April 10, 2007

Costa Allegre is the name given to the rocky, jagged Mexican coastline that extends from Puerto Vallarta south to Manzanillo.

The windy, hilly Highway 200 tracks the coastline and took us through several different microclimates, including thick jungle, and dry rolling hills with pine trees.

Our first stop south of Puerto Vallarta was Le Kliffe Restaurant, which has breathtaking views of Banderas Bay and beyond, and was recently voted by Mexican Airlines as the most beautiful restaurant in Mexico.

We also stopped at Mismaloya Beach ("Hollywood South") where both the Elizabeth Taylor film, Night of the Iguana (that apparently put Puerto Vallarta on the map) and Governor Schwarazenegger's Predator were filmed.

Costa Careyes is located midway between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo.

According to a 2003 article in Business Wire, Costa Careyes "was founded in 1968 by Gian Franco Brignone, an Italian banker from Torino, Italy" and "is best noted for its signature 'Careyes' architecture, a blend of minimalist design and Mexican sensuality as well as fine hospitality, turtle and nature preservation programs, outdoor adventure and deluxe accommodations."

Based on what we saw at the exclusive El Careyes Beach Resort, located at the end of a long cobblestone private road and the one and only hotel that allowed past the gates to take a tour of the property (go figure, we are driving a dusty 1987 VW van), we would agree: the pool basically spilled into a private cove and one of the listed activities is polo.

That said, we agreed that if we were to ever return to the area (n sans the van), we would stay at the nearby Casitas de La Flores, sleek private casitas that hang off the cliff.

Our destination the first night was farther south still - Tenacatita, a one-street beach town, a 10 kilometer drive off the main highway that took us past cornfields that were growing in palm groves and that had horses grazing in them.

After "Safety First" Molinski checked things out with the (only) cop in town, we decided to "boon-dock" next to an abandoned grass hut beside the main beach. The fact that it had a non-flushing outdoor toilet that was not yet fully loaded and thus usable was a huge bonus

Source: "New Daily Flights from Houston to Manzanillo, Mexico, Offer Convenient Travel to Luxurious Costa Careyes Resorts", Business Wire, November 19, 2003