Cuates y Cuetes Restaurant Bar and Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Cuates y Cuetes Has Been Serving Food and Drinks Beachfront in Puerto Vallarta for 25 Years
Cuates y Cuetes Offers Live Jazz and Latin Music Daily on Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta
Listen to The Podcast
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.
Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Subscribe On Android Devices
Send Barry an Email
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, Puerto Vallarta’s Oldest Restaurant on the famous Los Muertos Beach, and The El Dorado Restaurant and Beach Club right next door so you can enjoy that fantastic view of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors, or during the day in its grand splendor 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.
Contact Information For Cuates y Cuetes in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Address: Fca. Rodríguez 101 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- Phone: +52 322 223 2724
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CuatesyCuetes
- Website: http://www.cuatesycuetes.com/
This week we are going to one of my favorite places, which also happens to be a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta…I say that a lot don’t I? We are going to Cuates Y Cuetes Restaurant and Beach Bar right on Los Muertos Beach, also with a fantastic view of The Los Muertos Pier that I was just talking about, Just from the other side, some may say it’s a better view of the pier but we won’t get into that…and we are going to meet Esther Hernandez Zermeno, the lady in charge, the family member in charge over at Cuates y Cuetes, but before we get to Esther, let’s see what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, the 7th of December 2020.
No Processions Due to The Pandemic
Church bells are ringing but there are no processions this year in Puerto Vallarta. The yearly pilgrimages to the inglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, the 12 days of processions where
neighborhood and business organizations and groups take turns participating in centuries long traditions of marching with friends, family, co-workers and enjoying a sense of community. Not
happening this year…what a surprise… Instead, the bells ring and the services are held on television. It’s all virtual this year. Glad to know this year is virtually over. Next year can’t get any worse…right?
Anyhow, these twelve days commemorate the interaction between the Indian peasant Juan Diego, and the Virgin de Guadalupe in Mexico City, where today the Basillica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe is today. A very important event in Mexican and Catholic history, and like all of this lovely year, whatever…..
Toy Drive at Vallarta Food Bank
Our favorite people at Vallarta Food Bank are planning something special for the families that are in dire need of their services during the pandemic and beyond, and let me read from their Facebook post…it reads….
We’re planning a special Christmas lunch at our Soup Kitchen on December 25th for the families. We would like to gift small toys to the kids and a bag of Xmas cookies to each family to take home with them. If you would like to donate toys or homemade cookies, please send us a message.
The last 8 months have been a crazy yet amazing experience for all of us here at the food bank. With your support we’ve provided for thousands of families and will continue as long as the need is there. Let’s get together and do something meaningful for them this holiday.
Thank you ❤️
Francie, Frankie and Jim
I have a link in the shownotes where you can contact them and make a donation especially for this holiday surprise for these families in need, or if you are in town, buy some toys, make some cookies and see what you can do to help out. I have links and ways to get you to them and thanks Jimmy, Frankie and Francine.
Donate to Vallarta Food Bank
Sign the Petition to Stop the Condos Across From Los Arcos
A few weeks back we talked about construction of Condominiums on the land adjacent to the Los Arcos Marine Sanctuary if you recall, and we now have a petition in opposition to the project. Let me read from this post and petition at Change.org….
It reads…
Stop the construction in front of Los Arcos de Mismaloya, in Puerto Vallarta
We demand a halt to the construction of the breakwater in front of the Marine Flora and Fauna Refuge, Los Arcos de Mismaloya, as it puts the conservation of one of the most biodiverse sites in the entire Bay of Banderas at risk.
Los Arcos are an icon of Puerto Vallarta, it is also a key habitat due to the multiple environmental services it provides to nearby communities, as it plays an essential role in coastal dynamics. It is a breeding place, since it functions as a seedbed for larvae, shelter, feeding and reproduction of many species of invertebrates and marine vertebrates, mainly commercial species that feed a large part of the local population.
