TRAVEL
TRAVEL
bustling metropolis of almost 300,000 residents . It ’ s a great place to stay if that ’ s your thing , but I find it crowded and somehow less authentic than it used to be .
Heading north from Vallarta , you ’ ll find a number of smaller towns across the border in Nayarit province . The first — only fifteen minutes from Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport — is Nuevo Vallarta , a purpose-built community catering to international tourists looking for deluxe accommodations and an all-inclusive worry-free vacation . Although it may be ideal for a family concerned about keeping the kids busy while not exposing them to the uncertainty of foreign travel , it ’ s not the place for me .
Trek another ten minutes by cab and you ’ ll find Bucerias , a town that balances the conveniences of a well-appointed community with the relative authenticity of a Mexican village . With just over 9,000 residents , it ’ s not too hard , not too soft , as Goldilocks would say .
Bucerias was established as a farming and fishing village long before tourism was a thing on the west coast of Mexico . It wasn ’ t until Puerto Vallarta began to burst at the seams that tourists started migrating north for a quieter respite .
Over the years this charming town has grown , condos have been built and numerous upscale restaurants have appeared . For the most part , however , the large developers have left it alone allowing for privately owned townhomes , small condo buildings and quaint hotels to spring up . At the north end of town , the local Mercado de Bucerias is open daily from sunrise to sunset and has all the typical Mexican souvenirs your friends will expect you to bring home .
Restaurants are plentiful and fresh seafood is the primary choice of discerning diners . A fine meal at one of the beachfront restaurants in
Beach at Bucerias
Street vendors of Bucerias
Horses on beach at Bucerias news & views WINTER 2017 | 37