Looking for a village near Puerta Vallarta, in February.
A small town or quaint village that is not swamped by tourists.
(OK, I am also a tourist.)
A beach area would be nice but not necessary.
Farm markets nearby.
Locals grilling chicken in a 50 gallon drum, rice and beans.
Artsy and taquerias.
Some ex-pats because I don’t speak Spanish.
Thank you,
John
You'll probably do better posting this in the "Beyond Europe" section under the Destination Q&A.
We've stayed in the village of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle about a half hour north of PV a couple of times and liked it very much. There is a small expat community centered around a marina there but it's not yet been overrun, and the location is handy for day trip explorations to other beach communities further up and down the coast, including Sayulita - which is nice enough but has become a destination on the international surfing circuit so it's not as quaint as it used to be, and in fact was choked with visitors on our last visit a couple of years ago.
The village of Playa Chacala is about an hour and a half north of PV and probably the closest thing you'll find to what you're apparently looking for. The beach there is one of the prettiest along that stretch of coastline, accommodations and food are extremely cheap, and the laid back ambience is captivating. We wound up driving up there for the day about 6 or 8 times during our last visit. Beautiful little place.
Rincon de Guayabitos, about 1 hr north of PV. Has everything you mention, including expats - many from Canada. We LOVE this little town. Beautiful beach. Disclaimer: unless you like wall to wall crowds on the beach, avoid Easter week and Christmas. This is the nearest holiday destination for family vacations for citizens of Guadalajara. Nice people, just a lot of them! La Penita, just outside RdG has an awesome weekly market. Lo do Marco to the south is much smaller and quieter, but has an incredible beach.
