Perreault Magazine - 60 -
Casa Piedra Blanca
Punta Mita, Mexico
I awaken in magnificent Casa Piedra Blanca. I'm here with Trade To Travel owner Leah Powell, and our plan is to enjoy the luxury villa this morning and then later on see some of Puerto Vallarta and its "Malecon"-a grand pedestrian seaside mall teeming with small artisan shops, vendors, eateries and entertainers.
Yesterday Pedro picked us up from the airport and as we drove the 23 minutes to Casa Piedra Blanca, he told us a little about Puerto Vallarta. It's the kind of place where Bill Gates rents a yacht for a week (at the cost of 250 million Euros) and cruises up and down the coastline checking out the beaches and the land and then plunks down a deposit on 2000 acres in order to build a small beach community.
Puerto Vallarta is situated beautifully in the lush region of Nayarit, astride beautiful Banderas Bay-- the second largest bay in the world after San Diego's. Within this enormous bay are smaller bays which are lovely because these natural land formations protect swimmers, water skiers and kayakers from the largest waves; creating a perfect place for a calm swim, stand-up paddle or just a lazy float in an inner tube-something we plan to do a lot of while staying here.
The setting is tropical and sultry, with a good amount of moisture in the air which feels so wonderful on my parched California skin. That tropical feeling is mightily apparent when we tuck into our first meal at the villa.
Mexican Riviera
Our lunch and dinner served by the modest and magnificent Chef Pepe is laden with impossibly juicy, tasty local pineapple, grapefruit, the plumpest of grapes, and most certainly the best mangos Leah and I have ever tasted-served with a dash of chili tajin on top to make the flavor pop. Exquisite!
We dine with the glass doors open; the ocean breeze delighting our senses and heightening the culinary experience. Paired with a delicious red reserve Pedro has found in town, the meal instantly relaxes us and puts us on Mexican Time-a very good thing indeed when one is on vacation. The post-dinner flan is flawless, and we have to sit on our hands so we don't devour the entire platter.
Guests will be delighted with the privacy factor throughout the villa. One need never run across another family member if you don't want to! Private balconies overlooking the sea accompany all the bedrooms, and there are numerous cozy seating areas near the 1600 square foot infinity pool for lounging, perfecting your tan, reading a good book, or just closing your eyes and listening to the whisper of the waves below.
And if those areas aren't sufficient enough for you, there's always the beach club just steps away. Set on a private stretch of golden sand, it's a place where you can have a meal or a drink or a game of ping pong between dips in the ocean. I chanced upon an amazing prehistoric iguana the first time down the steps to the beach, and Leah remarked that instead of guard dogs, in Mexico they have iguanas named "Il Guardo" that hang out and protect the homes. And you don't even have to feed them! Such a deal.