PV and Cabo

Do they have mini van taxis that will seat 5 passengers? Are they readily available?

Do they have mini van taxis that will seat 5 passengers? Are they readily available?

Mini van taxis are not popular in Mexico. Cabo has mostly only expensive nice large van taxis. PV has lots of large van taxis in the cruise pier

PV cruise pier below, van taxis in background

All of the taxis in Cabo are vans that hold up to 10 people.

Do they have mini van taxis that will seat 5 passengers? Are they readily available?

Yes, in PV, there will be some mini van taxis in the cruise yard, these are not private taxis but vans they load up at usually $4 USD PP and they sit there till the van is full.

Mini Van taxis, outside of the cruise area, are not the norm in PV (in our limited 6 year experience of going down there 1-3 times a year) and usually cost more.

I think that trying to get back to the ship might be a problem or a wait until you can find a van.

Do they have mini van taxis that will seat 5 passengers? Are they readily available?

Like quincytoo, we are Vallarta regulars.

Puerto Vallarta is serviced by two taxi companies: Federal (inside the port and airport properties) and city (yellow sedans outside the port/airport).

As others have said, there are taxi vans (Federal) inside the port. They charge per person and I believe the current rate is $6 USD pp from the port to the downtown (Malecon) area. Federal taxis are not allowed to pickup passengers once off port/airport property.

City "mini-van" taxis are very rare. The overwhelming majority are four-passenger sedans. There are roughly 1,000 licensed city taxis in service and I can't remember seeing more than a couple mini-van taxis out on the streets over the years. I believe the going rate for a yellow city taxi (from just outside the port property entrance) to downtown is $60 Pesos. That's $6 USD for 4 passengers if you pay in USD's vs. Pesos.

Plan of splitting your party on return to the port from any location in town outside the port/airport.

Enjoy!

Just wondering if we could take a taxi ourselves to the old town? (melecon) Do most people speak english? We went whale watching last time with the cruise ship. Is it better to go with the cruiseship to go shopping? What about snorkeling? Is there a good place to go snorkeling?

Thanks for any input.:)

Just wondering if we could take a taxi ourselves to the old town? (melecon) Do most people speak english? We went whale watching last time with the cruise ship. Is it better to go with the cruiseship to go shopping? What about snorkeling? Is there a good place to go snorkeling?

Thanks for any input.:)

Seems it is good to take a cruise ship tour if $ is no issue, you have mobility or health issues, or you are going on a long tour that, if delayed, would threaten your ability to return to ship on time. So, we say, shop on your own, and yes, english is well spoken in most all areas of all MR ports. Cabo for snokeling (Pez Gato) if you must. Snorkeling is not a typical MR highlight. The Spirit & Mariner are fine ships. Hope to c-ya on board each this season

Just wondering if we could take a taxi ourselves to the old town? (melecon) Do most people speak english? We went whale watching last time with the cruise ship. Is it better to go with the cruiseship to go shopping? What about snorkeling? Is there a good place to go snorkeling?

Thanks for any input.:)

"Old Town" is a term used by tourists to refer to Vallarta's South Side, that part of the city south of the Cuale River. The Malecon is the sea wall/paved boardwalk that runs along the beach in the main downtown area. Reference the maps on this site - http://www.vallartainfo.com/

Yes, you can take a taxi or city bus from the port to the downtown and/or the south side.

Most people that work one-on-one with tourists have a working level of spoken english. The taxi union offers free english lesons to drivers. They may not be able to carry on an extended conversation but they will understand where you want to go and will certainly be able to tell you what the fare will be.

Snorkeling in Banderas Bay is, at best, "just OK". Nothing when compared with the Caribbean. In my opinion, there isn't any place worth putting on your mask & fins that you can get to without being on an excursion.

Enjoy!

Those maps are helpful, will you tell me where I might find the resturant called "The Cheeky Monkey"?

Those maps are helpful, will you tell me where I might find the resturant called "The Cheeky Monkey"?

Right on the Malecon and I want to say the corner of Abssolo is the street...that said, I am directionally challenged but it is within a block or two of the Malecon and Abasolo but on the Malecon.

These maps are great :) JR has done a wonderful job with them and we still print them out for each vist.

Thanks, I will print them out and put a star on the restaurant, I have read that it is a fun place to go.

View is great, service is good, food is alright and beer is cheap.......We like a restaurant called Cafe Roma's better but it is on the River close to the central flea market....this summer Roma's offered 5 pesos beer with your meals....their pizzas are wonderful......

CM does have a wonderful view and we usually stop there once or twice during our vists :)

Those maps are helpful, will you tell me where I might find the resturant called "The Cheeky Monkey"?

Here is the web site for the Cheeky Monkey - http://www.cheekymonkeypv.com/

And here is where they are located - http://www.cheekymonkeypv.com/id1.html

And I also think Roma's is the better of the two for food & service. No view like the CM but I have already done enough people watching on the Malecon.

Enjoy!

