ASK JOURNEYS: Mexico hotspots: a primer

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Fishing is still important for the Mazatlan economy. (RON PRADINUK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

On a weekly basis I get questions relating to destinations. Readers want to get guidance on which Mexican resort areas are the best for a one- or two-week vacation, as example.

These inquiries are difficult to answer because each region has its own attraction, and features I like about a place may not be what others find appealing.

Because it has more non-stop options from Manitoba than other destinations, the majority of questions I receive are about Mexico. Today's column will essentially review three of the more popular Mexican sunspots.

QUESTION: I have never been to Mexico before. Can you tell me if Puerto Vallarta would be a good first vacation visit to that country?

ANSWER: I think Puerto Vallarta is an excellent way to become indoctrinated into the Mexican experience. For a long time it was far and away my favourite place to visit. I have been going there for a very long time and have watched it grow from a fairly quiet, uniquely Mexican destination to a sprawling sea of new hotel properties that now extends for several kilometres from the city centre.

It's not as though this growth is confined to Puerto Vallarta. This has happened to most of the popular resort areas as North Americans and Europeans have discovered how professionally managed the properties are.

What has always made Puerto Vallarta special for me is the downtown core itself. Old Town, as it is called, still has cobblestone streets that make you feel you are in another time. Spanish-style adobe buildings enhance that perception.

The market is a fun place to visit. And for those old enough to remember, a visit to the connected residences Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton occupied after they began their affair during filming of The Night of the Iguana is very interesting.

QUESTION: There is limited service to Mazatlan, but I heard it is an excellent city to visit. What is your opinion?

ANSWER: In a story that was in the Winnipeg Free Press some time back, I wrote: "The first time I visited Mazatlan, my wife and I danced on the bar of the Bora Bora nightclub. Fifteen years and several pounds later we return to see how much it, or we, have changed."

It was an excellent return visit and reaffirmed our appreciation for this city and region.

In the intervening years, Mazatlan had expanded its tourist infrastructure and improved some of its interesting historical regions for visitors. There are almost 500 buildings located in the city centre that are designated as national historic landmarks. It's easy to spend several hours wandering up and down the streets admiring the architecture, which has been described as neoclassical.

Mazatlan is much more than a tourist city. With a population of 400,000, it was an industrial city before it became a tourist destination. It has one of the largest ports in Mexico, and fishing is still an important way of life for many.

The malecon is extremely long and is dotted with a variety of sculptures that make the walk very appealing.

The temperatures in Mazatlan do not get as high as some of the other areas in January and, in fact, can be cool in the evenings in the early part of the year. We found it plenty hot enough during the days, as neither of us are really sun-worshippers.

Mazatlan also markets itself, with good reason, as the shrimp capital of the world. There are lots of places where you can stop in at any time of the day and consume buckets of huge prawns at a fairly reasonable price.

QUESTION: Why is it that every tour operator seems to offer multiple flights to Cancun? Is it that great of a place to visit?

ANSWER: The flights not only serve the resort properties of Cancun, but the airport there is also the gateway to a huge number of hotels that have sprung up along the Mexican Riviera. Cancun, however, is an extremely popular destination on its own.

From my perspective, Cancun itself does not offer that much of a Mexican flavour. It's a destination that developed as a result of a deliberate plan to create a new tourist locale to compete with other Caribbean countries that were experiencing new tourist wealth at the time.

The first hotel was opened just 35 years ago, in 1974.

Since then, Cancun's growth can only be described as explosive. It has shopping centres, modern bars and restaurants apart from those on hotel properties, and has much more of a city feel than many of the other Mexican winter destinations. And its nightlife has made it a popular gathering place for spring-break college students from Canada and the United States.

Cancun offers a beautiful beachfront at most resorts, and is close to many of the most popular Mayan archeological sites. As busy as Cancun is, a short few kilometres away you can find yourself in jungle surroundings.

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is President of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravel.com or read Ron's travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 21, 2009 E2