Best PV excursion for seniors?

[PezLori]

I'd like to send my parents on a fun excursion when we're in PV next month off the Carnival Splendor. We'll be doing a beach day with the kids and they aren't into that too much. They're in pretty good health, they're ok with walking, but nothing too strenuous. They're not water people. Can you suggest a fun excursion for them? My dad gets a little bored with your typical shopping/city tours. I was looking at Colonial San Sebastian but didn't see many reviews about it.

 

Thanks!

 

Lori

[MSN-Travelers]

I'd like to send my parents on a fun excursion when we're in PV next month off the Carnival Splendor. We'll be doing a beach day with the kids and they aren't into that too much. They're in pretty good health, they're ok with walking, but nothing too strenuous. They're not water people. Can you suggest a fun excursion for them? My dad gets a little bored with your typical shopping/city tours. I was looking at Colonial San Sebastian but didn't see many reviews about it.

 

Thanks!

 

Lori

 

People often ask this type of question. It would be helpful to know what your parents like to do as-well-as what doesn't interest them.

 

I strongly suspect the Colonial San Sebastian excursion is run by Vallarta Advetures. Additional info can be found at: http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/tours/san-sebastian

 

San Sebastian is located 90 miles from Vallarta and I would expect travel time would be about 2 hrs each way. Most cruisers don't spend an entire day on a single excursion away from the city. I wouldn't be surprised to find few, if any, reviews.

 

Hey ... ya think they would like to go sailing or do ziplines???

 

Enjoy!

[Durangler]

Consider Las Caletas, either the day tour or the late afternoon/ early evening tour, called Rhythms of the Night.

Both run by Vallarta Adventures, a top notch company, IMHO.

[riffatsea]

We are seniors too.We have been to Puerto Vallarta several times but I don't know your parents sooooo:

They might enjoy a city tour which is not just shopping.

There's the house that Elizabeth Taylor lived in and the beach where they filmed the old movie Night of the Iguana. There are also scenic spots. We enjoyed walking along the river in town that had crafts people at work with little shops.

This time we are thinking of just taking a taxi to the Botanic Gardens and spending the day there.

http://www.vbgardens.org/

[Ine]

San Sebastian is a charming small old mining town in the mountains. The drive up there is very nice, often with a stop at a small tequila distillery.

Another option might be a bus or cab to the botanical gardens, south of PVR. To get there the drive is mostly along the coast with great views.

Also PVR old town is nice to walk the steep streets.

[riffatsea]

Sorry! I tried to erase the tour link because it is no longer available but they wouldn't let me edit it out!

I just went to look at the tours available through Carnival and the 2 that we would consider(IF we were booking them) would be the Tequila Factory and city tour

or the Mismaloya City tour.

They seem to offer more than shopping and an interesting intro to Puerto Vallarta.

[CA Dave]

We did this tour the last time and we did enjoy it. The busses are smaller so no bathroom, for what it's worth, and rough in some places. Took about 90 minutes to get there.

 

The town is an Old Mexico silver town (17th century) and tourism is new to them for sure since the road has only recently been improved. The guide (Juan, the best Juan according to him) was very informative and talkative and the lunch in town was communal and authentic and very good.

 

We toured the original mine owners home, then the town (on your own), and, on the way back, a coffee processing plant (very rustic and small scale). The bathrooms here were just a step up from an outhouse.

 

dz

[ladygogo1]

Elizabeth's home (Casa Kimberly) was torn down to becoem part of a boutique hotel and the area where the movie Night of the Iguana was filmed is no longer open to the public,

 

San Sebastian is a nice excursion and well worth it for somethign totally unique.

[Hlitner]

Lori, Since we are seniors your post gets my attention. We also live in PV for about 2 months a year. My thought (not having a clue about your parents situation) is that we cannot even imagine letting our daughter make this kind of decision for us when we travel. Believe it or not, many seniors can actually make some of their own decisions. I mention this because it would be interesting to know if your parents have their own ideas about what they want to do on their port day. If none of the cruise ship excursions interest your parents then perhaps they would be content to simply grab a taxi (or local bus) into Centro (downtown) and spend their day strolling around the Malecon (PVs version of a boardwalk), perhaps enjoying a nice lunch (PV is a great restaurant/food city), sitting on a bench and people watching, and even looking in some of the ships or the interesting market located in the area right around the Rio Cujale.

 

Hank

[PezLori]

Thanks for the responses and ideas! Don't worry, Hank, I won't buy anything without talking to them first! ;) I was just looking for some ideas, which I got! Actually I like your idea about strolling the Malecon, people watching, having lunch, etc., and I think my plan now is to sort of "map out" what they could do after scouring these boards for some great places to see, shop and eat. They may even decide to grab a margarita someplace if they're feeling particularly spunky! Hee hee.

 

Thanks again, everyone!

 

Lori