*Full and happy after a day out with Manuel*

If you’ve ever tried driving around Puerto Vallarta, you know you’ll either end up hopelessly circling the same block three times or accidentally following a stray dog into a one-way construction zone. I might be speaking from experience.

The food scene in Puerto Vallarta is fantastic, but the city is also a giant maze of bumpy, cobbled streets or laced with heavy traffic and cars that don’t mind rolling through stop lights or swiping parked cars. For me, there is also a language barrier. No hablo español.

So, when it came time to taste beyond my hotel, I reached out to a tour company and a guide with a car. I’ve used Tours by Locals in many destinations (Europe, South America Cairo), but had never organized one in PV, despite numerous visits. On the website, I put in my city, my preferences, and dates, and found Manuel. He told us to call him Manny—— probably because some gringas can’t pronounce Manuel—-but he’s Manuel Hernandez and grew up in Puerto Vallarta.

His tour description sounded right up my calle. It turned out to be the best part of our recent trip!

Food tours are more than just eating

Don’t get me wrong, there is a LOT of food on a food tour. I recommend not eating breakfast beforehand. Trust me, you will not go hungry. But in my opinion, the best part of this food tour is that there was more to it than just the food.

We bonded with Manuel immediately. He grew up in PV, so I knew we were in good hands, but it turns out he lived in Canada for 20 years too. Since my husband is Canadian, there was an immediate Maple Leaf-fueled bromance from minute one. Cool, heh?

Though Manuel had a clear plan for where and what we’d eat, we also spent a lot of time walking through different neighborhoods, talking about the local history, about the families who lived there, and ducking into specialty shops. Did you know that chicharrones are a popular breakfast food in parts of Mexico? I can feel my arteries hardening already.

Over paletas of fresh pineapple and mango, we even broached the delicate topic of governments (ours and Mexicos), cartels, safety, and more. We talked about it not to criticize or disparage, or to instill fear in one another, but rather to understand one another's perspectives, answer questions, and share our mutual humanity. That’s why we travel, isn’t it?

Manuel’s adult daughter even joined us for a bit, and by the end of the day, I felt like I had spent a good moment with friends. #gratitude

*Family-owned Paleteria Villaseñor in El Pitallal, a more traditional neighborhood of PV*

You will eat what locals eat

“I would have never found this on my own” is a sentence I said a lot on this tour, which is a sure sign I hooked up with the right guide. That’s the kind of edible adventure I was after.

Also, you should know that fancy is not on the dance card, which was just fine with me. We pulled over on the side of the road, walked around blocks, and up to stands that were nothing more than a table, some plastic chairs, and a couple of bubbling pots of stewed meat heated over a propane-fueled burner. It was fantastic.

We tasted so many things, and I should have taken better notes, but among them were birria, huraraches, pork belly tacos, fresh tortillas, and a lot of different hot sauces and cold Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus water). It’s my new favorite treat and refreshing on a hot (90-degree) day.

We also stopped at a stand to eat tortillas, made fresh before my eyes, and I think it ruined me for life on ever eating store-bought brands. Oh well!

*Yessi is known for its huaraches, quesadillas and tacos.*

Muy tranquilo

Forget Google Maps, waiting for Ubers, or getting stuck in a tourist trap. On a food tour, the guide is the planner and the leader. All you need to do is show up on time with a good attitude, say hola and gracias to everyone you meet, drink lots of water (it’s hot), and you’ll have a good time.

Not planning and worrying about all the details (and everyone’s happiness) is a good way to be. This leaves you time to stroll, stop for photos, ask questions, shop, and take a bathroom break when you want to, without worrying about the schedule. It’s muy tranquilo, as they say.

And that’s the best reason to book a private tour—it’s 100 percent your schedule, flexible and easy—-the way vacation should be.

*Hand-made blue corn tortillas with your pork belly taco? Si!*

Secret Spots

I use the term “secret” lightly. In this day and age, with Instagram and phones, is anything really a secret anymore? But there are places on a food tour you will go that you would NEVER know about or find on your own.

One example on this trip was El Pitillal, once a town outside Puerto Vallarta, but now a part of the urban sprawl of Puerto Vallarta. Still, it feels like a village, far from the tourist zones (which are also just fine, fyi), with markets, food shops with vats of oil ready to cook chicuarones, and a central plaza dominated on one side by a church, the Temple of San Miguel Arcángel. We went inside, natch, but there was a funeral going on, so it felt a little awkward.

Manuel showed us the street he grew up on, and we ducked into a fish market, and a cemetery that was a vibrant, celebratory place, particularly becuase we were leading up to Día de Muertos, a day families gather to clean graves, decorate them with flowers (lots of marigolds) and candles, and eat and play music to remember their deceased loved ones.

*Manuel, me, and some other fierce faces*

It’s your tour

Because this was a private tour, it was exactly how I wanted it.

When I first looked at the details on Tours by Locals, there were a few things I wasn’t interested in (only because I have been to PV many times and had done them). Plus, I wanted to keep it food-focused, so once I confirmed with Manny, he got in touch and we worked together to plan the day, peppered with superb eats and company.

It’s like getting to eat at the best spots in secret neighborhoods of Puerto Vallarta without doing any of the up-front research and work. I can live with that. Chances are, I would not have stumbled onto the places we went, so it’s a win all the way around.

At the end of the day, Manuel and his daughter took us high into the hills to a hotel where we sat by the pool and sipped strong coffees while admiring a 180-degree view of the Bay of Banderas. It was the perfect end to the day.

We rolled down the hill, happy, about 10 pounds heavier, and full of more love for Puerto Vallarta than ever!

#AgingPlayfully #ToursByLocals #PuertoVallarta

Why you should take a private food tour of Puerto Vallarta