Puerto Vallarta: Las Caletas Hideaway Excursion?

Has anyone been on the ship's "Las Caletas Hideaway" Excursion in Puerto Vallarta?

I have some specific questions regarding the catamaran's trip to the "hideaway."

How long is it, is it smooth, are there bathroom facilities once you arrive at Las Caletas, etc.?

Don

Sorry I haven't been there but since it is an all day excursion with lunch etc. I'd expect there to be bathrooms! There is a nighttime excursion that goes there also and people rave about it. Have you read the reviews in the excursion area on Carnival??

I don't think anyone can guarantee that a boat ride will be smooth all the time.

Hopefully someone who has been on the excursion will answer you but I do know it is quite popular.

We will be doing that excurson on our October trip so will post then.

elcue:rolleyes:

Guess we can help. Las Caletas is private piece of land/beach that used to be the home of John Huston..which he leased from a local indian tribe. It is now leased by Vallarta Adventures, which is the largest tour provider company in PV.

I will be blunt and say that Las Caletas is very nice, day or night! The grounds are well manicured, the facility is in tune with the environment, and the entire place is totally private. The only way to go there is on a boat owned/authorized by Vallarta Adventures. The boat ride is across the Bay of Bandaras and is normally relatively smooth (unless there is a strong wind). There are plenty of bathrooms, and the provided food is actually pretty good. This is a place for tourists..so everything offered is safe to eat and drink.

The downside of going to Las Caletas is that you will probably not have any time to see and enjoy Puerto Vallarta (our winter home for the past 8 years). DW and I really love PV and want others to see that living in Mexico is actually quite special. So you have somewhat of a trade-off as to whether you want to spend your day plodding around PV, its shops, flea market, restaurants, etc...or would prefer to have a nice beach day and a wonderful facility.

Hank

Hank, I agree with you and we really love poking around in Puerto Vallarta ourselves. We have been there many times,taking the bus to explore. We are comfortable in Mexico! We are thinking of going on the excursion to Sayulita because our children spent time there last year and really loved it. When we tried to arrange to get there on our own it was really expensive so taking a tour from Carnival appears to be our best choice.

Mr Riffatsea doesn't want to take another boat/water taxi when we've just gotten off the ship sooo unless you have another idea of how to get there for the day I think we'll stick with the ship's tour.

Guess we can help. Las Caletas is private piece of land/beach that used to be the home of John Huston..which he leased from a local indian tribe. It is now leased by Vallarta Adventures, which is the largest tour provider company in PV.

 

I will be blunt and say that Las Caletas is very nice, day or night! The grounds are well manicured, the facility is in tune with the environment, and the entire place is totally private. The only way to go there is on a boat owned/authorized by Vallarta Adventures. The boat ride is across the Bay of Bandaras and is normally relatively smooth (unless there is a strong wind). There are plenty of bathrooms, and the provided food is actually pretty good. This is a place for tourists..so everything offered is safe to eat and drink.

 

The downside of going to Las Caletas is that you will probably not have any time to see and enjoy Puerto Vallarta (our winter home for the past 8 years). DW and I really love PV and want others to see that living in Mexico is actually quite special. So you have somewhat of a trade-off as to whether you want to spend your day plodding around PV, its shops, flea market, restaurants, etc...or would prefer to have a nice beach day and a wonderful facility.

 

Hank

Thank you so much Hank.....you are so very informative when it comes to PV.

I have heard rave reviews about this excursion and its beauty. We are beach lovers and I believe this will be a nice place to visit with a bit of history and view of wildlife on the property.

We were in PV 30 years ago when we enjoyed two Mexican Riviera cruises on Sitmar Cruises....a cruise line that is no longer in existence. We loved it then and our friends have a time share there. They love it as well!

Thanks again.

Don

Hank, I agree with you and we really love poking around in Puerto Vallarta ourselves. We have been there many times,taking the bus to explore. We are comfortable in Mexico! We are thinking of going on the excursion to Sayulita because our children spent time there last year and really loved it. When we tried to arrange to get there on our own it was really expensive so taking a tour from Carnival appears to be our best choice.

Mr Riffatsea doesn't want to take another boat/water taxi when we've just gotten off the ship sooo unless you have another idea of how to get there for the day I think we'll stick with the ship's tour.

