Nayarit Riviera (Vallarta)
I enjoyed the Shrimp with Risotto and my friends all raved about their meals.  The Red Snapper was fresh prepared perfectly.  I just loved the bruschetta.  It was prepared like I have never    experienced before with fresh Italian bread…a goat cheese with herbs and garlic spread on top and then slightly cooked cherry tomatoes.  To die for!  Don’t miss treating yourself to Bravo’s!
The burgers come in many flavors and toppings, but my favorite is the Blue Burger and the fried pickles dipped in ranch dressing. Â Don’t count your calories when you visit this place! 2 locations…one in the Romantica Zone and the other in Nuevo Vallarta. Â Say hello to Carlos and tell him Carol and Sherry sent you!
House specialties include fajitas and Yucatan-style pork. Elena’s is also known for an eclectic signature dish, the Indonesian sate mixto, skewers of meat and chicken spiced with peanut sauce, as well as its killer handcrafted margaritas and its 
flaming coffee drinks.
http://www.chezelena.com/index.htm
We took 2 car loads to this wonderful outdoor BBQ restaurant along the El Rio River. Â Great music and dancing as well as some of the best ribs and pulled pork we ever ate!
http://www.elriobbqbar.com/index_english.html
This is my favorite day or night cruise! The staff is entertaining, the views are gorgeous and you can see all of Puerto Vallarta from the water on the way to the beautiful shore of Las Caletas. There you will enjoy a delicious 
island buffet, all you can drink, snorkeling and fun in the sun. On the way back you may see whales and dolphins. This cruise is the best of the bunch. At night it is called Rythmns of the Night and is is very romantic. The island is loaded with tiki torches that welcome you when the boat lands. Don’t miss this trip whether you go during the day or night, it is money well spent!
Music, music, music. Everywhere you go there is live music playing in La Cruz (just past Bucerias) there is live music at Britannia’s, Ya Ya’s, Anna Banana’s, Cascada’s, Hikuri’s, Black forest, even in the plaza during the new farmer’s market on Sundays.
Philo’s is now open on Sundays and everyday except Mondays. Philo and the Mexican Shuffle Band play every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Music starts at 8 p.m.
This is a family oriented type of bar/restaurant. I just loved Philo’s fantastic band, the calypso music and dancing until midnight!  Don’t miss a night at Philo’s in La Cruz!!
Talk about a day of fun AND EXERCISE! There are a few ziplining excursions but the Canopy Tour is the best and the highest. So well run and safe. When I saw the youngster’s (well young teens), I figured this ole gal could do it and with that stiff upper lip, Ann and I bought our tickets and never looked back. Can you say FUN? What a blast. So don’t miss the opportunity to go Ziplining when in Puerto Vallarta!
On the left is my friend Sue who just loved zipping while at the condo with her husband Dave. Ann and I are on the right looking the part, lol. The outfit definitely did nothing for us!
In Chicago we have Brookfield Zoo, considered one of the best in the country. In Puerto Vallarta we have an altogether different type of zoo in that you can get much closer to the animals and interact with them..ummm…maybe more than you should! We ended up petting the giraffe, feeding flamingoes and hippo’s right from our hands and we witnessed a goat catching a ride on the back of the hippo! Yes, the rules are more relaxed but that makes for a great experience if you have the guts :)   I have to admit that this day trip to the Zoo and lunch at the Vista Grill afterwards is one of my finest memories.
Sherry, Ann, Chris and I had s
o much fun that day! Just not sure I liked how much those Pink Flamingo’s followed me (Maybe because I am Italian, lol). We were able to get so close and feed most of the animals. Very cool!
When any of us make the 3 mile trek along the beach from the condo to Bucerias, we can’t wait to have a cold drink on the deck at Dugeral’s as well as the shrimp salad. The breeze is fantastic on the upper level and the view goes on forever. We usually get ourselves all rested up and cooled down from the journey and then head to the square and the flea market. Usually I like to end the day at Bucerias with a nice cup of Mexican coffee and a stroll over the Paseo de Besa. There we can enjoy some art galleries and cute boutiques (yes, this is where my friend bought every cute top in the store!). As for me…just give me my nice cup of coffee with a lovely hint of cinnamon as the sun goes down.
Villa Magna has a reciprocal arrangement with El Tigre Private club associated with Paradise Village. Proving residency gets us a better rate and it is right around the corner from the condo on the Bay. We enjoy some very challenging holes and as part of the ambiance El Tigre has two huge black cages that surround the gate where two black tiger’s live. I love taking my visitors to the cages when the tiger’s are being fed…interesting! 
The LPGA has played a couple of tournaments there, including the LPGA’s first International event in 2010. I ride my bike there and enjoy a wonderful lunch with the girls. Often you see someone you think you should recognize with media following them and body guards!
El Tigre is one of my favorites but I am also a big fan of Vallarta’s Jack Nicklaus course up top the Sierra Madres. Gorgeous!
What I really love is that all the courses rent new Taylor Made equipment for about 480 pesos (approx. $50) so my friends that visit don’t usually lug their clubs.
Probably my all time favorite golf course is Vista Vallarta. Going to the golf course entails a long winding ride up the mountain until the beautiful white clubhouse veiled in colorful Buganvia’s looms into your view. Outstanding! Both the Nicklaus and the Weiskopf courses are challenging and losing a ball or two is a given! Check it out at:
Click this link to see more info on Vista Vallarta Golf
Enjoy picturesque and historical Puerto Vallarta! Fabulous restaurants and shops as well as taking in the waterfront and the local arts and craft show. We just can’t get enough of going to town and … More Vallarta