TOLL FREE 877 278 2142 USA
TOLL FREE 844 776 3727 USA & CAN
TOLL FREE 877 278 2142 USA
TOLL FREE 844 776 3727 USA & CAN
From Caribbean beaches to Pacific cruise ports, destinations in Mexico offer optimal inexpensive getaways. Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) and The Riviera Maya are just three vacation hotspots that won't wreck your wallet. Don't let pricey airline tickets ruin your vacation budget. With a few simple tips, save money you can spend instead on tours, souvenirs and enjoying Mexican culture.
Use the calendar
Use Southwest Airlines Low Fare Calendar online to view the cheapest times to fly to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City or Los Cabos. Enter your origination and destination cities and click on the month that you wish to travel. A calendar pops up showing the best deals for each day of the month. For example, airfare the day after Christmas and the weekend before Christmas is the most expensive time to travel during the month of December on a flight from Phoenix to Cancun. A flight costs less than half as much during the first 12 days of the month or after the first week of January.
Avoid Holiday Travel Times
Visiting Mexico during national holidays can be a festive and exciting experience, but you'll also pay a premium for airfare. Travel during times when school is in session and government and businesses offices are open to find the lowest rates. Mexican citizens tend to travel during the national holidays when many businesses close for one or more days. Airfare increases to Mexico for the Christmas holiday season beginning with December 12, the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Although the main focus of the festival is Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo north of Mexico City, the national holiday gives citizens time to travel in all parts of the country. The winter holiday season ends with the New Year's holiday. The Easter season is another busy travel season in Mexico where Maundy Thursday and Good Friday just before the Easter weekend are national holidays. Other national holidays include:
Constitution Day, the first Monday in February
Benito Juarez's Birthday, the third Monday in March
Labour Day, May 1
Independence Day, September 16
Revolution Day, the third Monday of November
Price flights online
If you know when you want to go on your Mexican holiday, check out onsite price matching sites like JustFly or Google Flights. Although you might have to move quickly to snag the very best deal, take time to check out the details before you commit. Some prices you'll find online don't include taxes and additional fees, which can tack on more than $100 on a flight from Phoenix to Cancun, for example. Lower priced fares might add one or more stops, extending your flight time. For example, a 4.5-hour flight from Phoenix can turn into 15 hours of flying and airport layovers when you fly via Dallas to save a few dollars. Keep legroom in mind, too. Google Flights includes how much legroom you'll have which, if you're tall, can be worth paying more for to be comfortable for hours in the air.
With SQN Getaways, find the best accommodation packages and have an amazing time in paradise.
Source: (Usa today)
When looking for a vacation spot, there are so many things to consider. Like time to get there, costs of flying to get there and where do you stay and what do you do when you do get there. Puerto Penasco is your best place for every aspect of a vacation. First, it is only a short 4 hour drive from Phoenix or Tucson and with no waiting in long lines at the airport. Secondly it is not expensive to get here, third is we have the best deals for accommodation on the Sea of Cortez and last, there is a multitude of things to do here every single day. No over crowded beaches here, just miles of pristine sand.
Crossing the US/Mexico border is very easy (just make sure you have your passport or passport card for re-entering to the US). Buy your Mexican auto insurance either online or from your own agent.
A short 1 hour drive south of the border and you are here. About 30 kilometers south of the border you will pass the Pinacate Biosphere. Sometime during your stay, do go back out and tour the new visitor center Shuk Toak. It is very modern with a movie telling all about the craters and the surrounding area. The guide there will answer any questions that you may have and there are interactive touch screens throughout the building. Make certain to take your camera as the views from the center are gorgeous. This crater range is the largest in North America and if you feel like going up to see them, you can (4 wheel drive) is best. You may encounter many animals along the way.
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Back in Puerto Peñasco if you are a seafood lover, take the drive out to the oyster farms and get some steamed clams, fresh shucked oysters or ceviche and have a cold beer if you like. While there take a dip in the water or just watch the Blue Heron and Egrets do a fly over along with countless Pelicans.
As you pass into town you will drive along the docks in the Historic Wharf District with all the shrimp boats moored and will be able to see nests of what we call Bald Eagles, but they are actually a little different. Both mom and dad tend the nests and dive in the harbor to get food for the babies. Again, camera time, as the boats make for awesome photography as well as the pelicans perched on the pongas (little fishing boats). Continue into the Malecon, were you can have your choice of food and very good service. A lot of history here as Al Capone use to stay there in the bootlegging days. As you leave the Old Port, make sure you stop into Mercedes Rusticos. Here you will find anything that you need for your home or as a gift. From the south of Mexico you will find blown glassware, Mexican table settings and weavings just to name a few things.
Sometime during your trip, venture out to what locals call “Rodeo Drive” and visit the many shops filled with everything from beautiful ladies apparel to upscale gifts for you home or condo. There is something there for everyone.
