This ten-day celebration features over 30 star-crowned guest chefs from around the world. This year there are featured events like a Paella . . . → Read More: International Gourmet Festival in November]]> There is something special about eating an amazing meal while breathing tropical sea air. Don’t believe us? Take it for a test-drive yourself at the International Gourmet Festival in Puerto Vallarta this November.

This ten-day celebration features over 30 star-crowned guest chefs from around the world. This year there are featured events like a Paella feast, created in front of guests, while they drool in anticipation of this traditional Spanish dish. The festival has an increased focus on the freshness of products this year, and they are sure that this will be evident in the meals that you can sample.

If you don’t want to just be on the other side of the cooking counter, you can join in on one of the cooking classes during the festival. And something you may like as much, or more, than the food you can sample is the wine and tequila tasting.

The first festival was held in 1995, and has increased in participation steadily throughout the years. In fact, it has been named Puerto Vallarta’s Best Established Event by Vallarta Lifestyles Magazine. The Food Industry News writer Valerie Miller stated, “This Festival showcases Puerto Vallarta as the world class dining destination it really is.”

If you would like to know more about the International Gourmet Festival, you can visit their website, and if you would like to find the perfect place to stay while you are their, visit ours.

This Botanical Garden is arranged within both forest and river valley and includes native and non-native plants. See bromeliads, palms, . . . → Read More: More Beauty in Puerto Vallarta: the Botanical Gardens]]> Fifteen miles south of Puerto Vallarta is a 20 acre garden filled with over 3,000 species of plants. If you love beauty and healthy exercise, you will want to check this out this amazing garden.

This Botanical Garden is arranged within both forest and river valley and includes native and non-native plants. See bromeliads, palms, agave, ferns, orchids and carnivorous plants (yikes!). There is swimming in the Crystal Pools of the Los Horcones River, walking through a tree fern grotto, hiking the blue agave hills with over 6000 blue agave plants, and birdwatching in amazing surroundings.

After all that activity you can visit the Hacienda de Oro Restaurant to enjoy both a meal and their full bar.

The garden is open Tuesday through Sunday 10:00am to 6:00pm. They are closed April 21, 22, 23, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The admission is price is $4, and children under 10 are free.

If you are interested in visiting Puerto Vallarta, let us know. If you want to find out more about the botanical garden, visit their site!

Casa Prieto is located in Playacar, a gated community south of downtown Playa del Carmen, 150 yards from the beach. . . . → Read More: Villa Prieto in Playa del Carmen (Playacar)]]> We have been talking in our blog a lot about Puerto Vallarta recently, so let’s take a break from that part of Mexico, and discuss a luxurious villa in Playa del Carmen, Casa Prieto.

Casa Prieto is located in Playacar, a gated community south of downtown Playa del Carmen, 150 yards from the beach. A brand new, four level house with amazing views of the beach from each level’s terrace, Casa Prieto, is also close to a set of Mayan Ruins.

With lush vegetation surrounding the villa, and a quiet atmosphere, it can be the place for you to finally let go and relax. The house includes two jacuzzis and a steam room.

Being close to downtown Playa del Carmen means that the villa is also close to exciting activities once you hit your relaxation threshold. The swimming pool and private tennis court is perfect for building your heart rate back up, as well.

Look at more photos of Casa Prieto on our site, and then call us to book.

Let’s explore some of . . . → Read More: Know Your Beaches in Puerto Vallarta]]> As you exam your options for a Puerto Vallarta luxury villa in villasandcondos.com, you may be presented with location information like Downtown, Garza Blanca, and Conchas Chinas. If you decide you would like to be located by one of the gorgeous Puerto Vallarta beaches, you want to know where that is.

Let’s explore some of the named beaches in Puerto Vallarta to help you with your travel plans.

Los Muertos
With a variety of attractions located right near the shores of Los Muertos (including restaurants, art galleries, stores, and more), this is the place to go if you like excitement. Los Muertos beach is the most visited, happening and famous beach in Puerto Vallarta. If you are the type to be in the thick-of-things, look for a villa near Los Muertos.

Mismaloya
You’ve read our article about The Night of the Iguana, right? Well, this beach, located far South of Puerto Vallarta, was chosen by it’s director to be used in the film. It is a topaz colored bay at the base of the mountains. Close to the road, and close to beach restaurants, it is a beautiful beach with a blend between activities and beautiful remoteness.

