Adventures with Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

If you only have one day to spend in Puerto Vallarta, it's safe to say that the Hyatt Ziva can provide you with experiences spanning beyond the all-inclusive spectrum.

As anticipation builds and preparations continue for tonight's official grand opening of the resort, I spent yesterday participating in a series of activities on and off the resort that revealed the best of Puerto Vallarta's natural and cultural offerings, all of which were quintessentially Mexican. 

I began the morning at the edge of the property, poised with my group to follow our guide Oscar on a rocky scramble through the jungle in search of a waterfall. A few hours, seven pairs of soaked feet and half a mile later, we found ourselves at the foot of a deep blue pool. Oscar promised that if we jumped into and then swam across it, we'd see the waterfall. 

I’ll save you the details of my internal wimp struggling against my outer hubris and tell you only that I jumped, I swam, and I saw. Then I started thinking about pythons (Oscar had warned us about the pythons) and quickly lost my nerve.

Back on dry land, we lunched at Vivaz, the Hyatt Ziva's signature buffet, where I was pleased to find a refreshing array of creative and customizable items on offer, including colourful twists on classic dishes such as coleslaw, potato salad, and suckling pig. 

The inventively off-beat menus, something I've taken note of each time I dine at any of the resort's five restaurants, are the result of a managerial decision to encourage creativity in the Hyatt Ziva's kitchen staff- an initiative keeping with their wide-spanning objective to 'evolve the all-inclusive.' As a self-proclaimed carnivore, the fact that I eagerly loaded up my plate with vegetables (a few times, to try all the different options) is a good indicator that it's working.

Once my group had recovered from their jaunt in the jungle (and the well-earned feast that followed), we piled into a van and left the resort property for a walking tour Old Puerto Vallarta, the drive to which took no longer than 15 minutes. 

Once there, we strolled through the cobblestone streets of the vibrant, bustling neighborhood, led by Isaac, a guide who made sure we experienced as much as possible including the notable Danza de los Voladores, an ancient Mesoamerican ritual featuring dancers in traditional regional garb climbing a 30 metre pole, then descending from it by spinning downward in a hypnotic, steady circle - all while playing music to the motion. 

My group and I continued through Old Vallarta (also called the Romantic Zone) for most of the afternoon, snacking on handmade Mexican candy and learning about the area's history from Isaac until finally, sunkissed, tired, and slightly dizzy from watching the dancers, we climbed back into our taxi and hit the winding road back home.

The evening began with a cocktail party in Hyatt Ziva's Sunset Bar, welcoming various agents and tour operators who have been arriving over the past few days as guests of the grand opening. The atmosphere was a celebratory one, with travel professionals greeting one another with the air of old friends over daiquiris and pina coladas.

My day came to a close with a dinner at Casa Grande Restaurant, the resort’s Mexican restaurant featuring authentic cuisine from the Jalisco region, including a span of ice creams and sorbets made in-house and boasting over five flavours, from mole to tequila and avocado. 

I may or may not have ordered them all.