Vallarta Adventures | Nuevo Vallarta — Attraction in Nayarit

We went on the PUERTO VALLARTA SUNSET GOURMET EXPERIENCE and this trip was fraught with issues, I can’t recommend it based on my experiences unfortunately. There were some upsides, but greatly outweighed by the downsides. Initially we went to book the tour through our WestJet Vacations tour advisor on resort – when we said we were interested in this tour (which was in the pamphlet) he had issues finding it in their system to book. He had to call his manager to ask what was up with the situation. After letting us know he couldn’t book the excursion for us, he told us that this often happens when a tour receives numerous complaints – they’ll pull the tour.

We went away and decided to research the tour – it’s not actually available for booking anywhere but VA’s website, and a couple of reviews that we could find on google made it sound like it was brand new, so we thought we’d take our chance, and directly booked w/ VA.

Everything started off well enough, we left a couple of minutes late (no big deal), but then things started to take a turn for the worse:

The good: • Staff were attentive and made every effort with the guests.

The Bad: • The boat might technically be called a yacht, but it was a standard small/mid-sized catamaran that they crammed over 40 people onto. • The boat wasn’t nearly big enough for the small group atmosphere they advertised – we were relegated to the bow of the boat as everything had filled up prior to our boarding. • We had to remove our shoes (which is normal on a boat, but the trip description recommended wearing sensible shoes to walk around the ‘yacht’ on). • Dinner was to be served on land after a ride to the eco-resort location (see my photo of the good and dark sides of this location) – we were under the impression we’d be on a large yacht eating aboard based on the description again. • The seas were getting rough, so much so that the boat had to slow down multiple times during the journey as it was starting to pitch too heavily.

We eventually made it to the restaurant site, after a very choppy ride in, but this came with its own set of problems.

The Good: • The dining area was very nice (see my pictures). • The restaurant staff were professional, and clearly going for a Michelin like dining experience. • The food was fairly good overall, I particularly liked the taco course.

The Bad: • We had to transfer from the ‘yacht’ to a skiff in the very choppy water – this was hard for us, being healthy and in our 40’s – it was quite difficult for most of the guests who were 60+. • The meal was very rushed feeling – In retrospect because we had lost a lot of time getting to the destination due to the bad weather in the region. • The wine pairings were very limited – they had 3 types of wine spread across the 5 courses – they didn’t all work together, and for the price it should have been better paired. • On the way to the bathroom, they had an area where the large gate was left open, and you could see the disaster they had made of the beautiful local environment (again, see photos). • After a fast dinner, and this is where things get messy with a 3-boat transfer:

They had sailed in a larger catamaran style boat and docked it at one of the available docks (this implied to me that they knew the weather was going to be too poor to pull this trip off successfully). after a sketchy boarding of this boat, to then find ourselves transferring from it to the skiff (I personally pulled some muscles in my back after falling into the skiff during this stage which made the remainder of my trip in PV much less enjoyable). We then transferred from the skiff to the original boat for our return journey home where we had clearly missed the sunset portion of the cruise, and we went at full speed to our destination arriving about 2 hours late.

In Summary, VA should have probably cancelled the trip when they new the waters were too rough to pull it off safely and as advertised. This would have been disappointing, but not as anger inducing as the existing...

We were challenged by and enjoyed our time with Vallarta Adventures (VA).

My challenges with Vallarta Adventures start with the financial costs, there are ALWAYS surprise fees not disclosed during the reservation process. If you take a boat anywhere you will have a mysterious "Port Fee." Who gets paid this fee, is it real, is the port fee a tricky way for VA to make another 400 to 800 pesos, who knows?

My second gripe is the lack of communication. My frustration is not a language barrier, finding a VA rep who clearly explains what the day will hold, when and where we will be, WHO we will meet when we get there, and what we are to do next is difficult.

My third complaint is every day seems like this is the first time they are ever doing the activity as a company. Something as simple as checking in for the daily activity is a small miracle of God. Now to the three events and what we enjoyed.

Hugo was an outstanding guide with us during the Outdoor Adventure. He is very personable, attentive to the guests, and makes the day enjoyable. If you choose the Outdoor Adventure day you will come home bruised, wet, and smiling from ear to ear. Plan to wear clothes and shoes that will get SOAKED. Once you get to the zipline and waterslide courses, you will be in and out of the water, so bring a second set of clothes and shoes to change back into the basecamp area. You may even get wet off-boarding at the beach. If the dock is closed you will jump from the boat into the salt water, be ready. Without ruining too much, there are two zipline paths you will get dunked and two water slides that use water to propel you. We did not appreciate the hard-sell and sense of guilt tactics the photography team used at the end of the tour, please accept no as a no answer. There were maybe five nice images but nothing worth $150 USD to us, let alone $80 USD.

