Mexican Riviera Ports
Mexican Rivera Cruise - Ports
Have absolutely loved this cruise and the ports. My only problem is I have to go again to do what I missed out on.
San Diego
Not Mexico but first port and original capital of California. Ruby Princess docks right in Downtown San Diego, right beside the USS Missouri aircraft carrier. The ship and its planes are open for viewing every day. From the dock it’s an easy walk through the town. There is a large light rail network to get around the city, taking in San Diego Zoo and Seaworld. Our original plan was to ride the 1947 tramcar on the Silver Line, but it wasn’t running, so we bought a day pass (about $4 plus $2 for opal like card). We caught the light rail to the Gaslamp district. Historic original area with its original gaslights that makes you feel like you are walking through a movie. The area has lots of interesting shops and is a huge foodie and craft brew district.
We then caught light rail to Old Town San Diego. Fascinating step back in time to when the West Coast was first settled with cattle ranchers and gold miners. Walk the boardwalks and imagine you are in a cowboy movie. We then caught the light rail back to Gaslamp district for lunch at a Sports Bar to indulge in tasty but unhealthy American fare and try some craft brews. Great experience as the baseball stadium is close by and a game was on so the area was jumping.
Cabo San Lucas
One of Mexico’s tourist playgrounds. Ruby Princess followed a massive superyacht into anchor and we tendered ashore to Cabo’s marina. A huge marina to walk around full of bars, restaurants, shops and a dolphinarium. Once we reached the other side of marina you can access the main beach which stretches for miles. The beach is fronted by stunning hotels and resorts plus a number of fun beachfront bars. We decided to have lunch at Billygans and got a table under umbrellas on the beach. We enjoyed $2 Dos Equis beers and margaritas, with the sand between our toes and regular dips in the ocean if we got too hot. Lunch was great Mex food, very reasonably priced. There were hawkers kept outside the roped boundary selling interesting wares if you were interested. Try and get a photo with an Iguana! Next time, buggy ride in the desert, flyboarding off the beach or a kayak to Lovers beach.
Loreto
Anchored off the town, we tendered into this very Mexican town. Not many cruise ships visit so it was great to get a sense of life in Mexico. Loreto has a beautiful, arched tree covered main street to stroll away from the beach offering shops, bars, restaurants and performers. We explored away from main area to “scratch” the underbelly of the town. We met up with fellow cruisers at the Giggling Dolphin for lunch. Great vibe and Mexican food. So cheap - lunch including drinks was about $30. You must have a margarita at their real fishing boat in the front courtyard.
The beaches aren’t very attractive for swimming so we returned to the ship late afternoon for a swim and snack on salsa, guacamole and cornchips - yum!
La Paz
Ruby docked at La Paz but quite a distance from town. We had booked a Whale Shark Adventure, so didn’t see the town. Our adventure more than made up for it with a long boat ride to search for the Whale Sharks. La Paz has a huge whale watching season each year and in April we were on the tail of it. While searching for Whale Sharks we came across a number of Humpbacks breaching and slapping fins, a great bonus. We found a number of Whale Sharks, suited up and jumped in with face mask and snorkel. The boat skipper positions you in front of these amazing fish and they appear out of the gloom for you to swim beside. These ones were average in size at about 20-25 feet. It is very strictly regulated with the number of swimmers in the water restricted each time and for how long. We did however get three sessions in the water with them. Another tick for the bucket list.
Puerta Vallarta
A very large city, Ruby Princess docked a couple of miles from downtown PV, requiring a taxi to the Malecon (seaside boardwalk). We wanted to do our own thing here and loved exploring all day. Taxi is about $10 USD each way but make sure you have right money as drivers say they don’t have change. After a half decent coffee at Starbucks and using their free wi-fi, we strolled the Malecon boardwalk. We got there before the crowds and heat so made the most the day. We watched amazing performers on 40 ft poles descend from the top spinning and playing traditional instruments until they reached the sand. We tried a variety of Tequilas, bought trinkets and found an authentic Mexican restaurant cooking on the footpath and making their own corn chips. Cathy had heard Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton owned houses here. We found them on Google maps and had a great walk up cobblestone streets to their mansions. They lived opposite each other and had a bridge built over the road so they could “visit”. Elizabeth Taylor’s house is now a restaurant call the Iguana. Next time for lunch.
As we made our way back in the heat of the afternoon we couldn’t resist 2 for 1 Margaritas at a beach bar for 75 peso’s (about $3) very refreshing. It was easy getting a taxi back to the ship and due to traffic flows he had to take us through back streets giving a fascinating glimpse of the real Puerta Vallarta. Very poor, third world and probably dangerous. In contrast, there is a huge shopping mall, with a Walmart, across from the ship and while looking the same as ones in Australia, it felt like you were in an alternate universe.
In summary, this cruise was a fantastic way to experience Mexico for the first time in a safe and convenient manner. At each port there is more than enough to discover and explore more next time. With Mazatlan, Cozumel, Belize and Caribbean still to experience we will be back for more with perhaps a departure from Galveston (near Houston) or New Orleans.