news&views Winter 2017 | Page 36

TRAVEL

TRAVEL

DON CHECKLEY
Boats in the fishing village of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

Travelling the Nayarit Riviera

JANE THRALL | PHOTOS , ROB M c ARTHUR

It ’ s that time of year when those of us who live north of the forty-ninth parallel peel off our mittens , rub our hands together for warmth and begin mashing our keyboards in search of relief from the bitter cold .

Search words like ‘ vacation ,’ ‘ beach ’ and ‘ margarita ,’ and you ’ ll come up with a multitude of options . But add ‘ affordable ’ and you ’ ll most likely find yourself scouting oceanfront destinations in Mexico .
While interest in some American winter destinations is on the decline , Canadians are
showing an increased desire to spend their tourist dollars in Mexico . In the aftermath of the 2017 hurricane season in Florida and the Caribbean , Pacific coast destinations in Mexico are hot this winter , so to speak .
One of my favourite places to touch down is Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco province . A short flight from western Canada , it ’ s serviced by all of the major airlines and most of the budget vacation lines as well .
Puerto Vallarta was a relatively serene town to visit twenty-five years ago , but it has become a
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