# Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta beaches



## homer239

I'd love some insight from the insightful TUG users on the Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta beaches:

 - How are waves?
 - Any boogie boarding?
 - Can you run/jog on the beach?
 - Any vendors?  Are they respectful?
 - Do they offer beachside massages?  Are they good?  What cost?

Anything else to know?

Thanks so much


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## Kay H

I'd be interested also.  Going next week.  TIA


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## pittle

The beach is great for walking.  It seems to go forever.
Our grandson liked using his boogie board.
I can't remember how the waves are - I just walk on the edge and do not go into the ocean.
The vendors are respectful.  The resort is not near other resorts and the beach vendors have to be approved by the MP/GM.  They do not approve other massage folks.
They do have a spa that does great massages.  They have a place near the pool and a palapa on the beach in addition to the private rooms in the spa.  I think the cost was about $100 for 50 minutes.  They had a 2-4-1 special when we were there in November 2008.


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## Kay H

Are water shoes advisable for the beach, or unnecessary?


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## pittle

Kay H said:


> Are water shoes advisable for the beach, or unnecessary?



We have never used them there.


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## Kay H

pittle said:


> We have never used them there.




Thanks for the info.


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## homer239

Thanks, Phyllis.  Very helpful info.


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## Conan

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...authkey=Gv1sRgCNLNnKemjPna7wE&feat=directlink


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## easyrider

The bay water in front of the Mayan properties are very pebbled and swim shoes make it easier to get in and out of the bay. There is just one breaker to play in and if your not carefull the wave will plow you into the pebbles. When climbing out of the bay the wave can suck you down or pull your clothing off. Sometime the wave is big and sometimes its small. Either way the pebbles are there. Also, because the marina is so close to the Mayan properties there is the strong posibilitiy that sewage and other nasty waste could infect a cut caused by the pebbles when swiming in the bay. I wear sandals and tighten my drawstring on my swim suite to be safe. I have lost and found my shorts in the wave and my wife and her friends have been topped pull down.


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## John Cummings

The beach at Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta is very good for swimming. When we were there in mid-April, the waves were great for body surfing which I did every day. You can walk a long way along the beach. There were very few beach vendors and they were not aggressive at all.


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## T_R_Oglodyte

easyrider said:


> The bay water in front of the Mayan properties are very pebbled and swim shoes make it easier to get in and out of the bay. There is just one breaker to play in and if your not carefull the wave will plow you into the pebbles. When climbing out of the bay the wave can suck you down or pull your clothing off. Sometime the wave is big and sometimes its small. Either way the pebbles are there. Also, because the marina is so close to the Mayan properties there is the strong posibilitiy that sewage and other nasty waste could infect a cut caused by the pebbles when swiming in the bay. I wear sandals and tighten my drawstring on my swim suite to be safe. I have lost and found my shorts in the wave and my wife and her friends have been topped pull down.



I'll briefly summarized what I've posted before.  As background, I spent about ten years my life doing sanitary reviews of water bodies for the California public health.

I personally would not do any water contact activities in almost any beach area around the Bay of Banderas, with the possible exception of a few of the isolated beaches on the south shore.  I especially would not venture into the water anywhere south of the mouth of Rio Ameca, which is the river that enters Bahia de Banderas just north of the airport (and immediately south of the Mayan Palace Nuevo Vallarta).

As a general rule, people who have been swimming and recreating in even the cleanest natural waters will show elevated levels of infections after the activity - this includes eye, ear, nose, throat, and gastrointestinal illnesses. As the water quality is compromised, these conditions get even worse.  

That does not mean that I don't swim at beaches.  You make tradeoffs, balancing risks and pleasure.  I love to snorkel in Hawai'i, for example.

But it does mean that I grow increasingly wary as I observe and am aware of greater compromises in water quality.  And there are sufficient marginal conditions throughout the Bahia de Banderas area to cause me to say the risks aren't worth it for me.


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## Kay H

That beach looks great for my morning walk.  Thanks for posting it.


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## John Cummings

easyrider said:


> The bay water in front of the Mayan properties are very pebbled and swim shoes make it easier to get in and out of the bay. There is just one breaker to play in and if your not carefull the wave will plow you into the pebbles. When climbing out of the bay the wave can suck you down or pull your clothing off. Sometime the wave is big and sometimes its small. Either way the pebbles are there. Also, because the marina is so close to the Mayan properties there is the strong posibilitiy that sewage and other nasty waste could infect a cut caused by the pebbles when swiming in the bay. I wear sandals and tighten my drawstring on my swim suite to be safe. I have lost and found my shorts in the wave and my wife and her friends have been topped pull down.



It sounds like you are talking about Puerto Vallarta, not Nuevo Vallarta. The beaches at Puerto Vallarta are very poor. Nuevo Vallarta is a different story.


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## Pat H

Kay H said:


> I'd be interested also.  Going next week.  TIA



Hey Kay, I'll be there at the same time.


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## easyrider

John Cummings said:


> It sounds like you are talking about Puerto Vallarta, not Nuevo Vallarta. The beaches at Puerto Vallarta are very poor. Nuevo Vallarta is a different story.



