If you haven’t been to Puerto Vallarta, perhaps it’s time to visit. I stayed 40 minutes away from Puerto Vallarta Airport at the W Punta de Mita – a beautiful, tranquil beachfront property mixed in with some jungle vibes. It’s the perfect place to immerse yourself in the sounds of waves crashing around you, along with birds and all the other animals that you can hear in the background. It’s wonderful.

When we arrived at W Punta de Mita, it was a quick drive through sugar canes until we reached the first entrance, and we met Pancho – yes, a photo op.

From there we were picked up by a golf cart and taken to the lobby of the hotel, where we enjoyed a wonderful welcome drink of mezcal and hibiscus. We were amazed by what they call their “mosaic carpet” that led us from the entrance, downstairs through the bar, outside, and onto a bridge – all with thousands of handmade tiles.

Check-in was quick and easy since we checked in before arrival through Mariott Bonvoy’s portal. A golf cart drove us to our beautiful ocean-front suite that had a plunge pool and direct access to the beach. The room was newly remodeled with a warm color scheme, his and hers showers, an additional shower, and standing tub surrounded by lush greenery just outside of the bathroom shower. It was so relaxing.

The bed faced out toward the plunge pool and the ocean, and we could open and close the curtains with the touch of a button from our bed. There was also a Nespresso machine in our room, in case we needed a little burst of energy.

One of our favorite places that we ate was Chevycheria. The restaurant is a converted Chevy truck on the beach that boasts the freshest ceviche. There were so many different kinds, and each one seemed to get better and better. For dinner one night, we ate at Spice Market, which is an Asian fusion restaurant with outstanding food served family style.

If you are based in the Los Angeles area, Puerto Vallarta is less than a 3-hour flight from LAX. W Punta de Mita is a great quiet, romantic, and spiritual getaway.