Hotel La Quinta del Sol

Surfing Lesson with Mictlan Surf School!

2012-02-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of great surf schools here in Punta de Mita and I had been meaning to take a lesson with one of them for a while. While I'm not exactly a beginner (my first lesson had been over 10 years ago), I definitely needed a little expert help getting myself to that "next level". I had a friend, Marilee, coming in from Canada who was at the same skill level as me and was also interested in brushing up on the basics, so we booked with Mictlan Surf School for a lesson.

On the morning that we were booked to go, we looked out from the balcony of the hotel and saw that Stinky's, the break in front, was completely flat. So we quickly scurried up to the rooftop terrace of La Quinta del Sol to check out the other breaks along the coast. From the deck, you can see (from east to west -- we face south) La Lancha, Stinky's, El Anclote and the Point. It's pretty awesome to get an aerial view of all the spots to be able to make a decision on which direction to head! It looked like there was a bit of a swell out at La Lancha (where Mictlan was planning to take us for our lesson), so we headed down to the surfshop to see what they were thinking.

We got down to Mictlan and met Ernesto and Chicharo (Cesar) who were waiting to take us out on our lesson. We were pretty stoked to see that each of us was going to have our own personal instructor, since we had assumed that there would be one instructor for the two of us. We scoped out the boards, picked out the best one for both of us and headed down to the marina where one of Mictlan's boats was waiting to take us to La Lancha. We headed off and arrived at the break 10 minutes later -- sure enough, there were a few people out there and some nice, long 3-4 ft waves breaking...perfect for our lesson!

Before we paddled in from the boat, Chicharo and Ernesto explained the lineup to us, where we should be positioned and, after we've ridden a wave, where the channel was to paddle back out. We jumped in the water and headed over to the break. Immediately my instructor, Ernesto, got me in position and helped to push me into the the first wave that was coming my way. I was up and loving it!! Rode this nice, clean, right-hand break with no problems! By the time I jumped off the wave and looked back, I saw Marilee riding the next one in -- awesome!! We paddled back out to Chicharo and Ernesto and got ourselves set up for the next one.

We were catching wave after wave and having the time of our lives! For the smaller waves, they would help to push us in for that extra head start but for the bigger waves, they'd just help us to get into position and we'd take it from there. Having them by our sides for that extra boost of confidence, along with the tips and instructions, made us go for those bigger waves...ones that we probably wouldn't have gone for on our own. It made me realize that just because a wave is bigger, doesn't mean that it's more difficult to ride.

About halfway through the lesson, Ernesto noticed that I was losing the waves part way through my rides when I should have been cutting back to gain more speed. He showed me how to position myself on the board and adjust my weight so I could turn on the wave for more speed and a longer ride. Awesome....this was the kind of thing I was hoping to learn from these lifelong, local surfers! By the end of the session, I was using my new found knowledge to get the most out of each wave.

After about 2 1/2 hours, 15-20 waves and an endless amount of paddling, the boys suggested we catch one more wave and then head back to the boat. Since I was pretty sure my arms were about to fall off, I quickly agreed. We caught one last ride, a stellar one, and paddled back to the boat. A cooler of cold bottled water awaited us and we headed on back to Punta de Mita.

Both Marilee and I had an amazing time with Mictlan Surf School during our lesson with Ernesto and Chicharo. We left feeling much more confident, with more knowledge and skills and, of course, a whole schwack more waves under our belts!

Check out Mictlan Surf School at www.mictlansurf.com.

WE ARE NOW DOG - FRIENDLY!!

2012-01-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

La Quinta del Sol is pleased to announce that we are now a Dog-Friendly Hotel. We know that your dogs are part of the family and your vacation is all the more enhanced by having them with you. For those reasons, we'd like to welcome them here to the hotel.

A Doggie Welcome Kit will be awaiting your special one upon their arrival. Included in this kit will be a doggie bed, water/food bowls and doggie treats. Towels will be supplied for your dog for after their rinse-down after each visit to the beach.

