The towns of Paso Ancho and Paso Del Guayabo are just minutes up the Rio Cuale by Bus or Taxi from Downtown Puerto Vallarta. We visit two restaurants, El Rio BBQ and Bar, and Moro Paraiso, Restaurant and Bar
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Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa,
The El Dorado Restaurant, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into the ever so romantic Vista Grill with those dramatic views of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course, at La Palapa you can enjoy that same view of the Los Muertos Pier all day long for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends!
This week we are going up the Rio Cuale in Puerto Vallarta, to the town of Paso Ancho to visit two restaurants. One El Rio BBQ, and the second, a restaurant called Moro Paraiso, but first, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta the 18th of April 2018.
The Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden has been nominated for the USA Today’s top 10 best in North America!
I have a news flash from Bob Price at the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden and it reads….
We’ve been nominated!
Vote for Vallarta Botanical Garden in USA Today’s 10 Best Botanical Gardens in North American contest. You can vote every day through April 30 using the link below.
We are currently in 3rd place! Please Vote! We are the only Botanical Garden in Mexico to have been nominated!
Please Share and help us win!
So, I have the link in the show notes. You all know what to do. I also have a link on the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show Facebook Page so go there and find it, and click it, and get to nominating.
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Celebrate Earth Day at Lazaro Cardenas Park El Parque de Los Azulejos
This Sunday the 22nd of April, Come join in the fun and celebrate Earth Day at El Parque de los Azulejos.
A great way to meet new and old, real old friends and of course support the beautification of Lazaro Cardenas Park. Come on down at 10 in the morning, there is a 50-peso suggested donation which of course will go to the park. Uh…bring more okay? There will be bags, and gloves, and coffee and fun in the sun. That’s this Sunday the 22nd and if that date sort of rings a bell for you, it’s because it’s……
JR,s Birthday Bash
If you are going to be in town, you need to go to Que Pasa, get rocked and rolled by Sylvie and The Zippers, and help JR celebrate his 78th birthday. The fun starts at 5 in the late afternoon, some would call it evening, but with sunset coming in at 8:20, you can start your day at the park, have lunch and party at the beach during the day, at 5 catch a great party at Que Pasa with JR and Sylvie, and even have time to catch a Puerto Vallarta Sunset, from your favorite spot. Sounds like a great day.
I have a flyer in the show notes so make sure to stop in and wish JR a very happy birthday. Sorry I won’t me in town JR, but I’ll catch you next month.
I got an email from friend of the show, my buddy Skip. Skip is my “Human Guinea Pig”. He writes…
Barry,
I emailed you a couple weeks ago about my month stay in the PV area this past February and wrote about the on line FMM that proved so helpful.
Today I want to give you a trip report of my hike to Las Animas beach from Boca de Tomatlan.
I took the hike with my sister in law’s husband, Wayne during their one week stay with us in our Airbnb condo in Nuevo Vallarta. Wayne is a great hiking companion and likes a good adventure as well as I do.
Because of the limited time Wayne had in PV, we decided to take an Uber from Nuevo to Boca.
No luck with that! Uber service in Nayarit in the Bay area is not very reliable.
Wayne decided to pay for a taxi ride instead of the bus in order to save time and we arrived in Boca after a 45-minute ride.
Boca is a beautiful little town and we explored it briefly before beginning the hike. We used the bathroom there as you advised and began our hike at 9:15 AM
As we passed through the front yards of the casitas directly on the path I said “Buenos Dias” which was cheerfully returned to me by the unseen women in residence. I felt a bit self-conscious like a trespasser- but it seems the locals are accustomed to it.
We met 2 other groups traveling in the same direction toward Las Animas beach. Both groups were somewhat younger than us and we encouraged them to pass us which they did.
There are a lot of great photo opportunities on the hike and Wayne and I took a lot of pictures.
Parts of the hiking path are quite primitive- not something we would consider a safe hike in the US, but we took our time and had no problems. Most of the concerns I had were going downhill, though the uphill climb was occasionally quite steep. I had downloaded the iPhone app Galileo Pro and the Mexico maps as one of your listeners had recommended and found it useful to monitor our progress on the hike. The GPS app was even more useful in finding locations in old town that I wanted to visit.
We arrived at las animas beach just before 11:00 AM and saw one of the couples who had passed us earlier on the trail. The said all of us had arrived within 5 minutes of each other. We joined them at their table and enjoyed a delicious and affordable lunch of huachinango (red snapper), rice, beans, tortillas, and beer. After lunch we 4 shared a panga ride back to Boca.
We parted ways with our companions- they were taking another panga to Los Muertos Pier- and walked to the bathrooms and then the sitio for a taxi.
After waiting for about 20 minutes and not seeing a taxi I walked into a tienda and bought a small bag of limes- we were getting short of them at the condo- and asked the proprietor about the taxi situation. He said that there is a sitio but that taxis are not that common there. He recommended that we hike up the hill and take the bus.