If you have a long port day you can get to Sayulita very cheaply by using the regional bus. This bus leaves from the bus area located across the street from the port (along the main road in front of Walmart). You can just walk over there and just look for the Sayulita Bus (there are usually a few Mexicans who will help point you to the right bus. Once at Sayulita, everything is walkable. If the surf is up....you will get to see some surfers (this is the best surfing place in the region) and there are plenty of places to eat and drink....not to mention some cute shops.

Hank

Thanks for the bus info. Not sure I will chance a 1hr-1 1/2 hr. bus ride during our port stay but good to know it is possible.

Do you post on Trip Advisor? Just wondering

Thanks for the bus info. Not sure I will chance a 1hr-1 1/2 hr. bus ride during our port stay but good to know it is possible.

Do you post on Trip Advisor? Just wondering

We have sometimes posted on the TA Puerto Vallarta forum, but generally leave that blog for the real experts. There are some very knowledgeable expats on that board who are in PV all year long.

Hank

We had a blast at Las Caletas last year, and we are planning to do it again in October 2014. The trip out from PV was smooth. It took about 45-60 mins. It was a nice sightseeing cruise along the coast. You pass Mismaloya and PV's version of Los Arcos (actually island with arches carved out of them by the waves). Las Caletas was beautiful. Surrounded by jungle and dotted with lots of coconut palms. The buffet lunch was plentiful and very good. They have an open bar, but there are no blender drinks. Apparently they have no electricity. All facilities were clean and very well-maintained. The staff was friendly and helpful. You can kayak, paddelboard and snorkel. The number and variety of fish were very good. They have some activities geared for the kids. The beaches are small, but it feels like a real tropical paradise. It was a great value for the money.

We were there in June this year and it was our second time there. Loved it. Make sure you take a floatie of some sorts. Had a blast just floating in the bay. The food this time was much better than a few years ago. The guac was some of the best and they were making tortillas from scratch. Service was also great. Have fun!

Has anyone been on the ship's "Las Caletas Hideaway" Excursion in Puerto Vallarta?

I have some specific questions regarding the catamaran's trip to the "hideaway."

How long is it, is it smooth, are there bathroom facilities once you arrive at Las Caletas, etc.?

 

Don

We went there 3 years ago and are returning next week. Yes there are bathroom facilities. They are very rustic, but it is a working toilet and a private bathroom stocked with the necessities (TP & soap). Also, on our boat ride, my son did get sea sick, I wasn't feeling too well either, so I would recommend taking your motion sickness medicine or wristbands. The crew was very quick to respond with a barf bag, apple, soda, etc to help our son recover. Soon after we landed, our son was fine and enjoyed the day to the fullest. Luckily he bounced back very quickly. After a few free tequila shots, I didn't even remember the boat ride. :)

We went in March and it's one of the main reasons we wish to return to PV one day!

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NCL offers a trip to Las Caletas and another for a sea lion experience. I read somewhere (trip advisor, maybe) that the sea lions are at Las Caletas and that the person writing the review was able to buy 1/2 price tickets and get the sea lion experience as well as the Las Caletas experience.

Was he/she confused, or is this true? (Just whether the sea lions are here; not whether you can get 1/2 price tickets!)

Thanks!

We are planning on this shore excursion in April. One question, how are the beach loungers, chairs? Do you sit flat on the beach or do you have a lounger that is off the sand and you can full lay down? Thanks for all of the help! Dad has arthritis.

NCL offers a trip to Las Caletas and another for a sea lion experience. I read somewhere (trip advisor, maybe) that the sea lions are at Las Caletas and that the person writing the review was able to buy 1/2 price tickets and get the sea lion experience as well as the Las Caletas experience.

 

Was he/she confused, or is this true? (Just whether the sea lions are here; not whether you can get 1/2 price tickets!)

 

Thanks!

A few different issues and Ine can correct me if I am inaccurate. The sea lions are out at a facility near Nuevo Vallarta (about a 40 min drive from PV) and has a special business relationship with Vallarta Adventures, who is the same company that holds the lease on Las Caletas. But the Sea Lions can be reached by vehicle whereas Las Caletas is a long boat ride (about 40-50 min) across the Bay.

As to pricing, the cruise lines all contract with Vallarta Adventures for many of these tours. As part of their contract, the cruise lines (actually their excursion contractor) insist that Vallarta Adventures (and other tour providers) not sell excursions directly to cruisers (at lower prices). So those of us who live in PV can buy tickets for many of these tours at a substantial discount from what cruisers pay. Vallarta Adventures does try to enforce this provision by asking for a local address and phone number when locals book their tours.

