Maito

The only way to arrive at this incredibly beautiful place is by land. Luxury Beach Concierge recommends a car rental; either that or you can take a bus to Maito. It will take you an hour to get to El Tuito from Puerto Vallarta, which is a cozy and secluded village in the mountains, and from there board the bus that takes you down to the coast.

The bus stops in Old Town, one block east of Calle Insurgentes at Calle Aguacate in Vallarta. On the way to El Tuito you will travel between the Sierra Madre Mountains and the sea. Take this opportunity to look at the beautiful houses and condominiums available on either side, which are either precariously perched on gorges that hang over the ocean, dug into the mountainside, or nearly hanging off cliffs. If any of these homes strikes your interest in particular, Luxury Beach Concierge can make them available to you. Many are offered as private luxury villas rentals.

The bus (and car) will take you along the highway south so that you will eventually pass Mismaloya, the place where John Huston filmed "The Night of the Iguana," the movie responsible for putting Puerto Vallarta on the map. You might make a day tour of this place too. There are still ruins from the set visible there, and at least two world-class restaurants to lunch or dine in.

As you continue on the highway to El Tuito, you will pass the tiny bay of Boca de Tomatlan, aforementioned in the articles that comprise "Island Hopping with Luxury Beach." You will pass the village of Las Juntas y los Veranos, which affords access to a gorgeous river that locals frequent for swimming.

After this comes the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, which are Luxury Beach Concierge recommends you visit. Before you know it you will have arrived at the quaint plaza at the heart of El Tuito, a village that can be traversed, from one end to the other, in a single day. The bus that will take you down the mountainside to the coast stops here.

Ask a local for the stop times, and once on the bus, ask the driver the return time. The ride to the coast is rocky because the cement highway is still a ways from being completed. Do not worry, it's perfectly safe, and a fascinating ride, through the jungle and several small ranches along the way to the sea. Once you can view the wide expanse of ocean, you'll know you have arrived. Maito is basically that; a vast expanse of sand and sea, under an even more vast expanse of open, cloudless sky.

Many people come to Maito to camp on the beach, or to stay at one of the two hotels there. Hotel Maito is the larger and more luxurious of the two. Possessed of 30 rooms, some with A.C. and with Satellite T.V., this hotel also boasts a large swimming pool and a palapa-covered restaurant. Be sure to book ahead in high season. The other hotel at Maito is more rustic and comprised of approximately 15 rooms, which easily provide for an overnight stay.

At the other end of the beach is a Sea Turtle Conservatory, made up of tents that are occupied by international marine biology students who welcome the opportunity to host and educate visitors. The ocean is transparent here, and though the waves might at first seem menacing, once you're past them you can easily float in the cool, refreshing water. At the other end of the hotels, you can walk around the enormous rocks to the other side and find another, equally unpopulated beach, which is also a pleasure to swim in.

A 15 minute drive from Maito is the small village of Tehuamixtle (Tehua). It is a small fishing village that has been weathered by the tropical storms that race along the pacific coast in the summer. Summer nights are beautiful displays of lightening shows and rambling clouds. While Tehua in and of itself is not beautiful, it offers a handful of exquisite fresh sea food restaurants that serve fresh oysters and lobster caught within view.

Cabos Corrientes, the municipality where Maito and Tehuamixtle are found, is larger than Puerto Vallarta and is included as part of the state and federal government's plan to increase tourism to the area.

For more information on investment opportunities in the Maito, Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit please contact info@luxurybeach.com