Karne Garibaldi is known for its fast service. Once you put in your order, the food appears like magic. I loved their re-fried beans with white corn. They also can it and sell it worldwide. I will be on the look out for this next time I’m grocery shopping.
They keep their menu simple by offering only a few dishes. Their signature dish is carne en su jugo (meat in its juice), which comes in three different sizes: small, medium, or large. I got the small, which was the perfect size for me. I loved the added bacon. Toss in some onion, cilantro, lime juice, and grilled onions, dip a tortilla in the juice and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal.
Don’t forget to wash it down with some of Guadalajara’s finest beer. Modelo is brewed and packaged in Guadalajara.
I booked this trip on a whim and was very pleased. It was within my budget for a last minute trip and had everything on my to do list: beach, beach, and oh! the beach! Puerto Vallarta is a tourist driven town. Keep to yourself and you won’t have anything to worry about.
How to Get Around (To and From the Airport)
Car Service- There are various car services you can arrange to pick you up from the airport. The one I used was Superior Tours Vallarta. Dependent on the size of your party and the location of your hotel, the trip will cost $25-$145 per vehicle.
Taxi- Ask your hotel how much it should cost to reach your destination by taxi and confirm with the driver before jumping in. If they over quote you, move on to the next one. For the few times I used the taxi, these are price points:
Centro to Marina- 70 pesos
Centro to the Airport ~135 pesos
Bus- If you’re feeling adventurous, you can take the city bus for 7.50 pesos. There are no bus maps nor websites. Look on the left side of the front window to know where the bus is headed.
Where to Stay
Puerto Vallarta is broken up by the following neighborhoods:
Nuevo Vallarta- The newest area of Vallarta. This is where the all inclusive resorts are located. About 45 minutes away from the heart of Vallarta.
Centro- Right above the bustle of Malecon. The beaches here are rockier but cleaner.
Malecon- The heart of Vallarta. Lots of tourists attractions on the streets and the beaches. I found the beaches here to be crowded and dirty.
Conchas Chinas- South of Malecon
Mismaloya
Things to Do
Walk down Malecon for food and souvenirs.
Los Muertos Pier on Los Muertos Beach- The beach here is dirty.
If you are looking to add to your Puerto Vallarta itinerary with more than just relaxing on the beach, I highly suggest going on a boat tour to the surrounding beaches and islands. Initially, I was intrigued by Las Marietas Islas but in order to get there, you have to be able to swim 30 feet deep. I can’t swim so it was quickly crossed off my list. Los Arcos, Las Animas & Quimixto was referred to me by a beach peddler. (There are peddlers selling various items. Just say “no gracias” if you’re not interested.) He was selling me a package for 450 pesos/ person but luckily my hotel’s concierge was selling it for cheaper at 400 pesos. Tip: Be sure to check with your hotel concierge for their rates before booking online. It can be cheaper.
The concierge booked us with Vallarta by Boat. We meet them at the Marina Terminal at 10 am, paid the 25 pesos port tax (per person) and got ready to enjoy the day. This package included the following:
Breakfast of fruit and orange juice
Snorkel gear for Los Arcos
Kayaks and paddle boards at Las Animas
Hike to Quimixto
Lunch
Open bar on the boat
Los Arcos is Spanish for the Arches. Vallarta by Boat provided snorkel gear and life vests in exchange for an ID. They parked by the arch below for a 30 minute snorkel session.
Then we headed over to Las Animas, where we were given the option to hang out on the beach of Las Animas or hike to the waterfall at Quimixto. They said the hike to Quimixto requires forging three rivers. This can be done by renting a small horse for 200 pesos or walking. Reviews I read said the horses are small and sad. In addition, the waterfall is blocked by a restaurant. To see the waterfall, you have to pay the restaurant fee. After hearing all of this, I opted to stay on the beach at Las Animas.
The water at this beach was crystal clear.
Kayaks and paddle boards were available to all.
There were also options to play volleyball on the beach or for an additional fee, you can go parasailing.
Lunch options at Restaurant Ohana were: fish fillet, quesadilla or chicken fajitas. I opted for the chicken fajitas. It doesn’t look like much but it was surprisingly delicious. Full of flavor and kept me full. Keep in mind, the lunch does not include drinks so bring some extra cash for drinks.
Shortly afterwards at 3 o’clock, those who went on the hike, came back. It was time to call it a day and head back. I had lots of fun on this trip and highly recommend this all inclusive package.
This place is a steal! 12 pesos for al pastor tacos. For those that don’t know, al pastor is pork marinated in spices and cooked in a rotisserie. The meat isn’t shaved off until you order.
Look at the beauty of the tacos fresh off the grill. They also come with a slice a pineapple (in the picture above it’s on the rotisserie above the pork). These were flavorful and delicious!
Don’t forget to add lime and salsa! They offer three different salsas. The one the top right was spiiiiiccccyy!
They also offer tacos with different types of meat and quesadillas but these ranged from 20-30 pesos. I just couldn’t pass up on the 12 pesos al pastor tacos.
This place is a bit difficult to find as the streets do not have signs and the restaurant doesn’t have it’s name out front.
The name is all the way in the back of the restaurant.