Los Arcos are home to a large number of species, among which at least six are in protection status within the NOM-059 of SEMARNAT (king angel Holacanthus passer , courtly angel Pomacanthus zonipectus , Pacific horse Hippocampus ingens , brown sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus , hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata , two-colored castanet Stegastes flavilatus ).
And I have a link to that petition in the shownotes at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
And as a call to action you need to share this information with your friends who are lovers of Puerto Vallarta and the Bahia de Banderas, share the petition and demand a stop to this development that is threatening the environment and the way of life of the local communities.
Sign The Petition
My Missing Daypack Follow-up
Last week I was telling you the story about how I left my daypack, with all my recording equipment, some cash, a credit card and a couple of other items on a bus a couple of weeks back when visiting and doing interviews in Puerto Vallarta. I had given up any hope of getting the backpack back but was contacted after I got home to Los Angeles from my trip by the person who had my bag, and we were negotiating a deal to get the bag back to me.
Her name is Marta, and Marta wanted a reward for returning the bag to me. Her idea of a reward of course was a little different than mine. Mine was kind of a generous monetary reward of $150 US, and hers more of an extortion of $250, or 5,000 pesos.
As I explained last week, the equipment was replaceable but the interviews recorded on the SD card, the memory card in the recording device itself was the only item I really needed. I had interviews on that memory card that I hadn’t had a chance to air on the podcast, some of the interviews I will never get a chance to re record again.
But the more I thought about it, the more I questioned paying a ransom to get it back My wife says I get passive aggressive. I Guess that’s what it is.
I did an inventory of the interviews I lost and couldn’t get back unless I were to give in. There were three. Three that would be gone forever and I couldn’t re-record another time even if I tried. There were three others that I know will do them again no question. Then I did the math on the lost items. The voice recorder, the Zoom H-6 when it was new cost me $350 US and the microphones and cables about $60 each x 3.
But today, that recorder is a bit outdated and I can replace it with a better unit for about $200, and add the microphones, it comes to about $360 to buy everything new. Or pay sweet Marta $250, and get back my old equipment, plus the SD card with the precious interviews recorded and ready to go. What to do???
I think I’ll continue to play hard to get with Marta for the time being. See if I can get her to squirm a bit. She won’t get anywhere near the amount of cash for the equipment from anyone else other than me. The $150 or 3,000 peso offer I made was more than generous enough and she did get my cash, 100 cash out of the bag in the first place so yeah…I’ll continue playing hard to get or as my wife says passive aggressive for another week. I’ll let you know if I decide to buy myself a new Christmas present, or send pesos for my buddy the holder of the bag, Marta.
Mexican President Says Lockdowns Are Work of Tyrants
Here’s an article from the Guardian…looks like the president of Mexico has just met Gavin Newsom the governor of California, my governor….
From the Guardian…
Mexico: López Obrador says pandemic lockdowns are the tactic of dictators
‘The fundamental thing is to guarantee liberty,’ says Mexican president when asked why he almost never wears a mask
Mexicos’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador suggested on Wednesday that politicians who impose lockdowns or curfews to limit Covid-19 are acting like dictators.
The comments came as López Obrador once again fended off questions about why he almost never wears a face mask, saying it was a question of liberty.
The Mexican leader said pandemic measures that limit people’s movements are “fashionable among authorities … who want to show they are heavy-handed, dictatorship.
“A lot of them are letting their authoritarian instincts show,” he said, adding “the fundamental thing is to guarantee liberty.”
López Obrador’s comments came a day after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that Mexico was “in bad shape” with the pandemic and urged its leaders to take the coronavirus seriously.
“The number of increasing cases and deaths in Mexico is very worrisome,” said the WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Monday.
“We would like to ask Mexico to be very serious,” he said. “We have said it in general, wearing a mask is important, hygiene is important and physical distancing is important and we expect leaders to be examples …”
In his comments on Wednesday, it was unclear if the Mexican leader was referring to authorities in other countries, or the mainly opposition-party local leaders in Mexico.