This made sense since we needed to get ourselves and our limes home for cocktails with the wives.
Less than 5 minutes after we climbed to the top of the hill an orange and white bus stopped and a couple passengers departed. I stuck my head in and
asked “Puerto Vallarta?” He replied “yes” and Wayne and I boarded, and I paid the driver for both of us. The driver had an open box of coins to make change. I was not planning on taking the bus and paid with a 100 peso note. He gave me my change but no receipts. We took a seat on the driver’s side a couple rows back to avoid the handicapped seats immediately behind the driver and to take advantage of sitting on the Bay side on the ride up north.. The windows were all part way down on the bus and we started on our ride into the city after a couple more passengers boarded. The bus remained at Boca for 10 minutes or less. The bus made lots of stops in front of every hotel as well as at bus stops. At 3 different stops, musicians boarded the bus and entertained us. I am a huge fan of live music and this music was indeed lively. We were sung to by a young husband with his wife playing an instrument with a crank, a less memorable crooner, and the best singer of all, He was a blind singer who expertly navigated through the bus using the overhead bar. The Pesos I received in change from the bus fare was used to tip these musicians.
Our next bus to Walmart had only one singer. We had a 15-minute wait at Walmart until the ATM bus to “Riu Nuevo Vallarta” arrived and we each enjoyed a large cup of watermelon.
It was at this point Wayne told me he had left the limes I had bought in Boca on the last bus. I called him a dumbass and asked the watermelon guy if I could buy a dozen limes. He smiled and said he would give us a dozen which he did!
The ATM bus was air conditioned and somewhat more comfortable than the city buses but much less memorable.
Wayne, I, and the limes arrived back in Nuevo at the Kite Towers Condominium in time for cocktails.
It was a memorable day and a lot of fun!
Thank you again for all your tips and advice that helped make our month so memorable. I plan to send you more trip reports as time permits.
Skip from Minnesota
Skip, thank you buddy! So glad that you had a great time.
Those bus rides are priceless. You never know what kind of entertainment you going to get. Sometimes good, sometimes awful, every once in a while, you will be just blown away with the talent that wanders on those rattletraps.
Now as for the Uber situation, you found out that Uber does not operate in Nuevo Vallarta. They don’t pick up in Nayarit which the state just above the Ameca River, just north of the airport. So, other than to drop you off from a ride originating in Jalisco, In Puerto Vallarta, Uber is dead to you.
But good for you Skip. Most folks just stay in Nuevo and never venture from the condos and timeshares to Downtown, or for that matter, all the way down to Boca de Tomatlan, but you did! And is sounds like you had a really great time.
So, thank you Skip! Thanks for your report. Please write more when you have time. And remember, if you have a report, or if you have questions of suggestions for what you want to hear about, please click on that contact us tab at the top of the website, you can contact me through Facebook at or my You Tube channel. I’m really easy to get a hold of so please do like Skip does and reach out. I love it.
Colonia Paso Ancho, Puerto Vallarta, México
There are places so close to the hustle and bustle of the southside and the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta that many of us forget how close the jungle is, really.
On my first trip to Puerto Vallarta back in 1984, I remember walking out of our hotel, The Hotel Playa Los Arcos, hanging a left down Olas Altas and walking over to Lazaro Cardenas Park. That’s the park before they dug it up and put in an underground parking structure. Anyway, there
was a cowboy there with a couple of horses. I still remember him, he was Jesus, and Jesus was a real cowboy. He had a bad eye, but he had some nice healthy horses, and Debbie loves the horses, so of course we hired him to take us on a ride up the Rio Cuale. We rode for an hour and a half in each direction, and looking back, he took us where we are going to be heading today.
Our first stop is El Rio BBQ Bar. The restaurant is located along the river Cuale in a place called Colonia Paso Ancho. From downtown, catch the 04 bus and enjoy your ride up along the Rio Cuale, winding along the Riviera Del Rio, through the Colonia’s of El Remance, Buenos Ares, Benito Juarez and then to Paso Ancho. These are little Mexican neighborhoods on the outskirts of Vallarta, and you will hear my guest Curt, talk about the place where his restaurant is, but you need to experience the ride and you can with a YouTube video I made a couple of years back with my wife and twin brother and sister in law, and I have a link to it in the show notes for this episode. So, when we are done have a look to get the feel for it. When you get on the bus, you want to tell the driver that you want to stop at El Rio BBQ. The bus will drop you off in front of the place, you go beyond the front gate and enter an entirely different world.
There are various seating areas, but the part that stands out the most is the area just above the river where they have beach chairs, and tables, all set up in the sand. An incredible rock wall that rises up from the river, and soars over the heads of the party goers. And this beautiful area is right in front of a stage where live bands perform almost daily during the high season. It’s a stunning location. But I need to stop talking here and we need to hear the story about this place from the owner of El Rio BBQ in Paso Ancho, Kurt Sinner and his master BBQ chef, Hollis Harris. So, let’s go right now to El Rio BBQ, Puerto Vallarta Mexico!
