I'm posting this on Cinco de Mayo - how appropriate!
Our three nights at Dreams Vallarta Bay had concluded and our Vallarta Transfers guy had arrived to whisk us to our next destination in the Bahia Mita section northwest of the city of Puerto Vallarta. It took forty minutes to get through town, a path that took us past the airport which is getting a whole new concourse. The timeframe is three years until completion though our driver expressed doubt that it in three years they would have a functioning airport.
Arriving at Dreams Bahia Mita was like a whole new vacation even though we just came from Dreams resort. The view from the lobby was stunning, water and mountains and a beautiful blue sky framed by Dreams to the left and Secrets (the adults-only resort) to the right. To get from the lobby to the pool area was a bit odd. You walk on a ramp that circles the big empty space in the picture and then take the sidewalk straight ahead. I suppose it had to do with the landscaping of the spot.
At night, a magically generated underwater scene was projected on the walls. You will have to furnish your own soundtrack to the scene. I prefer "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid.
Let's talk about rooms. Room #1 was in a faraway land distant from the lobby but not distant at all from the splash park. The room was comfortable and the noise level wasn't bad considering excitable children were sprinting to and from the water slides. Our patio looked out from the resort instead of in at the other building. This sounded good except instead of a forest we looked out on a construction site. Six months earlier and we probably would have seen only trees.
Deciding to upgrade to room closer to the action, the bellhop led us to our new place overlooking the pools. Despite being so close, noise was again rarely an issue, and we had views of the action. We had really come up in the world.
The resort was beautiful and confusing. My working theory is that the resort was built on a slope, and the builders just had to deal with it. My second guess is that the resort is some mystic symbol to protect the earth from a demon invasion - I'm on the fence about which theory I like the best. The room numbering system was weird as well and you'll just have to be confused for the first day or seven that you're there.
When laying lazily around all day, my preference is to lay on the beach. If you don't get there early enough, you don't get a prime ocean-side seat and instead get to peak through chairs and umbrellas to view the water. Still a nice view, and you don't get the hawkers selling thing directly in front of you. Yep, just like on the main drag in Puerto Vallarta, they are Bahia Mita, too.
But if you do get there early enough, you practically get the place to yourself to enjoy a bit of quiet time. The despicable seat savers do come and make sure you don't get the best views. You'll have your moral superiority, though, and that must count for something, though it may not get you a spot on the beach.
One more nice thing about the beach are the whales. Yes, whales... if you are in Mexico at the right time. We were at the tail end of the season on our early April visit, but we did see whales most days we were at the beach.
But we were not always fortunate to get a beach spot. However, the pools are not a bad second choice. Our spot was the Secrets-side infinity pool. It was mostly quiet, and the drink and food service were excellent (thanks, Leo!) Occasionally, the pep team would come in and do dancing or coerce people to play pool games, but most of the time, it was a relaxed atmosphere of doing nothing. We adults were protected from the kids' pool by a row of bushes. Sure, it didn't stop the sound, but we'll take any barrier we can get.
And those views of the ocean! Sunny weather, warm water (I'm not a fan of cold water), and a drink in hand - those are the makings of a great Spring Break vacation.
Now, onto my favorite subject at Mexican all-inclusive resorts - the food. And why not start with the restaurant we spent the most time at, the buffet: 
Many excellent meals were spent in this place. Unfortunately for us, we usually picked the time that everyone else wanted to eat and it was pretty busy. If you can avoid going between 9:00 and 9:30, it will go much better for you. Lunch isn't as bad because there are more options, but avoid the peak periods if you can.
Here is a sample of my first breakfast plate. The bacon was excellent, and for the first time ever at a Mexican resort (I've been to many), I liked the papaya. I had hoped that if I kept trying it, I would find some that tasted as good as it looked, and I succeeded. And the breakfast nachos were my favorite dish. They had an actual name, but chips along with sauces and ingredients you could add yourself - loved it.
We also tried a few of the ala carte restaurants, such as the Seaside Cafe which had a seafood-heavy and excellent dessert crepes. One of the resort wedding venues is next to it, so your dinner music may be good or terrible, depending on how much the bride likes hip hop.
The Dreams-side Italian restaurant was Nebiolo and had very good pasta options. We had the longest wait here, about thirty minutes, so we bellied-up to the bar to enjoy a drink. We were impressed by the bar with the lit faux marble bar. If you are a limoncello fan like I am, this is the place for you.
If you're in the mood for tacos or nachos as a quick lunch, visit Tocoyotl. The food was excellent and they have guacamole and chips though they are not on the menu.
And finally, if ceviche is your thing, visit the beach bar / restaurant. The crew was excellent, and they had several kinds of ceviche to choose from. So amazing. And they made the best drinks.
All good things come to an end, and why not going out with a bang. We attended two Mexico Nights, the night we arrived and our last night. The plaza was decorated with green, white and red flags and food stations surrounded the dining area. And do try the lemon meringue pie. Wow. If you do attend Mexico Night, make sure to be seated by the hostess at the station near the offices and not randomly wander to a table.
And for the second Mexico Night, a mariachi band played, and I am always excited to listen to mariachi music.
Our ten days in Mexico concluded, we had a reasonably scheduled shuttle to the airport, meaning it left the resort late enough that we were able to get breakfast. Ten days was a lot and I was ready to head home, but we had a great time at Dreams Bahia Mita. Adios!
