Vendors on Mexican Beaches?

[humuhumu nukunukuapua'a]

We are considering about our 7th trip to Mexico, and wondering which resort areas have the fewest/most vendors on the beach. For example, we absolutely hated Puerto Vallarta about ten years ago, due to constant harassment by vendors: constant approaches by sellers of whatever, as well as listening to the vendores making their pitches to whomever happened to be sitting nearby (and acted interested). We also seem to recall lots of vendores on the beach at Mazatlan's Golden Coast.

We like to relax on the beach by reading and keeping to ourselves, without having to constantly decline ("No gracias, por favor") ANY interest in beads, jewelry, pottery, shirts, serapes, etc. Having to constantly look up from my reading...and waiting apprehensively for the minute before, or so, while the vendore makes his way in our direction...just to declare that I am "not interested" just bugs the heck out of me, and makes me rather irascible to all vendores in general... It is difficult to concentrate on reading while the neighboring bunch of beachgoers, just a few yards away, have a 15 minute bargaining session with the vendore. Aaargh!

[I sure that there are lots of vacationers that do not mind vendors and their approaches, and even those that love to view the wares, discuss the prices, etc. I also fully realize that vendores depend on beach sales to earn their living; on the other hand, I just want to enjoy my day unmolested. I suspect, however, that there are few among those prospective buyers that prefer to spend the day keeping to themselves. Heck, I just want to enjoy burying myself in a book, without unnecessary interruptions.]

I am already aware that some resorts are relatively far distant from main tourist areas, and thus do NOT draw a constant, ongoing flow of vendores: for instance throughout all of Cancun, in Cabo San Lucas at the Hacienda del Mar, and I believe at the Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan-Emerald Bay. I also recall that at the older Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan that the vendores were generally "kept at a distance" from the palapas, via overwatching security guards: That was kind of acceptable. Would I be correct in also guessing that in Cabo San Lucas, along the actual Pacific Ocean beach side where the surf is too high to swim (like the Finestera and PB Sunset Beach), that vendores do not ply their trade?

Thus, my question: Are there any Mexican resort areas where vendores basically do NOT exist at all, besides Cancun? Further, are there any MAIN beach areas within resort cities where the vendores are NOT present in great abundance? For example, the equivalent of Mazatlan's Golden Zone (which IS vendor-afflicted). I don't really want to locate at some distant, out-of the-way resort (and thus face taxi fares, or have a rental car), and would REALLY prefer being inside a main, busy tourist area...just without beach vendores!

...and the obverse of my question: Which resorts/ popular resort areas are the worst in having lots of pesky vendores?

I would appreciate hearing of your recent experiences regarding the best/worst vendor areas: I am particularly interested in Mazatlan, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, and Nuevo Vallarta. On the other hand, I would also appreciate hearing of other resort cities where the vendores won't make my vacation unpleasant.

Muchas Gracias,
Bob Cohen, bookworm

 

[EJC]

I am also bothered by overly aggressive vendors. I've stayed at resorts in four locations in Mexico. In order of aggressive vendors (least aggressive to most aggressive) the locations were as follows: Nuevo Vallarta, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo (at least near the marina area). At The Mayan Sea Garden, Grand Mayan, and Mayan Palace Resort area in Nuevo Vallarta, there is an area for the vendors--sort of like a hut arrangement. The vendors that wandered away from that area simply seemed to hold up their wares without saying anything. If a vendor was more aggressive than that, the Mayan Resort guards were on him immediately. At the Playa Grande Resort on the Pacific side in Cabo, there wasn't one vendor. However, the vendors in the marina area of Cabo were really obnoxious. I'm fine with vendors that are pleasant, especially if they have a sense of humor while trying to sell, but I'm not fine with vendors that are pushy or rude when I've responded with a polite, "No, gracias."

 

[Mush]

Welcome to Mexico. We, too, have heard "Braid, lady, braid" (not the Bob Dylan version) more times than enough. It's part of the ecomomy, and the work the vendors do is not my idea of an easy day. Roll with it, and be polite. We once (in Cabo) took a "NO GRACIAS" sign with us and hung it on our beach umbrella. It had the desired effect, but we only did it once because it was insulting to the vendors, who have families, etc. etc. It is their country and we were guests. I ended up buying stuff I would't have normally out of guilt.

Having said that, there seemed to be fewer when we were in Playacar.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

In Cabo, Playa Solmar, located over the hill south of the Marina, has few vendors. Resorts on this beach include Finisterra, Playa Grande, and Sol Mar. Playa Solmar is not isolated - it's about a ten-minute walk to the Marina and downtown CSL from there.

Playa Solmar is not a swimming beach, however, as it fronts directly on the open Pacific.

 

[cymomtx]

At the Royal Resorts in Cancun the security keep the vendors close to the water line. They are not allowed to walk to far into the beach area.

 

[KarenK]

Acapulco anyone??

I guess none of you have been to Acapulco, or things have drastically changed. They really had it down to a science. When dining on the beach (enclosed) they obstructed my view of the water with their blankets. You say no, and they go away, but in a flash they come back as if they have never seen you before. Really horrible. I think Cancun would have to be ther bet.

