I’m going to come clean and openly admit that I’m not one to ever stay in an all-inclusive resort. I’m not part of the early-20’s group of overly-excited college kids yelling “Let’s get fucked up” as they get off the plane. I’m not interested in living in a bubble, getting waited on hand & foot, or partying every night at a night club. But that’s not why I hated Puerto Vallarta. I’ll tell you why:

3 Reasons Why I hated Puerto Vallarta

Let me preface by stating that I found lots of things I did like about the area. And fortunately for me, none of the other American tourists were (seemingly) interested in those activities! So thank baby Jesus for the all-inclusive resorts for telling their guests that the world outside their bubble was dangerous(?) I guess. That just means more Mexico for me!

**I don’t like to write negative posts- and frankly would rather write in a humorous fashion about a negative experience, but this was an exception***

#1 Cut The Beach Garbage Off

Can we all just openly admit that we are killing the planet with all of our plastic junk that we use once and throw away? Yeah, I am totally guilty of this. And so are you.

I really don’t need a plastic straw in every drink I have, or use a single-use cup for every margarita I consume. I don’t need cheap key chains, or a lot of the other crud that beach peddlers were selling. I generally feel bad for those people, because they were all trying to make an honest living. However, tourists need to stop buying CRAP so we call all cumulatively help our economies, environments, and job opportunities.

I was frustrated after the 100th time a local asked me to purchase some small, cheaply made knick-knack. I don’t want to be rude to those people. I was also frustrated as I chased after a few bottles and styro-foam containers that someone else let fall into the ocean. Let’s cut the crap.

#2 Drugs

I was offered cocaine, ecstasy, magic mushrooms, and other drugs every day that I was in Puerto Vallarta. Yes, Seriously.

I understand that marijuana, or “mota”, is a substance that is on the teetering edge of legality in many countries, so I’m going to disregard it- after all, I’ve been offered that many times almost everywhere I’ve traveled. But let’s talk seriously: what is going on??? All these heavy drugs? In broad daylight?

There were plenty of families hanging out at the beach.  Kids don’t need to see that type of behavior.

#3 Tourist (or white?) Privilege

I had my 25th birthday down in Puerto Vallarta, so I allowed myself to go clubbing.  There are plenty of awesome night clubs in downtown PV along the boardwalk. Some had crazy themes, like the Avatar club called “Zoo”, or intense light shows like Mandala. They reminded me of Vegas, except for the blatant racism I observed.

Most had a 100 peso ($7) cover, that I realized the locals had to pay. I felt really grimy when I walked straight into the front door of Mandala and saw a large group of hispanic-looking youngsters that were told to pay cover and use the side door. (WHAT?)

I walked in to another club with the expectation of purchasing a single drink, only to be given some sort of VIP service.  I assume they wanted us to spend more money and stay longer (which definitely worked), but it also gave me the opportunity to look around from a better view point. Again, I saw the segregation, where primarily white tourists were ushered in to booths and locals/Spanish-speaking customers were asked to pay a cover.

I think I’ll skip the club next time.

I don’t normally write articles bashing places, and maybe I just made a bad decision to party in Puerto Vallarta, because I certainly did enjoy a few aspects of the area. Keep your eyes peeled for a few articles on the great qualities that the PV cove has! And in the meantime…check out this post from Always A Gringa about the best places to visit in Mexico. 

(She really does have a beautiful style of writing, doesn’t she?)