Garza Blanca
Looking for something more out-of-the-way? Right off the PCH, this small white sand beach with gorgeous blue and green water, can make you feel wonderful inside and out. A villa near Garza Blanca is perfect if you want something more quaint, remote and relaxing.

Conchas Chinas
Clear water that allows you to watch fish and other sea life in small, natural pools? A place to recharge and unwind like few others? Say yes to Conchas Chinas and you are asking for peace and nature.

Las Ánimas
If you are primarily looking for activities in the water close to your villa, you can’t do better than Las Animas. Walk from the unique golden sands, and head into the shallow, light blue, water to start your swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving. If you decide not to go swimming one afternoon, just enjoy the beach, the water and some delicious seafood.

We hope you enjoyed this tour of some of the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta. Call us if you would like to plan a trip!

Mahi-Mahi: With a name that means “very strong” in Hawaiian, you can imagine the . . . → Read More: Catch the Fishing Bug in Puerto Vallarta!]]> Many people, including famous directors, fall in love with the amazing fishing possibilities in Puerto Vallarta. As you are fishing in the crystal clear waters, and feeling the soft ocean breezes on your back, what kind of catch can you expect?

Mahi-Mahi: With a name that means “very strong” in Hawaiian, you can imagine the fun fishing for this highly sought after fish. Because of it’s beauty, size and taste, everyone wants to catch the mahi-mahi. The best months to fish for Mahi-Mahi? September through April.

Black Marlin: Now this is a game fish. With a maximum published weight of 1,700 lbs (and a possibility that you could catch one even bigger) and one of the fastest speeds of any fish on earth at over 80mph, this is the one you want. If you are looking to catch a Black Marlin in PV, think August through January.

Wahoo: Not only does this fish have one of the most exciting names in the animal kingdom, it has white tasty flesh that is desired by many connoisseurs. Since wahoo can be of found relatively close to land, and are of good size, they are a prized sport fish target. August through February are your months of choice to catch a Wahoo, or two.

There are many other possible catches in Puerto Vallarta, including Grouper, Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin, Pargo, Sailfish, Mackerel and Tuna.

Want to know more? We can discuss the possibilities for you enjoying the fishing experience of your lifetime in Puerto Vallarta while enjoying one of our luxurious villas. Contact VillasandCondos.com.

Are the beaches by the villas public or private, and can you get to the beach easily if you do not . . . → Read More: Curious About Renting a Villa? Here are Your Answers!]]> Here are a few of the most popular questions, and their answers, about renting a luxury villa. Feel free to comment with your own questions, and we will try to get them answered soon!

Are the beaches by the villas public or private, and can you get to the beach easily if you do not have your own private beach?
Most beaches in vacation areas are deemed “public” and open to anyone who wants to use them. There are a few exceptions to the rules, like our villas which are part of a private beach club community. Many of the beachfront villas we offer sit on officially “public” beaches however they are mostly private and out of the way, since most people go to a larger beach in town with lots of activities.

Access to beaches in the vacation areas we offer are always easily accessible, however the time it takes to get to the beach from your villa depends on where it is located. We have some that are across the street from the beach, and others that take full advantage of the views since they are built in the hillside. These hillside villas have both amazing views and are substantially less expensive than those located on, or close, to a beach. For this reason it is important for you to decide whether you would prefer a great view with nice private pool and pay less or if your family are “beach bums” and want to pay more but have the convenience of being right on or near the beach.

Do you need to know Spanish to get around in Puerto Vallarta or Playa?
Speaking Spanish is helpful when traveling in Mexico, but is by no means essential. Many of the locals speak English, and for those who do not understand it, hand gestures go along way in communicating! At the villas and condos there is always at least one staff member who speaks English and the rest understand it.

Should you tip staff?
Tipping in the villa is encouraged. Since the staff work for a small wage, tipping is viewed as part of their wage. Once you stay at a villa and experience the wonderful attention they give to the guests you will want to tip them. Tipping is not as expensive as tipping when you eat out at a restaurant. The average tip is about $5-10 per day, per person, and the service is outstanding!

Are children allowed in the villas? Are there packages for activities with multiple people?
There are some villas that are really geared toward adults however many of the villas are also suitable for children and families. Many of the owner’s vacation with their own families! Please ask when planning your trip which villas are more suited to families.

We have villas that can cater to any multiples of groups. We have villas that are geared more towards the luxury traveler and have a spa like setting. We have other villas that are recommended for families that offer something for everyone and people of all ages. Again you need to talk to your us here at villasandcondos.com and let us know what your specific needs are. This way we can find the perfect villa to make a trip to remember.

