Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

With an average high temperature of 86 degrees, it’s a given that this lovely coastal resort, halfway down Mexico’s Pacific Coast, is ideal for outdoor pleasures. What was once dubbed “the friendliest city in the world” remains a charming tourist hub for travelers in search of good food, shopping, boating, fishing and the chance to do nothing but snooze on a sunny beach.

While signs point to settlers around current day Puerto Vallarta as early as 500 B.C., most of the area’s history remains hazy prior to the 1500’s. That’s when the Spanish (missionaries and the military) arrived, taking the Ameca Valley by force in 1524 from the natives and renaming it Banderas.

During the 1920’s, the current moniker, Puerto Vallarta, took hold. American artists, writers and expatriates arrived in droves during the 1950’s, but the resort really took off 20 years later with the advent of luxury hotels and bargain prices. 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Baja was first sighted by Hernan Cortes’ pilot, Francisco de Ulloa, in 1537 – eighteen years after the conquest of the Aztec Empire. With no gold or silver and little agricultural potential, Baja’s discovery was of little worth until trade routes were established across the Pacific in the late 16th century.

The 1940’s and 50’s brought wealthy vacationers and sportsmen, drawn by the secluded luxury lodges lining the cliffs, and the massive game fish that teem in the swirl of surf where ocean meets sea. Sport fishing still remains one of the area’s chief draws, as popular as the perfect sandy beaches and the ever-growing waterfront resorts. With miles of pristine beaches, beautiful scenery, and gorgeous weather, it’s no wonder that Cabo is becoming a resort destination.