The thing about cruise excursions is that the cruise lines contract with a private company to run their onboard shore excursion program. The cruise line, the contractor, and the local excursion company all need to make a profit so the cruisers pay the price :).

And it is not just with tour providers. We know of one jewelry store in Puerto Vallarta (who only puts stores at cruise ports around the world) who will open their store just for cruise tours (even if its 7:30 am). We also know that as "locals" we can go into this store when there are no cruise ships in port, and get better deals then cruisers. Keep in mind that this particular company pays for advertising (and to be recommended) on cruise ships so they need to recover this additional cost from cruisers. Nobody gets a free lunch :). And one might ask why this particular company does not locate stores in other major tourist markets...other then at cruise ports. We do know that their Puerto Vallarta store is often quite empty when there are no ships at the marina....as many who live or visit the area know of other (perhaps) better places to shop.

We should add that while Las Caletas is totally under the control of Vallarta Adventures, the Sea Lions (and Dolphins) are not! A cruise could simply take the regional bus (which leaves from the bus stop at the street-side of the large parking area for Sams/Walnart for only a few Pesos, and then just buy an admission ticket. Or, a group could certainly grab a taxi out to Nuevo. Keep in mind that if you walk outside of the port and grab a yellow taxi, they will usually charge lower prices then the white/tan taxis that you can find in the port.

Hank

Hank

We are planning on this shore excursion in April. One question, how are the beach loungers, chairs? Do you sit flat on the beach or do you have a lounger that is off the sand and you can full lay down? Thanks for all of the help! Dad has arthritis.

This what the typical loungers look like.

NCL offers a trip to Las Caletas and another for a sea lion experience. I read somewhere (trip advisor, maybe) that the sea lions are at Las Caletas and that the person writing the review was able to buy 1/2 price tickets and get the sea lion experience as well as the Las Caletas experience.

 

Was he/she confused, or is this true? (Just whether the sea lions are here; not whether you can get 1/2 price tickets!)

 

Thanks!

There was a time when a sea lion encounter was an additive charge option available to patrons at Las Caletas.

The sea lion was brought to the Las Caletas area aboard a panga and those patrons who had paid for the option would go for swim with the sea lion. I believe the trip across the bay was rather stressful for the sea lion and Vallarta Adventures eventually dropped the option.

This what the typical loungers look like.

 

 

They do not look very comfortable! :D

How were they?

Don

There was a time when a sea lion encounter was an additive charge option available to patrons at Las Caletas.

 

The sea lion was brought to the Las Caletas area aboard a panga and those patrons who had paid for the option would go for swim with the sea lion. I believe the trip across the bay was rather stressful for the sea lion and Vallarta Adventures eventually dropped the option.

We were just there last week and we were offered an additional option to take a photo with a sea lion. They give you the option on the boat ride on the way over. Our daughter was too young so we decided not to do it. I forget what the price was, but they were offering 2 for 1 on our boat (I am sure it wasn't "special" for our boat). Maybe $60 for 2 people? So as of last week (Princess Cruise - Crown Princess) it was being offered.

We were just there last week and we were offered an additional option to take a photo with a sea lion. They give you the option on the boat ride on the way over. Our daughter was too young so we decided not to do it. I forget what the price was, but they were offering 2 for 1 on our boat (I am sure it wasn't "special" for our boat). Maybe $60 for 2 people? So as of last week (Princess Cruise - Crown Princess) it was being offered.

I have no doubt that a photo op with a sea lion was being sold on the excursion boat to Las Caletas, just like spa services.

I am making reference to a mini-sea lion encounter where participants spent 20-30 minutes swimming with a sea lion. It used to be offered by Vallarta Adventures on their web site and was packaged by the cruise lines as an additive cost excursion option. I don't see that activity offered any more by Vallarta Adventures and it isn't on the Princess excursion listing.

If nana&poppy2526 are just looking for a photo op, then they will be in luck. If they are looking for more, that is a separate excursion that takes place at the dolphin area in Nuevo Vallarta.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the pictures! Any chance that there are any "regular" chairs available?

There are tables and chairs overlooking the activity beach . . .

As well as in the dining areas . . .