good advice above. We ALWAYS stay in old town -actually we have a time share there. It’s the best place to be, especially if you’re not into the all-inclusive deal. Old Town has a “real-Mexico” charm to it with small, quaint, cobblestone streets. It is quieter, but there’s ton to do within the district. It’s within walking distance of downtown and the malecon, and we always here that these are the beaches where the locals go – which says something of the the purity of the area. You can’t go wrong with any hotel in this area I don’t think. Something we discovered last time was the bus system. We actually took the bus to Sayulita (which is indeed amazing!) for $4 per-person round trip and did some surfing in this quaint and untouched surfing village. The buses around town are about .50 per trip and come all the time. And it’s a great way to do the local thing.

As for time of year – Summer is hot and HUMID so if you can your trip will be much more enjoyable in the fall (winter is the best!). We went last year in mid-Sept. and that was still a bit hot/humid. If you go in the right time of year – it matters much less where you stay since you are in your room so little anyway – there is so much to do!

It’s a bit expensive, but you have to at least once take a water taxi to Yelapa and hang out there for a day. It’s a perfect little beach village to the south that is only accessible by boat. It’s great for lounging on the beach sipping your drink of choice or for hiking through the rain forest to a waterfall destination. For a cheaper variation,take one of the all-day “booze-cruzes” that will take you snorkeling, drop you off at a similar beach village, provide breakfast and lunch while en route, and give you all the free drinks you could want. All of this for about the same price as the water taxi itself! The crowd is never really our crowd, but the price/experience is too good to pass up.

Have a great trip!