Punta de Mita, Mexico

Punta de Mita From Outer
Space
(Note that the Coastline on the Southern Side is Full of
Points
and that the Normal Northwest Breeze Blows Directly
Offshore!)
Punta Mita (or Punta de Mita
as it is known locally) resides at the very northern tip
of Banderos Bay, which is famous because it is the home
of the city of Puerto Vallarta. It is a huge bay that
delves deep into the country of Mexico and at its depth
almost reaches the Sierra Madre. It is known for its
lush jungle, beautiful beaches and quaint Mexican
culture. The very tip of the peninsula was owned by the
Mexican Federal Government, but was settled by locals
who found the environment much to their liking. Over
decades the settlement grew to become a village of well
over 1,000 inhabitants. Surfers discovered Punta de Mita
in the late 1960s and many chose to live in this
settlement, as the surf break of Bahia and El Faro
(among others) were then considered to be world class.
It was the best of all worlds...cheap living, excellent
surf, friendly people and Puerto
Vallarta International Airport was only about an hour
away.
When the
Four Seasons Hotel chain approached the Mexican
Government to purchase the entire area of Punta de Mita
they agreed that it would be an excellent idea. The
government relocated the population of the village to
the villages of Emiliano Zapata and
Corral del Risco where they were given ownership of
their property. Many people view this occurrence as an
affront to the population of the village, but they all
knew that they were residing on "ejido (or government
owned)" land as squatters and had no rights of
ownership. As it turns out, many of these individuals
have done quite well with their property given the
following chain of events.

One of the Many Pools at
the Four Seasons Hotel
Overlooking the Beaches of Punta Mita and the famous
"3b" green on the island
The Four
Seasons Hotel started construction along with the Punta
Mita Golf Club. The hotel was an immediate success and
quickly became the flagship property of the Four Seasons
Chain. The golf course, became an instant "must play"
for every serious golfer. Its eight ocean front holes
and par 3, "3b" hole of 197 yards that requires the
golfer to tee off from the mainland and find the green
on an offshore island. It is the only hole of its kind
in the world. At high tide, the golfers must travel to
the island in an amphibious vehicle to complete the
hole.
While the
Four Seasons Hotel chain had visions of developing the
Punta de Mita property for condominiums, other hotel
sites and private residences, Fonatur, the Mexican
Government Tourism development bureau decided that the
Punta de Mita area would be the perfect place to create
a "super luxury tourism district" in Mexico. Its master
plans called for luxury hotels, shopping areas and all
of the infrastructure to support it. Overnight, Punta de
Mita became the focus of International investment.
Fonatur constructed a highway from Sayulita to Punta
Mita where there was once only a dirt trail. The road
into Punta Mita that was once a little over a lane and a
half and took almost an hour to traverse is now a major
highway. Plans call for an airport in Punta Mita and
several luxury hotels, condominiums, shopping centers
and private residences. Who knows where it will all go?
But the reason for all the hoopla hasn't changed. Punta Mita has its own magic that has captivated everyone who
has visited its fabulous beaches, charming people,
excellent surf, fishing, snorkeling and diving.
Fortunately for my wife and I (and for you) we acquired
our condominiums before the real estate prices went
through the roof and we are able to offer you the
opportunity to enjoy Punta Mita at affordable prices,
yet still enjoy luxurious surroundings and the "real"
Punta Mita experience.
OK, Where is
Punta Mita?
Punta
Mita is on the very northwestern tip of Banderas Bay in
the Mexican state of Nayarit. It is located some 40
miles northwest of downtown Puerto Vallarta and on 30
miles or so from the Puerto Vallarta International
Airport.

Punta Mita Sunset
What is the
Weather Like?
Punta
Mita is blessed with perfect weather. It is located in
the jungle north of Jalisco, Mexico and has 345 days of
sunshine every year. It is the exact same latitude as
Hawaii and its weather has been said to be like Hawaii's
only much better. While June through September are
considered the rainy months, only August and September
have 15 days of rain each. The summer months are blessed
with nice mornings that turn into rain in the late
afternoon and tropical storms during the evening. The
balance of the year sees consistent sunshine and dry
weather. The average temperature during the daytime
averages the mid 80s and the water temperature is around
the mid 70s in the winter and mid 80s in the summer. The
average number of days with any rainfall at all during
the winter months is 2 days per month.
How Do I Get to
Punta Mita?
It all
depends on your vacation strategy. Sometimes we rent a
car, but when I go down by myself, I just use the
Mexican bus system.

The Punta Mita Bus
Buses
leave El Anclote every 15 minutes for Puerto Vallarta
and stop everywhere along the way. The local bus fare
all the way to downtown Puerto Vallarta is a measly 20
pesos (about $1.90) each way. They are very efficient
and somewhat comfortable. Since El Anclote is the last
stop on the bus route, there are always buses to catch.
Simply go over the skybridge, down the stairs and climb
onto the next bus to leave. You can pick the bus up at
the airport by simply walking over the overpass to the
northbound side of the road and look for the bus that
says "Punta Mita" on it. Just stay on the bus until its
final stop and then walk up to El Anclote Condominiums
and check with the security guard at the entrance. You
can take your luggage onto the bus (but surfboards from
the airport are going to be difficult).
We always
rent a car from Gecko Rent a Car (Phone: 001-52-329 298
0339 or e-mail
geckorentcar@hotmail.com because they have the best
rates and are surfer friendly (they even rent surfboards
at their facility). They will pick you up (or arrange
for a taxi that they pay for) at the airport and take
you to their office in Bucerias. The owner, Denis
Beauvais lives near Punta Mita and is always just a
telephone call away if you ever need him. I would
recommend Gecko over the other more traditional car
rental outfits by the airport. When it is time to leave
Punta Mita, simply drop by Gecko's office and they will
take you to the airport immediately. A car is handy to
have if you want to explore all of Nayarit's wonderful
surf spots, but be aware, roads are not up to U.S.
standards and driving in this part of Mexico is much
different than anywhere else. See the
"Mexico
Driving Tips" page for more information.
What is There
to Do From Punta Mita?
One of
the rally wonderful things about Punta Mita is its
location to many wonderful spots to visit. Following are
some of the more obvious things that you can do;
Take a Day Trip to Puerto
Vallarta:
This one is a natural, especially if you have not been
to Puerto Vallarta before. This article tells you
exactly how to do it and what to see.
Take a Short Day Trip to Bucerias: If you
want to go shopping for Mexican souvenirs and products,
don't waste your time going to Puerto Vallarta (unless
you have not been before) just hit Bucerias' "Flea
Market". Bucerias offers a lot to visitors in a small
and compact package.
Take a Day Trip to Sayulita: Next to
going to Puerto Vallarta for the day, taking a trip to
Sayulita is something you should consider. Sayulita is
becoming a destination upon itself and after spending
some time here, you will find out why. It is quite
possible to do Sayulita in the earlier part of the day
and then hit the flea market in Bucerias on your way
home. This is killing two birds with one stone.
|