Why are some villas marked as different choices in bedroom count; will I be staying with strangers?
Many of the larger villas offer a minimum bedroom rental and do not require that you rent the entire villa for your stay. For an example a 10 bedroom villa would many times be to large or expensive for a smaller group. However the owner may rent the villa for 6 bedrooms minimum to appeal to a wider variety of groups. In this case the other bedrooms are not rented out they are locked and not made up for guests.

Do you have to pay a down payment to rent a villa?
All villa and condo rentals require a 50% deposit to secure the reservation; final payments are due 60 days before you arrive. Payments can be made by personal check, or with Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Be very weary of any company that rents a villa that does not accept credit cards or wants you to wire the money to their account. This leaves you vulnerable and with no recourse should something go wrong with the reservation.

Remember to ask your own questions about renting a villa with VillasandCondos.com either on our blog, or on Facebook, and we will get back to you ASAP!

Here . . . → Read More: Planning a Luxury Vacation? There’s an App for That!]]> If you have one of those new fancy smart phones, like an iPhone or an Android phone, you are probably already addicted to Apps like Angry Birds, Yelp and Pandora. You may not realize that there are a ton of apps that can make your trip to one of our luxury villas even better!

Here are a few of our favorite iPhone apps.

For instance, if you are visiting one of our luxurious villas in Mexico, like Puerto Vallarta or Playa del Carmen, you may want to take advantage of the information in the Official Visit Mexico app. It lists activities and restaurants in the area, and gives you a nice history of the locations.

If you are preparing for your trip and would like to know a few Spanish phrases to feel more like a local, there are a lot of great phrase book apps. One of the highest rated is TripLingo Spanish Essentials.

As you are getting ready for your trip, and planning your flight, you may want to look into FlightTrack, a great little app to find out details on your flight, including any potential delays. Forbes says “If you travel by air, you’re going to want this app.”

Whether you end up of in Mexico, Hawaii or just want to explore your neighborhood as you want to take your trip, this free little app called WikiHood will allow you to explore great area information about any place in the world through Wikipedia articles. You’ll probably even find some great little known facts about the places you think you are an expert on.

To . . . → Read More: Puerto Vallarta Chefs Series, Part 1]]> Coming from the Pacific Northwest, we here at VillasandCondos.com are used to great food, in abundance! The last thing we would want is to vacation at a beautiful villa and have mediocre meals. Thankfully, that isn’t an issue with our luxury villas, since many have a chef on site that prepares wonderful meals.

To give you an idea about the kind of authentic, and delicious, Mexican meals you will feast upon, we will start this Puerto Vallarta Chefs series, featuring a specific villa, a specific chef and a specific dish that they get rave reviews about!

Our first villa will visit in the series is Casa Karma, an amazing 6 bedroom luxury villa on Conchas Chinas Beach in Puerto Vallarta. All the rooms have beach front terraces, there is an indoor tropical pond and the 7th night is free through the rest of 2011!

Oh, and they also feature the talents of the amazing Chef Goya!

Chef Goya gives us a seemingly simple recipe that has the guests slavering:

Chilaquile with Chicken Goya Style.

As the owners of Chef Karma told us, “Our guests have tried this in other places… it is so simple, why is Goya’s so wonderful and other places so-so? Who knows? But nevertheless here is what Goya swears is all she does.”

Cut fresh corn tortillas in strips and fry them quickly until crispy in soya oil (or any light oil).
Remove all oil by blotting with paper towels.
Puree 1 cup of fresh tomatoes (more if the group is larger).
Add 1 cup sour cream (always the amount of tomato mixture and sour cream is the same).
Add chipotle chilies and onion and garlic, finely chopped (all to taste, she says, though it looked like about 1/2 cup total to us, as we peered over her shoulder).
Layer the following,
- some of the strips of tortilla
- cooked chicken off the bone, and cut in bite sized pieces
- pour part of the sauce over this
- repeat layers
- end with a generous portion of cheese (any white, mild, Mexican cheese)
Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted and the dish is heated through.
Serve hot

Try the following while eating it:
Raise your heater up to the perfect temperature
Dress in shorts and tanktop or bathing suit
Listen to a CD of waves crashing
Turn on a fan for a nice soft breeze
Close your eyes and eat

There you go! Give it a try and tell us all about your experience. It’s a good temporary solution until you book your next villa vacation. =)