Below is a link to the google map. If you follow it, you should have no problems. To get here, I walked along the beach. Once you’ve reached Oscar’s restaurant, walk 5 blocks, turn left and three stores down on your right is Pancho’s Takos. Look for the popular taco spot and the staff with Pancho’s Takos t-shirt.
The Elote Man, Timoteo Flor de Nopal, has been turning healthy corn into a heart attack snack for 27 years in Lincoln Heights. For $1.50 you can get corn on a cob or a bowl of corn topped with a heaping spread of mayonnaise, generous drizzle of butter, even coating of Parmesan cheese, and a dust of chili powder. When you to try to eat the corn, it’s a game of balancing the newly gained weight of the corn, about half a pound, so it doesn’t lose to gravity. Don’t worry! This doesn’t scare people away. On warm summer nights, the lines can get long so go early before he runs out. He’s open from 9:30 pm until 1 am or until he runs out. It’s worth it for this heart attack concoction that will change the way you eat corn. You won’t be able to eat it any other way.
What once started out as a food truck, Churro Borough is now brick and mortar in downtown Los Angeles. There is about a 30 minute wait but once you bite into this, you forget about it.
The concept is simple, ice cream sandwiched by churros, but mind blowing. The churros are made fresh so they stay crunchy with every bite.
You can sample from all the ice cream varieties before selecting one to go with your churro. They also offer a large selection of sorbet for those that are lactose intolerant, like me. I got the browned butter cookie sorbet and was very pleased.
For $4, it is pricey for its size (about the size of a palm) but makes it the perfect personal snack.
While trying to kill time before our flight back, at Ala Moana Center, we came across Kona Abalone. The Ezo abalone
(Japanese Northern) strain are raised in an aquafarm on the Big Island near the shores of Kona. The mollusks are fed a diet of patented algae and water sourced from the deep Pacific Ocean. The abalone is shipped to Japan and the US for chefs at top-end restaurants.
Generally sold at the KCC Farmers Market in Honolulu, they opened shop at the Ala Moana Center Malakai Food Court. Abalone is sold in various forms and varieties here. You can find them raw, grilled, or in rice bowls. If you’re not sure what you would like, ask for samples.
I was eager to try the abalone sashimi ($15) and was not disappointed. It was chewy but you can taste the fresh quality of the abalone.
Of the grilled varieties, I tried the butter, garlic, parsley grilled abalone. The garlic was strong but I LOVE garlic so I was very delighted with this.
A hidden gem in Hawaii, this restaurant offers delicious meat varieties from Japan and the US for a wonderful yakiniku experience. We were able to call 30 minutes ahead and book reservations. The restaurant was not packed or loud so you get to enjoy your meal in peace. A personal touch to the restaurant were the walls, which are signed by famous people and past customers.
You have the option to order each cut of meat individually or from a set course. They have two course options: gold ($60/person) or premium ($123/person). We ordered the gold option and had no regrets.
The meal begins with kimchee (pickled cabbage), nori (seaweed), pickled sides (carrots, radishes, spinach, and bean sprouts), and salad. The house made salad was light and refreshing with the apples
Next came the juicy USDA prime ribeye.
The beef tongue was a thicker cut than I have had before but it was delicious.
The blue shrimp is cooked in a garlic butter sauce in a copper pot. If you cook it wrong, the staff will come over and correct the cooking method.
I LOVED their deep fried garlic. I even requested to box what I couldn’t finish to take home with me.
On the left is the toro kalbi (short rib) and on the right is the skirt steak. The skirt steak was juicy, tender and full of umami. Overall, all the meat just melted in your mouth.
The meal ended with frozen cream puffs, but at this point, I was too full to enjoy these.
When in Hawaii, kalua pork is a must try. Generally, they are served at a luau, where they unearth the pig from the ground. If you want to skip the expensive luau price but try kalua pork, visit Yama’s Fish Market to get a taste of the delicious pork.
Above is order #7 which comes with kalua pork, laulau, lomi lomi salmon, and rice. Kalua in Hawaiian means to cook in an underground oven (imu). The imu is created by digging a deep pit, lining it with hot rocks and a layer of veggies. Then te pig is placed on top of veggies, covered with a wet burlack sack, and another layer of hot rocks. After hours of smoking, the pig comes out super tender and smoky.
Laulau is pork wrapped in taro leaf that has been cooked for many hours. Today’s modern method steams them on a stovetop. The classical method cooks them in an imu. The laulau at Yama’s Fish Market is tender and juicy.
Lomi-lomi is raw salted, diced salmon, tomato, and onion salad that is mixed by massaging. It’s a side dish that is sold all around Hawaii. The name of this dish comes from the method of preparation. Lomi-lomi in Hawaiian means massage. Lomi-lomi salmon reminds me of salsa with salmon.
I stopped by Musubi Cafe Iyasume every morning to pick up fresh musubis before starting my day. These lightweight snacks kept well throughout the day whether I went hiking or snorkeling at the beach. My favorites were the double salmon onigiri and egg and spam musubi. The perfectly cooked sweet egg balances out the saltiness of the spam. They also offer a bacon, spam, and egg musubi and a egg, avocado, and spam musubi.
Below are all the Musubi Cafe Iyasume locations in Oahu.
YUMTRAVELS 