Many governments across the world have effectively implemented lockdowns or limits on when people can leave their homes, something López Obrador has fiercely resisted doing, arguing some people live day-to-day on what they earn on the streets.
Some local governments in Mexico have tried to use police to enforce limits on masks or movement, which resulted in scandals of abusive behavior by police.
López Obrador argues such measures should be voluntary.
“Everyone is free. Whoever wants to wear a face mask and feel safer is welcome to do so,” López Obrador said.
The Mexican government has gone against the grain of international anti-virus practices in two ways. It has offered changing and contradictory advice on the utility of wearing face masks, and has described mass testing as wasteful and pointless.
Mexico has seen almost 107,000 test-confirmed deaths so far, the fourth-highest toll in the world, but Mexico does relatively little testing
and officials estimate the real death toll is closer to 150,000.
And I have a link to that article in the shownotes.
Covid Vaccination Coming to Mexico Soon
And for all of you waiting on the edge of your chairs for a cure…for the precious vaccine in Mexico…here’s an article from Mexico News Daily…
Covid vaccinations to begin this month; gov’t buys 34mn doses from Pfizer
‘What many people imagined was impossible is now a reality:’ Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard
The federal government has struck a deal with the United States pharmaceutical company Pfizer to buy more than 34 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, the first 250,000 of which are expected to arrive in Mexico this month.
The Health Ministry announced on Twitter that Health Minister Jorge Alcocer signed an agreement with Pfizer on Wednesday for the manufacture and supply of 34.4 million doses of the vaccine it developed with Germany’s BioNTech. The vaccine was 95% effective in phase 3 trials and caused no serious safety concerns, Pfizer said in November.
“The expectation is to receive 250,000 doses this month to protect Mexicans,” the Health Ministry said, adding that the inoculation of health workers will be a priority.
President López Obrador said earlier on Wednesday that the government had allocated 20 billion pesos (just under US $1 billion) for an initial purchase of Covid-19 vaccines, adding that Mexico has purchase agreements with companies other than Pfizer.
“The authorization process at [health regulator] Cofepris is being simplified,” he said.
Mexico’s agreement with Pfizer comes the same day as regulators in the United Kingdom granted emergency authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The rollout in the U.K, the first western nation to approve a Covid-19 vaccine, is scheduled to begin next week, with priority given to the elderly and their caregivers.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard acknowledged the U.K. approval in a Twitter post and said that Cofepris has already received an application for authorization here.
“The United Kingdom has authorized the vaccine developed by Pfizer. In Mexico the regulatory authority (Health Ministry-Cofepris) already has the corresponding application. What many people imagined was impossible is now a reality: vaccination is about to begin in December 2020,” he wrote.
Ebrard said last week that Pfizer would be responsible for transporting the vaccines – which have to be kept at -70 C – to the point at which they will be administered while the Health Ministry will be responsible for inoculation.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell, the government’s coronavirus point man, said Tuesday that the military will assist in the vaccination process.
The vaccines ordered will be enough to inoculate 17.2 million people as each person must be given two shots 21 days apart. With only 250,000 doses expected to arrive this month, just 125,000 Mexicans – about 0.1% of the population – will be able to be vaccinated by the end of the year.
Nevertheless, the news that a vaccine is on the way is undoubtedly good news for Mexico, which has been hit harder by the pandemic than most other countries around the world.
The accumulated case tally rose to 1,122,362 on Tuesday with 8,819 new cases reported by the Health Ministry. The total is the 11th highest in the world, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
An additional 825 Covid-19 fatalities registered by health authorities lifted Mexico’s official pandemic death toll to 106,765, the fourth highest in the world after the United States, Brazil and India.
The case tally and death toll are widely believed to be much higher because Mexico has not tested widely for Covid-19.
Source: El Economista (sp), CNN (en)
Barcelona Tapas Opens For Brunch
I have some good news for Sunday brunch fans…here’s another one to add to your list…Barcelona Tapas has now opened up for Sunday Brunch. That’s right, enjoy a beautiful morning view of the Bahia de Banderas with live music and the great food you expect from the folks at Barcelona Tapas. Good luck Bill Carbalo.
