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Canto del Sol and Villas Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta's Best All-Inclusive Vacation

Not too long ago, Puerto Vallarta was just a sleepy fishing village hugging Mexico's Pacific Coast. When Director John Huston decided to film Tennessee William's 'Night of the Iguana' here and news of the torrid love affair between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor hit the headlines, Puerto Vallarta became the “hot” seaside resort destination for jet-setters from around the world.

Today, Puerto Vallarta is a bustling, cosmopolitan resort, and with most of the residents' livelihoods dependent on tourism, visitors are quick to notice that they greeted everywhere with welcoming, appreciative smiles. Puerto Vallarta is the place where everything that is 'real' Mexico started: mariachi music, cowboys, sombreros, Mexican-style rodeos with their displays of superb horsemanship, and the hearty culinary presentations of hominy stew, beans and chillies. Enchiladas, guacamole and tacos all taste better in Puerto Vallarta.

The city backs up to the jungle-clad foothills of the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains. With the countryside only a few city blocks away, you can hear roosters start crowing to welcome the dawn as nightlife ends.

When the multi-national chains discovered Puerto Vallarta and began building mega-hotels, smaller resorts like the Continental Plaza, built in 1984, felt the pressure as vacationers tried these "bigger-is-better" hotels. By 2002 Continental Plaza was run-down, a fading star on the stunning Puerto Vallarta beach front; it was sold and renamed Canto del Sol.

Canto del Sol has just completed a remarkable, multi-million dollar renovation which included new floors in all the halls and guest rooms, all new restaurant furnishings, completely re-tiled pools and expansive new sun deck. The all-inclusive amenities and services have been ramped up and today, Canto del Sol is open for business and is proud of its position as Puerto Vallarta's best valued all-inclusive beach and tennis resort.

Massive, impersonal hotels stand shoulder-to-shoulder, crowding each other and struggling for a slice of the sun along Banderas Bay. But visitors to PV are opting for more traditional Mexican resorts built to a human scale.

Canto del Sol bought the former Golden Hotel next door, renaming it Villas Vallarta by Canto del Sol. The newly remodeled Villas Vallarta retains the traditional ambiance of Puerto Vallarta; it is a charming, low-rise hotel, blending contemporary and colonial Mexican architecture. A new air-conditioning system was installed throughout the resort, all the rooms have received new furniture and complete soft good upgrades, including new curtains, bedspreads and towels.

Canto del Sol has a fine-sand beach with breathtaking water views, spacious swimming pools with swim-up bar, wonderful guest rooms and a championship Tennis Club with 4 indoor Laykold and 4 outdoor clay courts and extensive club facilities. All-inclusive, all-you-can-eat-and-drink options include tempting buffets and specialty restaurant dining, daily activities programs, nightly entertainment and the exciting kids' club.

Villas Vallarta at Canto del Sol has Puerto Vallarta's best spa facilities and features a dedicated, expertly trained staff offering an extensive variety of treatments and therapies including Temazcal, an ancient Mexican sauna. It is the ideal all-inclusive resort value for singles, couples, families, groups and meetings.

Canto del Sol's and Villas Vallarta's all-inclusive vacations are even more enjoyable when guests take advantage of their promotions and internet specials. Contact a travel agent or go to www.cantodelsol.com  for details about current specials.

Edited by Dave Shultz

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