Go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. All the same charm of Cabo or Cancun, but A LOT cheaper.
Mike and I went here last November as a gift to ourselves for completing graduate school and being employed (kind of a legit excuse for a vacation???). We were there for 7 days, 6 nights, flew from LA nonstop, had two fancy dinners out, drank more margaritas than we can count, and stayed in a 4 star beachfront hotel with an ocean view balcony and a kitchen in room for a grand total of $1900. This is why I say "semi-cheap". Cheap to some, not so much to others (we saved for a year for this trip), but definitely cheap in comparison to the average honeymoon cost - which I read on MSNBC is $5,111! For the money you spend in Puerto Vallarta (PV), you get a ton.
There are many AFFORDABLE beachfront hotels in PV. We stayed at the
Sheraton Buganvilias Resort right by downtown, so it was within walking distance of everything pretty much.
View from the hotel Balcony. They do weddings out on the grassy area by the ocean. We actually got to see one take place our 2nd night there. So romantic.
The pool was awesome - not just for the swim up bar, but for the iguana that called the hot tub area his home. No joke, there was a good-sized iguana living in the Sheraton's pool area. He just chills the heeell out while pool goers throw mangos at him like a pet. So cool! Speaking of hotel pets, there was also a cat that roamed the halls of our hotel AND RODE IN THE ELEVATOR. This cat was crazy awesome. And friendly.
El gato del hotel
Here are some things you should consider doing whilst in gorgeous PV:
- Eat Lots of Tacos al Pastor - Translation: beautifully seasoned pork tacos off a spit with cilantro, onions, and pineapple. We literally ate these twice a day, everyday. They were THAT good. And the best part is that they run less than a buck a pop. It is absolutely possible to eat, and eat well, on 5 bucks a day in PV. No joke. Don't be tempted to go to a popular touristy place called "Pipi's" - it tastes like Americanized Mexican food. Go for the gritty. Eat swordfish tacos on a cart. In the street. YEAH, BOYEEE.
Before: On spit After: In tortilla Next: In Belly
- Go to Restaurante El Palomar de Los Gonzalez - An unbelievable view in the mountains, table side Caesar salad (the real shiz with a raw egg and sardines y'all), lobster, crab, fish, etc. THE most romantic, delicious seafood restaurant I've ever been to. And Mike suckered me into wearing my short-asst dress there. Snort. You take a 7 dollar taxi ride all the way up through the mountain that overlooks the entire city of PV where the restaurant is located. I could totally see an amazing wedding taking place here. The courtyard with the fountain overlooking the city would be a killer place for a ceremony.
- Do the Zip-line tour through the Canopy - This tour is seriously the shiz. You climb up one side of a mountain then zip-line to the other side over a gorgeous stretch of jungle. This place is also the location where "Predator" was shot. And believe me, they exploit this fact to no end. You'd think it'd be annoying (living in LA, you're bombarded with this crap all the time), but honestly it was quite endearing. A life-size, piss-poor statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger that says "He ees da Gov' nahtor"? Sign me up! BUT, if Predator + Zip-line = not awesomely weird enough for you, well, guess what? After you zip-line, they take you to the local tequila distillery and give you multiple FREE shots of the best tequila you'll ever taste. Nothing screams "awesome" more than zip-ling through a jungle and shooting tequila with locals afterwards.
- Do the Rhythms of the Night Dinner on the sand - You take an hour long, OPEN BAR boat ride to a secluded stretch of land, lit only by tiki torches, and eat dinner on the beach. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Water nearly at your feet. Food not the best, but experience well worth it. PLUS, Mike and I decided once and for all, that after six plus years of "going steady" (cue awws) that he and I will be getting married. He even got me to put on that old engagement ring...hehe. So I'd say it was a great night all around.
And if you're really brave...
- Hang with the locals. Like the REAL locals - Mike and I met some local dude who worked at a pottery store who went to prison 20 years ago for maybe-sorta-attempted-murder (I gathered?) and we ended up hanging out with him. Hey, who am I to judge a brotha? PLUS he offered us some of that sweet Mexican ganja. HA! Why not? Do as the locals do, right? Right? Wink, wink. Wow, the more and more I think about that story, the more I'm glad we're still alive. Maybe don't take this advice too much to heart. But whatever. We had a great time. One of the best memories for sure. Wink. Ok, no more winks. Winks are gross.
Chillin' with Chuy
So, in short, if you're willing to really experience the culture in PV, then I say consider rocking it for your honeymoon locale. Like I said, it's bomb-ass.
