Beyond the Villa there are many great food options. Indeed, Puerto Vallarta is a foodie paradise. Whether taking the boat to Playa Animas, hiking through Nogalito, El Eden, or visiting the water falls in Yelapa or Quimixto, virtually every place offers a variety of food and drink options. I am pretty sure the boat captains have business relationships with some of the beach restaurants as they tend to steer us to certain places. You can't go wrong at any of the locations and they all have their own charm. However, here are a few of my favorite places that are off the beaten path.
Charlie's Beach Club In Quimixto
Why we love it: If you like drinking freshly made smoothies on an isolated beach while being hosted by a friendly owner, this is your place to be. By "fresh" I am talking about passion fruit that is literally harvested each day from the owner's own tree. It takes a bit of effort to get to Charlie's, which keeps the crowds away. There are no vendors approaching you while you relax. You are likely to have the place to yourself. It caters more to local vacationers. The smoothies are generously proportioned and about $5 each.
Charlie's is located just north of Quimixto. To get there, you can get off at the pier in Quimixto and walk north through town, over a suspension bridge, along a path that cuts by the modest homes and over to the secluded beach. Alternatively, if you rented a private boat, you can have the boat drop you right on the beach and they can anchor just off shore. Or, you can combine the two and have the captain drop you on the pier so you can walk through town and then they can pick you up at the beach.
Because the boat captains have deals with local restaurants, we found that they tried to convince us to go to one of the larger beaches full of restaurants. However, after I offered to buy them a smoothie, they seemed to enjoy the experience at Charlie's. My favorite is the mango-passion fruit smoothie. There is a little surf break in front of the beach and they rent surf boards too.
Pepe's Tacos
A not-so-secret hole in the wall: I first discovered Pepe's when I asked a cab driver where he likes to go for tacos. He said that Pepe's is the favorite hang out for cab drivers in the area. He recommended that I get the tacos al pastor. I love street tacos, but I am not a fan of tacos al pastor. Nonetheless, I figured I would try one. Now, that is all I order at Pepe's. Their tacos al pastor, which come with a little slice of pineapple, just hit different than any I have ever had. Although it may appear as a "hole in the wall" place, the secret about Pepe's Tacos is out. Along with the local cab drivers, I have met foodie tour groups that make this a regular stop.
The Churro Stand
Warning: After you eat these churros, you will never be able to look at those churros they sell in amusement parks, stadiums, or pretty much anywhere else the same. (There is a Churro lady in Tijuana that is also pretty amazing, but I digress). This is a simple operation. They set up on the corner of Peru and Uruguay street. They make the churros in front of you as soon as you order them, so you get them while they are still hot. They typically begin around 6:30 p.m. and stay until they run out of batter -- or around 9:30-10 p.m. The whole process screams authentic Mexico.
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