefully things will take a turn for the better re the sewage problem as well. As for the parking problem and the thievery (I haven't had a problem with the latter- I live in the country side and have  large vigilant dog) that may take awhile. But I think anywhere there is such a huge dichotomy between rich and poor, there will always be thieves.

BTW, I think we may have the same favorite nursery- on the right going north just past La Peñita?

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Having been to many beach towns, Bucerias is our go to place now. Several good grocery stores plus Costco a short drive away. Great fish market in La Cruz and nice outdoor market there on Sundays. Lots of restaurants and more than several are really great. Walk the beach for miles. 

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I agree Tom. San Pancho and Sayulita are kinda small. Can't swim very well in San Pancho because of the undertow and in Sayulita you have to avoid the surfers or you get a board in the head. PV is too noisy for me. Bucerias doesn't get a fair shake because it isn't that impressive when driving through on the highway but go west of the highway on the south side of the main town and it's perfect. Lots of fabulous restaurants all along Lazaro Cardenas and miles and miles of pristine sandy beach to walk along. Bucerias is, however, within a short drive of all the others mentioned. We spent a couple of months at Bungalows Arroyo for each of five years in a row.

http://www.bestofbucerias.com/product_bungalows_arroyo_189

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4 minutes ago, Ferret said:

I agree Tom. San Pancho and Sayulita are kinda small. Can't swim very well in San Pancho because of the undertow and in Sayulita you have to avoid the surfers or you get a board in the head. PV is too noisy for me. Bucerias doesn't get a fair shake because it isn't that impressive when driving through on the highway but go west of the highway on the south side of the main town and it's perfect. Lots of fabulous restaurants all along Lazaro Cardenas and miles and miles of pristine sandy beach to walk along. Bucerias is, however, within a short drive of all the others mentioned. We spent a couple of months at Bungalows Arroyo for each of five years in a row.

.............but cedros says the stingrays will get you, lol.

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5 hours ago, Ferret said:

Never ever saw a stingray there.

I never saw one either as a lady who lives there told me not to swim there because the sewage from the town was dumped into the ocean at that time. I went to a doctor in Bucerias once-he told me that over half of his business was treating people who had been hit by sting rays. It is ideal sting ray habitat but it the best beach for walking. La Manzanilla beach in La Cruz is also ideal sting ray habitat. I have stepped on some there and seen people in agony from hits.

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On 7/25/2018 at 6:08 AM, gringal said:

Which hotel did this happen at? 

Anyone had a more positive experience on one of the Thanksgiving excursions? 

I've gone on one of the Thanksgiving all-inclusive trips for probably at least 6 years and have never experienced what was described.  Of the trips offered by Viajes Ajijic my suggestion would be the Riu Jalisco.

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B

On 7/24/2018 at 3:01 PM, justsayin said:

Planning to go on one of the Thanksgiving beach trips and I am interested in hearing from anyone who has gone to  Bucerias and PV and stayed at Hotel Royal Decameron  in Bucerias and Friendly in PV.  Which do you prefer and why? TIA!

Based on your question, I'm assuming you want to go on one of the trips offered by Viajes Ajijic or Charter Club that includes round trip chartered bus directly to the hotel and back.  If that's the case, ignore all the stuff posted about San Pancho, Sayulita, etc. as these two travel agencies do not offer trips there.  I have never stayed at the Royal De Cameron not the Friendly.  I have done the trip about five times to the Riu Jalisco.  Although it is not on their flyer, Viajes Ajijic is offering the Thanksgiving trip there.  I believe it's a little more expensive than those other teo.  I believe Charter Club has filled their space for De Cameron and have a waiting list.  Good luck in making a decision.

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On 7/25/2018 at 9:31 AM, pappysmarket said:

OK, I didn't really want to trash anyplace specifically but since you insist:  The 2 that were mentioned, Los Angeles Locos, Riu in Nuevo Vallarta, Decameron in Guayabitos and a couple more that were mentioned to us as being a big disappointment but I don't remember for sure which ones. Also we stayed at the Barcelo in Huatulco and the experience there was the same as I described. We have completely given up on all-inclusives in Mexico. It's not the hotels themselves, it's the attitude of the people that is the problem. As RV Gringo mentioned in his post about dogs in restaurants. The kind of people coming to Mexico now are very different than they used to be. But RV hit the nail on the head when he said the problem really lies with the Mexican cultural reluctance to say no to anything or anyone. I have had light hearted conversations with gerentes about why they allow pool chairs to be reserved for hours with nobody in them.  They all laughed and said it's not their job to tell guests how to behave. It's like my Mexican friend who says he doesn't use turn signals because it's nobody's business what he's going to do next.

