I found Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta to be a rather deceiving property, in a good way. You can see from the resort maps how sprawling the property is, but when you are walking around on the raised boardwalk pathways you get a sense that you are staying a boutique tropical retreat. The property is also dotted by several pools, including a “beach entry” pool with a water slide! Perhaps the best thing about the pools at the Grand Mayan was the lazy river that wrapped around the main pool area. With the lazy river you can float in tube around and around relaxing and soaking up the sun while staying nice and cool! The property is set right along a stretch of private beach where you can set up camp for the day or rent jet skis for an afternoon.

One of the most unique features of Vidanta properties is their dedication to sustainability and ecological preservation, as a result the beach here is home to very special property guests: baby sea turtles! In an effort to protect the native sea turtle population Vidanta has set up biologist run sanctuaries at several of their locations across Mexico. In the last 5 years alone, the Nuevo Vallarta sanctuary has ensured the release of 1.5 million baby turtles!

Getting around the property was a treat because you walk along these raised boardwalk pathways that meander through bamboo and jungle-like vegetation. It really immerses you into the natural environment and is unlike anything I have experienced at other properties. To ensure you don’t get lost there are directional arrows and maps at most junctions along the pathways!

One Mexican dish I was introduced to on this trip was chilaquiles. It is made with corn tortillas which are lightly fried and then quartered, covered with a layer of salsa and then topped with cheese, shredded chicken and an egg. I had this dish at breakfast and each day the buffet had a different variation of the dish, sometimes with red salsa, sometime with green, once instead of chicken there was refried beans – but every time I had it, they were delicious.

Vidanta is not an All-Inclusive property, so meals and drinks are not included with your stay. There are many restaurants to choose from including a wide range of dining styles from the more casual buffet style or grab and go, to higher priced steakhouses and specialty restaurants. My favorite meal at the property was at Azul, which means blue in Spanish. This is the high end French inspired restaurant on property and is located on the top floor of the centrally located Plaza, which also houses shops, a gallery, and food market. Azul has, in my opinion, the best views on the property and my dinner there during sunset was spectacular. Nightly the restaurant hosts a pianist who will play classical, as well as familiar tunes, like the theme from La La Land. The highlight from my meal here was the dessert. Your waiter will let you choose your dessert from an actual dessert cart so you can see all the choices laid out before you make your decision. It was hard to pick just one!