By Tom Gannon (of Lynn Travel Inc), Your Resident Travel Advisor and Travel Blogger
Last month featured an update on Caribbean beach resorts. Now, Mexico will receive our attention. How did our love affair with the beaches of Mexico get its start? We can thank the media for popularizing several destinations starting in the 1960’s with Elvis Presley’s Fun In Acapulco (1963). A year later the world had its eyes on Puerto Vallarta with the filming of Tennessee Williams’ Night of the Iguana staring Richard Burton, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr. Many people would say that Elizabeth Taylor starred in the movie but that was because of the torrid romance that ensued during the filming between her and Richard Burton. Both were married at the time but not to each other and the paparazzi from around the world swarmed Puerto Vallarta. Actually, the filming took place in a little remote fishing village of Mismaloya located eight miles south. Today it is home to the 317 suite, AAA Four Diamond, Barcelo Puerto Vallarta Resort.
The Love Boat was one of the most popular TV shows of the late 70s and 80s. It is responsible, in large part, for the popularity of cruise industry, and further helped to put Mexico’s Pacific beach resorts on the map. In 1979, movie goers were fascinated by the movie 10 starring Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews and newcomer Beau Derek. The setting was the Las Hadas Resort in, hither to undiscovered, Manzanillo. The movie was considered a trend setter and was one of the largest grossing movies of that year.
Mexico’s popularity is enhanced by its low prices when compared to the Caribbean, friendliness of hotel personnel and wait staffs, beaches, proximity to major historical sites and natural environment. The country has now addressed the “don’t drink the water” issue. The food at all-inclusive resorts was initially buffet, upon buffet, now in most venues it rivals cruise ship cuisine and features many themed dining venues. Health wise, our neighbor to the South, seems to do better than the Caribbean with controlling mosquitos and the diseases they spread.
Mexico’s biggest issue affecting tourism is drug trafficking and crime in general. More resorts are becoming all-inclusive and tourists are not venturing off premise very much. Organized day tours can be a relatively safe way to visit Mayan sites such as Chichen Itza and Uxmal on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Right now, it appears that Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Huatulco known for its nine bays are the top resorts on the Pacific coast. La Paz and Loretto on the Gulf of California deserve consideration but are difficult to get to. Resort destinations such as Ixtapa and Manzanillo don’t have beaches that are safe for swimming. Mazatlan is considered “rough around the edges” and Acapulco has not retained its luster. Even some properties like the Presidente Intercontinental Hotel in San Jose del Cabo are luxurious, but the Sea of Cortez is too rough for swimming. On the Pacific coast it is important to know your property and know the weather. The Bahia peninsula is desert-like but as you go south there is a significant rainy season from June through October.
The Caribbean side of Mexico continues to gain in popularity. Cozumel was the first major resort developed and many consider it the best beach destination in Mexico. It stretches for 34 miles and is 11 miles wide and is largely undeveloped. It is known for its beaches, snorkeling, scuba diving and relative safety. It was largely unknown until a deep-water pier was built in the late 1970s to accept large cruise liners.
In contrast on the mainland is Cancun with its more than 30,000 hotel rooms. You either love Cancun or hate it. One travel writer described it as a clone of Miami Beach in the 1960s. Safety had been a major issue and the government has taken steps to curb violence. Initially, investors were reluctant to build hotels in this previously unknown region, so the Federal government of Mexico funded the first nine. A very small but up and coming destination, just 13 kilometers off the coast is Isla Mujeres.
I have traveled to most of the Pacific coast destinations, vacationed three times in Cozumel and been to destinations in the greater Playa Carmen area twice. I have enjoyed all of my Mexican vacations, over the past 45, plus, years. In summary the two best areas are Cozumel and the greater Playa Del Carmen area which includes regions designated as Tulum, Maya Riviera and Playa Aventuras. Cozumel has its own international airport and the Playa Del Carmen is served by the Cancan Airport.
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