Now one chain we used to go to but has since withered is Club Med and that type of behavior was very rare and not tolerated. If the inmates are running the asylum you can guess what it will be like and here in Mexico the inmates seem to have the upper hand.

Would LOVE to hear reports of places that are not like that.

Where is Los Angeles Locos?  I only know the one in Tenacatita.  I don't believe the local travel agencies have offered trips there for years.  

Which Riu in Nuevo Vallarta?  There are three.  

I assume you are referring to the De Cameron Cocos in Guayabitos.  Neither Viajes Ajijic or Charter Club are offering Thanksgiving trips there this year.

As far as Thanksgiving dinner goes, I'm not sure why one would expect a Mexican resort to serve that.  However the ones I have been at usually do roast turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy but no stuffing.   I always take a can of cranberry sauce with me and share it with others.  I'm thankful that Canada's Thanksgiving is in October because I can have a traditional Thanksgiving meal here at Lakeside and that way I don't feel deprived on American Thanksgiving.  Thank you, Canada!

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Bucerias trip. we loved it Decameron in Bucerias is great, sign up it gets sold out quickly

we only go with Charter tours, the best ever. always reliable  they have a great reputation.

we were disappointed several times with other tours.companies .  older buses, not, arriving on time.

if you arrive late your choice of rooms are not as good.

 

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11 hours ago, Ferret said:

Whatever you say cedros. Sigh. And "at that time" was when?

Wear cowboy boots when you are walking in the water there and you should be okay. You can't get rid of the stingrays. You don't see them as they are usually covered with a bit of sand.There are muc h better and safer beaches for swimming at.

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We vacation in Bucerias every year for several weeks ,we have tried all the resort areas from Barra to Punta Mita,  Bucerias and Rincon have the best beaches and ocean swimming. We prefer Bucerias for its great restaurants , shopping and the fabulous fish market in La Cruz .Because of its size it never appears to be crowded..( except Mexican holidays) .The comment about stingrays is nonsense...even the early morning fishermen don’t catch many and stingrays are one of the easiest fish to land .

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I like Bucerias but I'm not fond of the Decamaron.  There are lots of weekly rentals in Bucerias as well as lots of hotels.  Use Google to find what works for you.  Everything in town is within walking distance.  They have a nice plaza, craft market, beach, bars and restaurants.  The locals refer to Decamaron guests as "bracelet people" and the place just seems to  try too hard to make sure everybody is constantly entertained including loud speaker games at pool and beach side.  Too much for me.  There are really no more undiscovered little beach towns that have lots to offer the visitor.  If you like quiet, try Lo de Marcos or Chacala. Both have great little bays for swimming and a few amenities for the tourist.  Alan

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I think this thread is for those interested in all-inclusives, so advice on quiet places with few amenities is not the raison d'etre. And, since the majority of all-inclusives are booked by tour operators, it's pretty much a safe bet that the bookings will be in Spanish to begin with. Unless there is a suggestion here that there is gringo and Mexican pricing, and that a tour agency is considered only for gringos...

But I do agree that booking online is ridiculous. If you can even find the actual hotel Website while wading through all the BS booking sites, I know that they are all way overpriced. I call the hotels and book when I want something other than an all-inclusive. Much cheaper. I even went to one in PV where my son was staying, and the place had a big sign on the entrance: $800p/day. The online price was $1500.

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From July 19, 2018 edition of Mexico News Daily, the TOP TEN DIRTIEST BEACHES as determined by water testing done by Mexico's federal environmental agency.  I highlighted the ones in Nayarit.  

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexicos-10-dirtiest-beaches/

Quote

 

Water quality testing revealed that Papagayo beach in Acapulco is the dirtiest in Mexico, at 198 fecal coliforms per 100 milliliters of water. Anything over 200 is considered unsafe for swimming.

Papagayo is the worst of the six Acapulco beaches that made Semarnat’s list of the dirtiest 10.

Ranked second with 191 fecal coliforms is Nuevo Vallarta II beach in Banderas Bay, Nayarit, followed by Acapulco’s Icacos beach, 189, and Copacabana beach, 183.

The only Michoacán beach to make the list is Chuquiapan in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, scoring 173.

Two more Nayarit beaches followed: Bucerías in Banderas Bay and Chacala in Compostela, with test results of 165 and 163 respectively.

The list closes with three more Acapulco beaches: Hornos, Caletilla and Carabali, all testing between 152 and 158.

 

 

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