There’s more, but I think it’s time to get to the interview shall we?
Cuates y Cuetes Restaurant, Bar and Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
The first episode of the show I introduced you to the place we are going to right now, and that’s Cuates y Cuetes Restaurant on Playa los Muertos. I took you there if you remember, because they have a
special webcam that as I described it to you, will give you a great idea as to what it’s like, on the ground in Puerto Vallarta. The webcam swivels around, giving you, the viewer at home a boots on the ground
idea as to how the weather is, what styles people are wearing, and how’s the vibe, right there in the middle of everything. Remember? In fact, my Puerto Vallarta webcam page on the website at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com gets more hits than any other page on the site.
But when I come to town, when I arrive in Puerto Vallarta, besides visiting with JR, the first place I visit, is Cuates y Cuetes. And the day I leave, the last place I visit, besides Tacon de Marlin at the airport, is Cuates y Cuetes.
I love their tortilla soup and I always get it con pollo, with chicken, and I ask them to make mine extra spicy because that’s how I like most of my food, and they serve it with toasted buttered French bread.
Add a cold cerveza and you are in business. Add great live jazz or Latin rhythms and you have the essence of Puerto Vallarta. Great food, a toes in the sand experience or dine in under the palapa with a
view of the Los Muertos Pier. It’s a magical place. No attitudes from the staff. Very informal or as formal as you wish. I just love love love Cuates y Cuetes, so I think it’s about time we go there and get to know the owners and a little bit about the history of one of my very favorite places in the world, in my favorite
city in the world, let’s go right now to the Las Muertos Pier, to as cool a place as you will find in Vallarta, sitting right up against the Hotel Mar Sol with a killer view of the bay and the pier, and let’s meet the lady in charge, …Esther Hernandez Zermeno, her friends call her Tete, From Cuates y Cuetes Restaurant and Bar, Jazz and Beach club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico….
Listen to The Podcast
Okay…thank you so much Esther. I love Cuates y Cuetes. I have links, maps and pictures of the restaurant and of Esther. I have that picture of Cuates y Cuetes after Hurricane Kenna hit. You need to see it in the shownotes.
Esther’s Favorite Restaurants
Dinner
Favorite Day Trips
- Yelapa, Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco Mexico
- El Jorullo Paradise Thermal Hot Springs, Jalisco Mexico
Three Day Trip
- Ranchiando…Ranch Hopping…
- San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico
- Mexcaltitan Island, Riveria Nayarit, Mexico
Must do in Puerto Vallarta
Stay at The Hotel Rosita, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Check out Casa Elena Apartments, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Contact Information For Cuates y Cuetes in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Address: Fca. Rodríguez 101 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- Phone: +52 322 223 2724
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CuatesyCuetes
- Website: http://www.cuatesycuetes.com/
I really mean it when I say, Cuates y Cuetes is without a doubt, one of my top 5 favorite places in Puerto Vallarta. I love the staff the location, the tortilla soup and Esther.
Make sure to like Cuates y Cuetes when you visit your Facebook page next time, and you will get notifications when Tete does her morning reports. They get the Vallarta juices flowing.
Okay, that should do it for this week.
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 and 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.
Thank you so much to Esther Hernandez Zermeño, I love Cuates y Cuetes, it’s unpretentious, friendly, affordable, the food and drinks are always great. The entertainment is always so Puerto Vallarta my friends. The view of the Los Muerto Pier day and night. Eat on the beach with your toes in the sand or in the rustic restaurant. It’s always my first and last stop in Puerto Vallarta…and once or twice during the
stay. And don’t forget the webcam. You can find it at Cuatesycuetes.com or the PV webcam page at my website at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com. I have pictures and links and all you need to get yourself on down to Cuates y Cuetes and see Esther.
Follow them on Facebook too. You will be glad you did.
And 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!
Listen to The Podcast