Mexican food has some of the most well-known and loved dishes in the world. Mexican cuisine varies by region due to local climate and geography amongst other things.
This time we will take a culinary tour in the Banderas Bay area.
Vallarta is actually an important culinary destination in itself. A mix of international chefs, discerning gourmands that have made the city their hometown, a long-running gourmet festival, the local Mexican food traditions, that are centuries old plus quality ingredients from sea and land combine into great food, great prices and an ever-expanding list of options.
In here seafood is a favorite, plus the local dishes are very interesting for the newcomers too, these include dishes that are part of Jalisco's traditions (the state in which Vallarta is located), especially from Guadalajara, the state capital.
1.Pescado or Camarón embarazado
One of the local dishes that best represents what is typical in the town is "fish or shrimp embarazado", that is, pregnant fish/shrimp... sounds weird? It's mostly the name that is, it's actually a linguistic deformation of "pescado en vara asado", that is fish roasted on a stick.
This delicious local food is prepared by grilling fish or shrimp marinated in lime over coals, then served with Huichol salsa. The fish itself can be school shark (cazón) or marlin, another variant is to use shrimp instead of fish.
2.Birria
The main ingredients of this dish include goat or lamb meat, boiled in a spicy sauce that includes cumin, oregano, and ginger. It's served with lime (they call it lemon here), onions and the inseparable tortillas
3.Pozole
The most famous dish and the favorite of almost all Mexican is "Pozole" that has different incarnations around Mexico, in Jalisco and Vallarta it's a tasty broth that includes as main ingredients pork or chicken meat, seasoned with chili and includes a special popped corn. Once served you eat it with lettuce, radishes, and tostadas (sun-dried tortillas) y can be red or white, depending on the ingredients used for the soup.
4.Tamales
A Mexican favorite, that you'll also enjoy in Puerto Vallarta is the "tamal" (plural: tamales), these are actually an American dish that you'll find in local variants from Mexico all the way to Patagonia. The local version is prepared with white corn dough that is filled in the middle with either salty or sweet options, the most popular are green tomatoes with meat or red tomatoes with meat, all include chili pepper in greater o lesser amount, ask before eating, some have a sweet pineapple filling, kids like these a lot and they DO NOT include chili. The dough is then wrapped in corn leaves and steamed, yummy, give them a try!
5.Tortas ahogadas
We can't forget the famous "Tortas Ahogadas" (can be translated as "drowned sandwiches"), a very typical local dish. In Guadalajara, there's a saying that "you've not been to Guadalajara unless you've eaten tortas ahogadas", so you're expected and "forced" to try them. These sandwiches are made with a special local white bread called "birote" (the story behind the name is that a Frenchman whose last name was Birot, in the XIX century tried to make baguettes in Guadalajara and ended up inventing the birote) that is then stuffed with pork meat in pieces (some variations include shrimp and other fillings) and then covered with a generous amount of spicy chili and tomato sauce (that's when they are "drowned"...), many places offer a variety of sauces from "pica poquito" to stronger options.
Making memories with friends and family is priceless, and enjoying relaxation and recreational time is something we all need. However, when you're not prepared, a beach trip, well, is no day at the beach. To avoid disaster and ensure your next sand and surf trip is the best it can ever be, these beach trip tips and hacks are invaluable.
Carry a sand-free beach bag. Sand is so much fun when you're at the beach. However, it's a huge annoyance when you get home and find that it's covered virtually everything you own. With this in mind, try getting a mesh tote bag for carrying your things. Just give it a few shakes at the end of the day, and the sand will fall out.
Always protect your face! Bring a mineral water facial spray along with you. This will refresh your skin when it's feeling a little jaded by the sun.
We know you care a lot about your hair, so apply leave-in conditioner to your hair. Both the sun and salt water can cause damage to your hair, and they can harm your color, too. To combat this, use a leave-in conditioner that contains a UV protectant.
Use lip balm. The sun, heat and salt water at the beach can dry your lips out, so ensure you regularly apply a lip balm containing SPF sun protection
Put Electronics, Medications, Toothbrush, and an Extra Pair of Underwear in Your Carry-on. A few important items should always go in your carry-on. A swimsuit is also a good idea if you are going on a beach vacation. You can buy most of these things if your bag gets lost, but having them in your carry-on will save you money and time if your luggage gets lost in transit.
Put your room number & Hotel Adress in your phone. It is better to prevent
Alert Your Bank and Credit Card Company of Your Travel Plans. This is a great habit to get into if you don’t want your credit card company or bank to put a hold on your card while you are overseas.
Leave Room for Spontaneity. Don’t plan your entire itinerary ahead of time. It’s tempting, I know, but those unplanned moments while traveling can be the best memories.
Let Someone at Home Know Your Plans. This is extremely important when traveling solo, but it’s still a good idea no matter how many people are in your travel group
Put your phone in a plastic bag when you go to the beach. The touchscreen still works through the plastic, so you can use your phone without ruining it in sand and water.