I knew I liked you MSN :)

Here is Cafe Roma's website to look at Twocats........Honestly the first time we were there Sr. Fox and his staff made us feel like we were part of the family. Like MSN we have done enough people watching and the view of the river from Roma's is nice. :)

*Our* table is the one closest to the bar nestled against the patio railing. YUM the free tequila shots with every meal are very good.....Sr. Fox has this great tequila that is so smooth and his lime margaritas on the rocks are steller.....I am sure the other ones are good too but I love the lime ones too much to order anything else, CM Margs (the cheap ones were not good).

http://www.romamexico.com/

Also Roma's offers free calls to States or Canada....for us when we were on our cruises it was nice to phone home and know the boys hadn't burnt the house down:rolleyes:

Anyhow back to the taxi questions......MSN is right about the price...it was $4.00 when we caught the van in 06.

IS there a good place to snorkel in PV? Is the water warmer there? We are going in Feb. Is there any other excursions that are good? May be going to the melecon or old town, shopping?

Thanks

IS there a good place to snorkel in PV? Is the water warmer there? We are going in Feb. Is there any other excursions that are good? May be going to the melecon or old town, shopping?

Thanks

See these recent threads about snorkeling along the MR as well as in PV:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1264945&highlight=snorkel

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1277050&highlight=snorkel

Most people seem to do zipline/canopy tour excursions in Vallarta, take a water based excursion that has snorkeling as a part of the day or just spend the day shopping/eating/drinking along the length of the Malecon (with the Hotel Rosita on the north end down to the municipal pier/Los Muertos Beach on the south end of the Malecon extension).

How do you get to the Melecon?

How do you get to the Melecon?

Seems it's best to share with a cab driver at the cruise pier where you think you would like to go, and they will take you there. We enjoy breezing thru the Malecon area, drop in at Cafe Roma's as the seasoned pv'rs above suggest, and then head on south further to the Romantica. PV has so much to see and do. The best port of call in the MR.

Map link ==> http://vallartainfo.com/southside.jpg

Cafe Roma

Seems it's best to share with a cab driver at the cruise pier where you think you would like to go, and they will take you there. We enjoy breezing thru the Malecon area, drop in at Cafe Roma's as the seasoned pv'rs above suggest, and then head on south further to the Romantica. PV has so much to see and do. The best port of call in the MR.

 

Map link ==> http://vallartainfo.com/southside.jpg

 

Cafe Roma

Thank you.I love to shop & get bargains.:)

Thank you.I love to shop & get bargains.:)

Word of caution.....DON"T tell the taxi driver you are wanting to go to the Romantica/Romantic zone........Nothing says newbie like someone asking about Romantic Zone.....We had CC friends get charged almost 40 pesos more then we did once same trip same time different taxis.

Why?? We had separate taxis and we asked to go to the Southside and asked the driver to confirm the zone rate of 50 pesos (at the time that is what it was) ...They just asked to go to Romantic Zone and their driver charged them 90 pesos....we got dropped off and picked up in the exact same spots. Only differance being we knew what the proper zone rate was and asked him to confirm it before we shut the doors and we didn't call the Southside Romantic Zone.

Not every driver is going to rip you off but why mark yourself as a new tourist using tourist only lingo???

Here is a link to Jr's webpage about taxis....this is a great site to browse through

http://vallartainfo.com/puerto-vallarta-transport.html#taxi

Those maps are helpful, will you tell me where I might find the resturant called "The Cheeky Monkey"?

The Cheeky Monkey is directly across the street from the "Ladders" statue on the malecon. Look up because it is on the second and third floors of the building. Not too far from the beginning of the malecon.

An easy and cheap way to get to the malecon is catch a blue and white bus near the stoplight between the ship and Wal-Mart. Fare is six and a half pesos (A little over 50 cents US). The bus will turn left off the main street at the beginning of the malecon and will stop about 1/2 block up the side street. You can get off and walk back down to the waterfront and you will be on the malecon. I estimate the distance from the ship to the malecon at a little under four miles but I may be off.

Or, you can stay on the bus until it crosses the river bridge and get off in "Zona Romantica or "Old town". Buses merge back onto the main street just before they cross the river.

The return trip to the ship is the same color bus that has Wal-Mart on the window. They run on a street about two blocks from the main street or you can watch for buses going back toward the ship because they all use the same street.

Right on the Malecon and I want to say the corner of Abssolo is the street...that said, I am directionally challenged but it is within a block or two of the Malecon and Abasolo but on the Malecon.

 

These maps are great :) JR has done a wonderful job with them and we still print them out for each vist.

What are your favorite authentic Mexican restaurants in Puerto Vallarta that have a view of the ocean? I'm going again next April with a friend.

authentic Mexican restaurants in Puerto Vallarta that have a view of the ocean?

The best for us, due to the fun atmosphere & overall ambiance, is Casa Isabel

Casa Isabel

Barcelona Tapas is a favorite

Barcelona Tapas

And many others

What are your favorite authentic Mexican restaurants in Puerto Vallarta that have a view of the ocean? I'm going again next April with a friend.

I wish there was a way that we could private messager each other like we can on Trip Advisor.......I am quincytoo on TA if you are on there Pm me please :)

Most of the authentic Mexican restaurants do not have a view of the water......that said, we did have the most amazing food right on the beach of Mismaloya at a place called Las Gaviotas.

Casa Melissa is on our list of places to try in PV but no view.....only amazing food :) Josefa O. De Dominguez, No. 223-A, a few blocks up from the Malecon.

PM me :)

Can anyone tell me the distance of the Hard Rock Cafe from the ports in Cabo and PV (would like to get pins while I'm there). THANKS