 

[Karen G]

Bob, I think you'd really enjoy a stay at the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach. Definitely no vendors on the beach--just be sure not to get too near the water to avoid rogue waves.

There are many pools to choose from, too, so that if there were too much activity at one, you could go to another for peace and quiet.

If you wanted the ultimate peace and quiet, you'd find it at the new Pueblo Bonito Hotel Pacifica (not a timeshare, though).

 

[Blondie]

At Westin Regine PV last year there were vendors selling t shirts and jewelry on the beach but they were polite and did not pester us when we indicated thanks but no thanks. We just smiled and shook our heads and they kept on walking.

 

[geoffb]

We have never had these problems in Cancun, there does seem to be some unspoken agreement between the hotel security and the vendors that they stay by the waterline unless someone shows interest in the wares. Also, because of the length of the beaches there they will move along fairly briskly and you do not tend to see the same people twice.

As mentioned, the security at the Royal Resorts has a very visible presence. Also, since no cach is used within the Royal Resorts many people on those beaches have no cash to buy with and I think the vendors know that.

At VCI many of the vendors going by are actually on their way to sell to local residents on the public beach next door and are not interested in the tourists, that's kind of ironic I think.

 

[cabobill]

Bob,

One thing to keep in mind is all of Mexico's coastline is Public domain and the Vendors have the right to ply their wares anywhere along the beaches. That said, about the only way to totally avoid the Beach Vendor is find the resorts that have access cut off for whatever reason and the vendor finds it too difficult to pack in his wares from a beach access point. The Nueva Vallarta resorts away from town and the resorts North of the Golden Zone of Mazatlan fall in this category. Due to natural barriers Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay is a perfect example of a no-vendor resort. I still prefer the PB Mazatlan, so have to deal with the vendors who have the right to be anywhere on the beach up to the high water line. One way to avoid them is to grab a spot on the resort's tanning deck/poolside areas, which are usually above a sea wall and out of reach of pesky vendors, but still afford you a full view of the beach. Another benefit of using the pool deck is you're just a wave of the hand from a speedy refill of your bucket of cold cervesas! In Cabo San Lucas all of the resorts on the Pacific side are very difficult to access on foot so very little or no vendors make it out on the beach in that area, but look out from the Marina Fiesta Northward to the edge of town. Along the corridor some of the larger resorts with golf courses or otherwise sprawling complexes will have few to no vendors, but as the highway presses closer to the shoreline on the outskirts of San Jose, they are thicker than sand-fleas, but usually a polite group. The Coral Baja Worldmark for example, has a troupe of Vendors numbering about a dozen that arrive at 10:00AM and stick around until dusk. My biggest problem are the little kids that sell Chicklets; I'll end up buying their whole box and they usually end up in my lap, playing my poker game!

 

[KevJan]

We stayed at the Grand Mayan in Acapulco last June and not even approached once. The only time we were bothered was when we went with a taxi driver down to where "the locals shop". There were kids all over the place trying to sell us beads, necklaces, etc. Maybe we were too early in the tourist season. I don't know.

 

[Deer Path]

(/Quote) I would appreciate hearing of your recent experiences regarding the best/worst vendor areas: I am particularly interested in Mazatlan, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, and Nuevo Vallarta. On the other hand, I would also appreciate hearing of other resort cities where the vendores won't make my vacation unpleasant.

Muchas Gracias,
Bob Cohen, bookworm[/QUOTE]

I can only speak for Cabo and Mazatlan....we just returned from the Playa Grande in Cabo and as others have said they have no vendors along the Pacific side....SolMar, Playa Grande, Finisterra,Sunset Beach and Pacifica.
We spent several days on Mendano Beach in front of Cabo Villas and did of course have vendors. They were not obnoxious though as we just said no much of the time.

In Mazatlan we stay at El Cid El Moro Towers in the Golden Zone and they do have vendors but not too bad. The El Cid at the Marina has a beach that is not easy for them to get to so usually we may only have one or two that show up. Of course there are not very many people there either so that makes a difference.

Judy

 

[dmwgroup]

We recently returned from a week in Nuevo Vallarta and then a week in Puerto Vallarta. This was our first visit to the region, and we were quite surprised and annoyed by the number of both vendors and timeshare people both on the beaches, on the sidewalks outside the resort as well as when we visited Bucerias and the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta. I understand that this is how they make their living, but it made our vacation quite uncomfortable. Should we go back to Mexico, we will try the Cabo area or go back to Cancun, but will not head back to the PV area.

 

[debraxh]

We recently returned from a week in Nuevo Vallarta and then a week in Puerto Vallarta. This was our first visit to the region, and we were quite surprised and annoyed by the number of both vendors and timeshare people both on the beaches, on the sidewalks outside the resort as well as when we visited Bucerias and the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta. I understand that this is how they make their living, but it made our vacation quite uncomfortable. Should we go back to Mexico, we will try the Cabo area or go back to Cancun, but will not head back to the PV area.