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Kurt’s Favorite Places
Breakfast
- Coco’s Kitchen, Puerto Vallarta
- Memo’s Pancake House, Puerto Vallarta
- Fredy’s Tucan, Puerto Vallarta
Lunch
Advice to a First time Visitor to Puerto Vallarta
- Get out from your All Inclusive Resort and Come into Town
- Meet The People
- Don’t over do the alcohol
- Visit Canopy River
Hollis’s Favorite Places
Restaurants
Breakfast
First Time Visitor Suggestions
- Take a panga to Los Arcos
- Mingle with the people
Paso Del Guabo Bus Stop Google Map Embed
I can’t describe to you the beauty of this place, so go to my shownotes and see for yourself. Make sure you make some time to spend a couple of hours at this place. Eat, dance, people watch, drink, play in the river. You really need to visit.
Next up, we travel farther up the road to a place called Paso Del Guayabo, to one of my favorite places and that’s Moro Paraiso. Now, let’s start with that same #04 bus that we took from town and instead of getting off at El Rio BBQ,, you stay on that bus all the way to the end of the line. The bus will pull in to a side street, actually it’s more like a dead end, and you get off the bus, and walk the rest of the way to the restaurant. It’s about a kilometer walk on a flat, good road, that follows the Rio Cuale. And as you walk along, you enter the Ejido El Jorullo. It’s a butterfly sanctuary, at least that’s what the sign says as you pass through the arches that welcome you to the Ejido.
And if you go all the way up this road, not by foot, but by car or truck, you will end up at Canopy River where we have taken you in an interview with Edgar some time back, and also I reported about the great Mexican Brunch me and JR had up there last time I was in town. Also, that great suspension bridge, but I digress. We are going to take that kilometer long walk to Moro Paraiso.
Now if you have mobility problems and you just don’t want to walk, you can hire a cab to take you all the way up to Moro Paraiso or for that
matter, like Kurt and I said, you can take a cab very reasonably to El Rio BBQ, it may cost you 120 pesos to get to Moro Paraiso, so like $6 US. But here’s the thing, if you want to get a ride in a cab on the way back, you need to arrange that with your driver when he drops you off because there is no phone service from there. The cab will be happy to come back for you, but make the arrangements beforehand. Now this would also be a great time to use an Uber. I’m looking at my Uber app right now and to get from Kelly’s Pour Favor on the Southside to Moro Paraiso, the cost would be 81 pesos. Of course, prices will vary due to the time of day, but the hours that you will be up there, not a busy time of day. Okay but enough of that let’s get to Moro Paraiso. I love this place because it reminds me of Vallarta of old. Having a peaceful meal riverside. And the grill, the bar, and the tequila and racilla tasting. The place has a very good vibe. And of course, it’s a destination location. And, it’s just minutes out of town. So let’s go right now to this cool restaurant by the Rio Cuale, Moro Paraiso.
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Thank you, Vicente, You did great. He is really knowledgeable about the area and really knows the biking and hiking trails around there. So, if you are interested in that type of activity, make sure you stop in, have some food and drink and pick his brain. Who knows, you may have a new cycling buddy. I spoke with the owner, Oscar and because it was in Spanish, I won’t bore you with it. Besides, Oscar was pretty shy, and it was mostly me talking. But Oscar is very passionate about the place and about his parrilla, his grill. And by the way, he has La Punta Raicilla. So, if you are looking for the real thing, you know, the type of beverage where after a couple, you will be talking with tables and chairs, and they will be talking back, definitely ask him for the good stuff. Enough said!
Vicente’s Favorite Places
Breakfast
Lunch
- Robles Taco Stand Near the Pier on Lazaro Cardenas for Goat Tacos
Dinner
- The Thirsty Cougar, Puerto Vallarta, likes the Burgers and Steak
- Tony’s Please, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Favorite Getaway
- Bike Riding in the Mountains around Canopy River and Beyond
Click the Map to Get the Taco Chart From JR!
I have all the links to the places that Hollis and Kurt and Vicente talked about in the show notes for this episode. Oh, and I also went down to Robles Taco stand, the one with goat tacos that Vicente was talking about. I recorded them, but I’ll save it for next week. So, listen to that next time for sure.
That should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show.
Next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more. Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.
And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes.
And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe. It’s really easy to do that and if you have time give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website, you really need to have a look there. I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.
So, thanks to Kurt Sinner and Hollis Harris from El Rio BBQ in Paso Ancho, and to Vicente from Moro Paraiso in Paso Del Guyuabo, I have the contact info for both places as well as pictures, and maps and links and everything you will need to get you up there safely, up and back right there in the show notes of this episode of the show at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
And hey, thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!