Alma - Rhythms of the Night is a cluster-pile from start to finish. Disorganization is an understatement so please be flexible and patient, you will need both. We enjoyed the boat ride out, had the opportunity to see a family of whales, and were graced with a dolphin performance, and the boat team made the trip entertaining. Dinner was buffet style and good, not great and not poor, something in the middle. If you do not ask for a specific alcoholic drink, they will only offer you the premixed generic drinks, remember Open Bar means open bar, order what you like, not just what they offer for the meal. Our expectations for the actual show were high but fell short, think of an intermediate version of a Cirque de Soliel performance. Three performers were outstanding, the majority were respectable, and one or two will continue to improve their craft over time. Is the Rhythm of the Night performance the "Best Thing to Do in Puerto Vallarta", no.

Our full-day tour of San Sebastian del Oeste was the most memorable experience we shared with Vallarta Adventures, choose this tour. Juan Carlos is an excellent guide, knowledgeable, and teaches you the history of the area through an amazing story format. Alex was an incredible driver and he kept a windy and bumpy road feeling smooth. Starting with a stop at the bakery was a welcomed bathroom and food stop. Enjoying a quick walk through an agave farm field gave us a great perspective as to the size of an actual plant, these things are huge. Coffee, such a simple concept but so much work goes into growing, harvesting, drying, and processing these little beans, we have a greater appreciation and education for our morning flavor. When we arrived in San Sebastain our groups initial walk-through town provided us with a nice introduction. Exploring the streets, shops, food, desserts, and jail, yes you read that right, jail, you will have the opportunity to spend a few minutes in jail during your vacation, pending someone else occupying the single no windows room. Our inclusive lunch was incredible gluten free carne asada tacos. Just be warned, the cornbread dessert is not...

We booked 3 tours with this company for a total of $950 (including tips and fees).

1 – Rhythms of the Night The show was excellent—intense, entertaining, and 100% worth it. Performers were talented, music captivating, atmosphere magical. Downside: extremely hot, so you sweat a lot, and the show runs rain or shine. The food was delicious, but I got sick afterward with vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain for one night. Because it was short-lived, I believe it was food poisoning from something not stored properly.

2 – Luxury Yacht This one left us with mixed feelings. The tour is advertised as 6.5 hours, but you don’t get that much activity time. On the yacht, someone offered scuba diving for $50, which we accepted. It was supposed to be 45 minutes but ended up being 25. Over an hour and a half was spent sailing to the snorkeling area for another group. Once we finished scuba, we met the rest of the group at the beach—but only had about three minutes before leaving.

What they don’t tell you is that if you choose scuba, you miss all other activities in the regular tour. By the time you join the main group, time is up and you must head back to the yacht for a snack and sail back to the start.

Another detail: when they pick you up at the first meeting point, they stop at another port to collect more passengers, eating up more time. If the tour is advertised as 6.5 hours, you expect that in activities—not transfers and waiting.

To make matters worse, the scuba instructor was somewhat rude and made inappropriate comments. If you work with tourists, be kind and patient. Cultures differ, and words matter. For someone new to the activity, your attitude can make or break the experience. If they’re already nervous, your comments could terrify them instead of reassuring them.

That said, the scuba itself—seeing the fish—was beautiful, and the rest of the yacht crew was amazing. Special mention to Diego, an excellent entertainer and very attentive.

3 – Outdoor Adventure This was by far the most exciting and fun activity we did with this company—thrilling, extreme, and well-organized. The downside: no personal cameras allowed so they can sell their own photos and videos. They claim it’s for “safety,” but a strapped GoPro could be safe. Clearly, they want to push their $159 photo package on top of the tour price.

After the adventure, they take you to the photo kiosks, and while the pictures are excellent, it’s frustrating to feel forced to buy them. At least the staff in the food area and the man at the bar were incredibly kind.

Final thoughts This was our first time with this company, and now we know what to expect. I understand the worry of being in a new place and wanting tour-company safety, but Puerto Vallarta is actually one of the safest places for tourists.

After these experiences, we explored on our own—and it was far better. We asked locals where to go, rented a small boat for $50, and were taken to a gorgeous, quiet beach. We stayed all day without rushing, and when ready to leave, we simply texted the operator, who picked us up. We spent about 25% of what we’d pay for a company tour, and the freedom was priceless.

These tours are advertised as 6.5 hours, but actual activity time is often just 2–3 hours because travel is included. While the company offers great moments, tourists should know exactly what they’re paying for to decide if it’s worth it—or if exploring on their own offers more value...