We recently returned from a week at Rancho Banderas, an older resort with plenty of Mexican charm and character. There were five adults in our party. The smallness and remoteness of the resort appealed to us since we just wanted to "crash". The view from our balcony was spectacular; we enjoyed eating dinner on the balcony as the sun set. The staff was helpful and friendly and the little store had about anything you'd need. The only drawback for us was the lack of palapas on the beachfront but we were told they have to move them during the rainy season (July thru October) because the high tide will wash them away. The activities director, Mario, was wonderful. He kept everything rolling along...Spanish lessons, water aerobics, beach volleyball, water volleyball, horseshoes, bingo ("rifas"), you name it! The beach was very nice. We were pleased with the restaurant's food...both the quality and quantity. All-in-all, we'd go back again.

I booked my week through Interval International. For the most part, we had a good time. The resort is nice, although about a 45 minute drive from downtown from Puerto Vallarta. Unless you want to sit at the pool and beach all day, you will need a car. It is very easy to learn the roads (there’s really only one to learn), and had no problems getting around.

The best part about the resort is the pool and beach. The kids (6, 4, and 2) loved the pool and waterslides. The beach is also nice, very fine sand, and a gentle slope into the bay. If you snorkel, you will see a few fish, but nothing to write home about.

The resort, when you check in, will require that you wear a wristband for the duration of your stay. They claim it is so that they know you are a legitimate guest. However, given you have to drive through two separate security checkpoints to get to the resort, I fail to see the necessity. I took my wristband off the first day, and was never questioned the rest of the week. The other lemmings in my party opted to wear theirs and just complain about having to wear them.

The one and only restaurant at the resort is good, and moderately priced for a resort restaurant. The filet mignon was excellent – perfectly cooked and seasoned. Our other meals were decent, but nothing spectacular.

As mentioned in a previous post, the scheduled activities will happen eventually, but sometimes you need to remind the resort before they get around to it.

We decided to do the resort’s timeshare presentation, for the free breakfast and $100 US resort credit. The presentation is 2 hours, and don’t bother suggesting that they speed up the presentation. When we made this suggestion (since we already knew more about the timeshare industry than the salesman did), he immediately whipped out our signed “contracts” informing us we were there for the full 2 hours – which of course ran 20 minutes over.

The daily maid service was a nice bonus, considering most timeshare resorts do not offer such a service.

3 things you must do:

1. Rent a car from Gecko. They were about 35% less than any of the rental car companies at the airport. They are located in Bucerias, but a VIP Shuttle to the rental location is included in the price of the car rental. Their website is [-], and their phone number is [-]. Denis and Adam are both expats (Canada and California) and were very helpful in planning road trips and finding the hard to find.

2. Eat at Frascotti. It is located in a small town La Cruz de Huanacaxtle – a couple minute drive from the resort (before the main road back to PV). When leaving the resort, and heading toward PV, it is the first stop light you will see. The road is Calle Langosta (Lobster Road) which is ironic considering there are no seafood restaurants on this road. Frascotti is open for dinner only, and it a great Italian restaurant – totally out of place for its surroundings. The bread alone is worth the visit. The Risotto was also excellent.

3. Avoid the Timeshare Scam at the Airport. Once you have your bags, and are trying to leave the airport, you will be forced to walk through a room about 100 feet long, with counters on both sides. Do not talk to or make eye contact with anyone in this room. Their one and only job is to get you to sign up for timeshare presentations. Even though I had previously read about this scam, I still made the mistake of asking them where the VIP Shuttle was – since they were blocking me from the exit. I was quickly ushered to the counter – where they attempted to sign me up for a timeshare presentation. They will never stop trying, so if you find yourself at the counter, your only option is to leave, sign up for a presentation, or stay there until your return flight, because they do not take no (or no x 200) for an answer.

This is a beautiful resort. The grounds are lush and quiet. The pool was just perfect for our one-year old daughter. The beach was clean and the waves were great! I do agree with the reviewer who states that the property is remote. However, that is one of the reasons why we loved it! If you wish to take a trip into town, take the bus or get a taxi because the roadways are crazy for drivers who are unfamiliar with the area. We went into town and bought food so we didn't have to eat in the restaurant every day. The kitchen facilities are more than adequate and the bedrooms are large and comfortable.

We started the week in a unit with beautiful ocean views. However, the resort began to paint the unit above us and the fumes were strong and toxic. We asked the management for a new unit and were able to move into a new one the same day. They were very accomodating.

We did notice that some activities such as water aerobics were not being held due to lack of people. However, when we questioned the staff about this, they made sure someone was available to teach the next class.

During our stay, the small store at the resort was open every day until 11:30 p.m They had everything from sunscreen to bread and ice cream. I wouldn't buy all my supplies here, but their prices weren't too bad.

All in all, if you are looking for a quiet and relaxing vacation at a beautiful resort, Rancho Banderas is the place to stay!

We have just returned from a week at Rancho Banderas in Punta Mita. As a previous traveler noted, it's a beautiful resort but the location is too remote.

We needed cash one day for a fishing/snorkeling charter and the nearest ATM was 15 minutes south in the town of La Cruz. We did have a car and ventured out to Sayulita, La Cruz, Bucerias, Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta. The 2-lane road is curvy, hilly, and unlit at night with many speed bumps scattered along the way. Speed limits are optional! That was all part of the adventure for us. I recommend Gecko for a car rental. They are located in the town of Bucerias and have free transportation from the airport to their location. Great rates and service. They offer tour tickets too.

There is little to do at the resort besides the pool and the ocean - which is ok if you want to just relax. The food at the only on-site restaurant was averge to below average for most meals. The convenience store closed at 6pm nightly. Several of the posted organized activites (bon fire, bocce ball) never took place. The staff was wonderful - very helpful, attentive, polite and bi-lingual.
All the drinking water at the restaurant is bottled so don't feel you need to purchase a 'bottle of water' when dining.

They have one computer for guests to use in the main office. It is a dial-up, very slow and they charge $2.00 US for 15 mintues.

There is a huge Wal-Mart in Puerto Vallarta which is a great place to stock up on items.

We would return to this part of Mexico again but not to Rancho Banderas.