This was our experience as well, which is why we haven't returned to PV/NV since our first visit about 10 yrs ago.

 

[humuhumu nukunukuapua'a]

Keep those vendor comments coming

I am really really pleased to have stirred so many comments on this discussion of Mexican vendors. There are quite a number of you who also find that pesky vendors can make relaxing on the beach quite difficult.

I am currently leaning toward visiting Cabo for the 2nd time, on the Pacific side. However, I would also like to re-visit the Puerto Vallarta area. [Okay, what I really want is to get back to the Royal Mayan, in Cancun...but it is time to "stretch our horizons" and try to find another, equally wonderful resort area. Can that really be?]

I noted several comments indicating that vendors in Puerto Vallarta AND Nuevo Vallarta can also be troublesome. That conflicts with a friend's view that NV was basically free of vendors, when they visited last Fall. Thus this question: Might the particular resort make the difference in vendor presence in Nuevo Vallarta? I would appreciate any specifics about vendors in front of/adjacent to particular NV resorts.

Of, course, I do still want to read about vendors in other resort cities...because there will always be "a next time."

Once again, I welcome any further comments on this issue.

Bob Cohen, bookworm

 

[bigfrank]

I like seeing the stuff that they sell. If you want to get rid of them just make them a super low ball offer that they have to refuse. They will call you cheap but tell everyone else that you are cheap and no one will bother you.

 

[dmwgroup]

Vendors in Nuevo Vallarta

We stayed at the Playa del Sol Grande which is in the Flamingos Beach area. Vendors walked up and down the beach. If someone was sitting in lounge chairs on the beach, you were fair game. The vendors would even come up to the edge of the infinity pool to show their wares. We walked the beach from the resort north to Bucerias, and were met with vendors all along the walk (about a 45+ minute walk). Another day we walked south on the beach from the resort, and were again met with vendors. This was just a few weeks ago...
Bottom line - If we were to go back to Mexico, I'm with a previous poster, I would go back to Cancun, to one of the Royal resorts.

 

[STEVIE]

Vendors

We stayed at the Princess in Acapulco and the vendors were totally harrassing us. There were actually signs posted on the grounds of the resort stating they would not be responsible for any one leaving the grounds of the resort. When ever we attempted to venture onto the beach, here they came! I spent alot of money to go to a reort on the beach, to only not be able to enjoy the beach. I don't think I will ever go to Mexico again for that reason. Too bad, because there are beautiful places to see in Mexico. Sue

 

[LynnW]

Thanks for posting that Donna. I knew that it was just one of the many lies we were told by the sales staff at Playa del Sol Grand! They said they would have security so their owners would not be bothered by the vendors. Even staying as far north as Rancho Banderas they were out every day when we walked on the beach. I does get to be tiring saying no all the time.

Lynn

 

[cabobill]

Beach Vendors

Don't despair if you want to enjoy the beach and vendors are around...one way to be left alone is to tell them it's your first day at the resort, you'd rather wait until later in the week to buy, and they will usually honor that. Another way is to drag a beach chaise down to the surf line to where the biggest waves give up; the vendors hate to get their shoes wet and will steer clear. Another strategy is to plan your touring/fishing/sports activities for when the cruise ships are away and wait for the cruise ships to dock to enjoy the relatively vendor-less beaches. Your resort Consierge or Bell Desk can tell you the cruise ship schedules.

 

[love2fly]

Bob, We have been to several places in Mexico & the Bahamas and have also been troubled by beach vendors. We started going to Cancun 8 years ago and were pleasantly surprised by the lack of beach vendors. There are no street vendors at all. The beach vendors have to be licensed and are not allowed to approach people sitting on the beach and have to stay close to the water unless a tourist calls them over. We have been going for 8 years and never have been approached by a beach vendor while sitting on the beach. Occasionally when we are walking along the ocean and pass a vendor they will try to show us something. But that's the worst I have experienced. I hope you find a great place to go.

 

[quiltergal]

Just Some Food For Thought

Please bear in mind that there is no welfare in Mexico, and these vendors are just trying to feed their families. A simple "no gracias" once always works for me and they don't bother me again. As Bill says the beaches are public domain so the vendors can be there if they want, they just can't venture onto the resort property. Of course I always buy from the Chicklet Kids too.

 

[Fern Modena]

I agree with Quiltergal; they are just trying to make a living and as long as you don't look interested (or even look at their stuff) and say "Gracias, no" they pretty much leave you alone.

But its all economics and tourism. Its interesting to note the sway of this thread...those places which are "more desirable," are places I wouldn't go. Cancun and Cabo are both very expensive for Mexico, and very Americanized.

Fern

 

[Conan]

We stayed at Grand Mayan Acapulco and I have to say the vendors along the beach didn't offend me at all. I never felt harassed, and saying the occasional 'no gracias' did me no harm.

On the other hand, we narrowly missed being run down by a speeding dune buggy as we walked along the beach. For that I'd blame the teenage American tourist who was driving it, not the local who'd rented it to him.

 

[ripshion]

Have you ever visited Loreto, Mexico BCS? Just north of La Paz. No vendors, just real Mexico!