keb0503

i am spending a week at the four seasons in punta mita. i am there to work (nanny) but will have off after 4pm or so. will it be more trouble than its worth to try to drive into PV? i haven't been there for years and would love a visit. also is it safe for a young woman alone? i remember all the attention i drew as a 13 yr old and wouldn't care to deal with that on my own. is downtown PV something that can be navigated with two kids (8&5)? maybe we all could make a day trip together. hmmm..
thanks for any help!

suze

Four Seasons Punta Mita is about 1+ hour from downtown Puerto Vallarta. That location is fairly isolated out on a point. I'm not sure what kind of unwanted attention you experienced as a 13 year old... and not knowing your age now, your travel skills, or the personality of the kids you're watching - I'd hate to advise whether a daytrip to PV would be fun or not. Downtown Puerto Vallarta is a very safe and friendly town, generally speaking. You mention driving, so assume there's a rental car at your disposal? You can also get into town by local bus but it's probably 1-1/2 ride.

eileen

I was just there in April. For $30 pp the resort will take you in a shuttle to Puerta Vallarta -- either for 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. If you are looking to do some shopping on your night off this is probably a good option for you, there is no way I would drive it. We did not think the time and effort to get to PV was worth it and I wouldn't do it with kids, they will have plenty to do at the resort and probably wouldn't enjoy the long car ride. There was plenty of activity in the main shopping district down by the waterfront at night and I would feel pretty safe as a woman alone -- there are lots of other tourists around.

keb0503

thank you! am 26 now and a more experienced traveller but at 13 i remember the comments from guys on the street and vendors in the market. but i delt with this in florence last summer and felt okay.
there should be a car that i could use if the family were to stay in. i think i like the idea of the shuttle though. nice to know there is one and i would be more comfortable not driving alone. maybe i can fanangle some day hours free
any recomendations in the punta mita area? i get the feeling from reading other posts that there isn't much out there. i may just have to be content to spend my free time on the beach reading...what a hard work week

suze

Punta Mita is tiny and somewhat isolated. There are nice beaches around (El Anclote) where you can have a local style fresh fish grilled lunch at a palapa restaurant. And other smaller towns, like if you drove north to Sayulita. These are pretty much all village situations.

If you can get a 1/2 day off, go into PV on your own (personally I love the downtown district... shuttle into town, have lunch, visit the cathedral, walk along the Malecon, check out the galleries, go shopping!).

theprofessor

No problema. Go for it! Pv dowtown is still PV.