The beach is great in Nuevo Vallarta. Its that one breaking wave and the pebbles under it that make me cautious. The bay seems more rocky or pebbled near the Mayan properties than farter north like in Bucerias. That current created when the wave receeds is all around the bay and has the power to pull a person down when your trying to get out if your caught off gaurd.


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## John Cummings

easyrider said:


> The beach is great in Nuevo Vallarta. Its that one breaking wave and the pebbles under it that make me cautious. The bay seems more rocky or pebbled near the Mayan properties than farter north like in Bucerias. That current created when the wave receeds is all around the bay and has the power to pull a person down when your trying to get out if your caught off gaurd.



There were no rocks nor pebbles on the beach nor in the water in front of the Grand Mayan - NV when I was there. I wouldn't have been able to body surf if there were any rocks or pebbles. There may have been in front of the Mayan Palace as it is a little farther south than the Grand Mayan.


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## curtbrown

I've seen reports on other GM user websites that the recent storms in the last month or so have washed some of the sand off of the Mayan beaches and there is damage to the walkway and the vendor stores in front of the NV Mayan Palace pool.

As far as waves, it really depends on the time of year and the weather.  It can get pretty rough sometimes.  And if you have small kids, I'd recommend the two large wave pools instead of the ocean.  They're easier on the feet and there aren't any rogue waves to hit you unexpectedly.


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## mikenk

We just got back from Nuevo. Beaches were fine for walking with no evidence of damage; we saw no one in water - waves were large with strong breaks.

We had two rain days - unusual for February . 

We had a great time as always.

Mike


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## easyrider

John Cummings said:


> There were no rocks nor pebbles on the beach nor in the water in front of the Grand Mayan - NV when I was there. I wouldn't have been able to body surf if there were any rocks or pebbles. There may have been in front of the Mayan Palace as it is a little farther south than the Grand Mayan.



The above picture is the beach in front of the Mayan properties at low tide. What are those roundish pebbley looking objects in the wet sand. They are not coconuts.


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## John Cummings

easyrider said:


> The above picture is the beach in front of the Mayan properties at low tide. What are those roundish pebbley looking objects in the wet sand. They are not coconuts.



I am NOT talking about the beach in front of the Mayan Palace. I am only talking about the one in front of the Grand Mayan which is north of there. I made that quite clear in my previous post. In any event, there were no pebbles nor rocks when we were there. If there are now then so be it.


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## KarenLK

Near Havana Moon and the models of the Bliss and Luxxe there was damage from the storm of Jan 15. A rest room came off of its footing and there was a 3-6 foot drop in the sand.


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## John Cummings

KarenLK said:


> Near Havana Moon and the models of the Bliss and Luxxe there was damage from the storm of Jan 15. A rest room came off of its footing and there was a 3-6 foot drop in the sand.



Karen,

Where are the models of the Bliss and Luxxe in relation to the Grand Mayan? We were there for 2 weeks at the Grand Mayan during Easter week and the week after in April 2006. This was long before the Bliss and Luxxe.


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## KarenLK

The whole complex was very confusing to me, but the new buildings that are under construction are to the left of the grand Mayan buildings, facing the beach. I have been told, and I think I understand correctly, that they are taking down some? of the Mayan Palace buildings. There are only 9 holes of golf; we were told you have to do the 9 holes twice if you want a full round.


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## pittle

John Cummings said:


> Karen,
> 
> Where are the models of the Bliss and Luxxe in relation to the Grand Mayan? We were there for 2 weeks at the Grand Mayan during Easter week and the week after in April 2006. This was long before the Bliss and Luxxe.



John - the 4 models are near the paved beachwalk - behind the area with the wave pools.  The Bliss & Grand Bliss models are closest to the restaurant that the sales guys take you to for the breakfast and the Luxxe & Grand Luxxe Villa models are on the north side of the Bliss & Grand Bliss models.


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## John Cummings

pittle said:


> John - the 4 models are near the paved beachwalk - behind the area with the wave pools.  The Bliss & Grand Bliss models are closest to the restaurant that the sales guys take you to for the breakfast and the Luxxe & Grand Luxxe Villa models are on the north side of the Bliss & Grand Bliss models.



I don't know which restaurant the sales guy use because we don't do sales presentations and I don't remember seeing any sales people. I also don't remenber the paved beachwalk. Here are a couple pictures I took from our balcony at the Grand Mayan. Can you orient the location to my pictures?

*Views from our balcony at the Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta*


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## Pat H

I'm drooling. Can't wait to get there on Saturday. Looks like the weather will be in the 80's.


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## pittle

You should have a great time.   

The paved beach walk is made of pavers and runs between the sea wall and the ocean.  It runs the length of the resort.  Y

The resturant that has a good breakfast buffet is near the models and is basically in the middle of the resort between the MP & GM on beachfront.  The new Grand Bliss units are being built behind the restaurant, on the other side of the "lake".


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## KarenLK

The restaurant we were taken to is Havana Moon, near the models. That is where the restroom caved in and the beach dropped off. It may be fixed by now.


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