La Quinta del Sol enforces a 2 dog maximum per room and a 50 lb limit per dog. There is a charge of $10 USD per night per dog. We only allow dogs to stay in select Patio Level Rooms and are not permitted beyond this area of the hotel. When outside of the room, we ask that dogs be kept on a leash and under control at all times. Guests must agree to rinse off their dogs at the front gate after every visit to the beach. Dogs are not to be left unattended in the rooms at any time - no exceptions! Owners must ensure that their dogs are kept off all furnishings within the hotel. Breaking of any of these rules will result in a penalty of $100 per incident and the possibility of being asked to leave the hotel. Guests will be held financially responsible for any damage caused by their pet. Guests must sign a contract at the beginning of their stay stating that they will abide by these rules.

La Quinta del Sol is aware that these rules may cause some inconvenience while enjoying your vacation here in Punta de Mita. For those reasons, we recommend that you carefully consider this before making the decision to bring your fuzzy, little friend along!

Please contact us at hotellaquintadelsol@gmail.com if you have any questions!

!!JANUARY SPECIAL!!

2012-01-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

Here at La Quinta del Sol we are having a

January Special to Welcome in the New Year!!

Throughout the month of January:

If you book 7 nights, we will give you 2 nights off!!

If you book 3 nights, we will give you 1 night off!!

You deserve to get your self out of the cold weather and

into a cold margarita!!

INSERT SELF HERE

BOOK NOW FOR YOUR IMPROMPTU VACATION AT www.laquintadelsol.com

Amazing Pool, Spa and Golfing at Litibu

2011-12-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

We had some guests that wanted to go golfing the other day so we sent them over to the newly opened, PGA level, Greg Norman designed course at Litibu, an area about 2 kilometers from Punta de Mita (less than 5 min drive), on the way to Sayulita. This is a great option for those of us who don't want to drive all the way to Nuevo Vallarta or don't want to pay exorbitant prices for golf. Because the course is fairly new, they're still trying to attract new clientele, so there are great deals on at the moment. The cost for an 18 hole round of golf is $800 pesos per person (approximately $60 USD). This price includes a golf cart and 25 practice balls. Golf club rentals are an additional $270 pesos ($20 USD).

After the round of golf, our guests were given a free day pass to use at the pool at Haixa, a newly built, luxury condominium adjacent to the Litibu course. They were so impressed with this amazing pool and spa that they insisted that we go and check it out ourselves. It's a tough job, folks, but somebody's gotta do it...for the sake of our guests, of course!!

We were immediately greeted as soon as we entered by Oscar, an incredibly attentive and accommodating waiter, and Hector, the professional restaurant manager. The cost of the day pass was $150 pesos per person (about $11 USD) and came with a thin crust, wood oven pizza and a margarita. There were 2 for 1 mai-tais on special and there was an additional deal for Sunday Football -- $300 pesos, all-you-can-drink (which included the day pass as well)! We weren't feeling ambitious enough for the all-you-can-drink deal so we went for the pizza and marg deal instead!

After a couple of margaritas, it wasn't too difficult to convince us to go for couple's massage in the adjoining Santuary Spa. Again, an incredible deal -- double, hour long massage for $900 pesos (about $33 USD each). We could hear the waves crashing in on the beach throughout the massage and had full use of the facilities afterwards: jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, shower room.

An incredible, relaxing day was had by all!! To book a round of golf at Litibu, call 329/298‑4091. To make reservations for the Santuary Spa, call 329/298-4000. Or, if you are staying with us here at La Quinta del Sol, just ask myself or Rami to make you a reservation. We are also available to provide transport to the golf course or the pool/spa.

Sunday Farmers' Market at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

2011-11-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

The La Cruz Sunday Farmers' Market is just a few weeks into their season, so we decided to head over there last Sunday....and we fell in love with this fabulous little market that is overflowing with creativity, music, flavour and fun!!

La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is the next town over from us on your way to Puerto Vallarta, a gorgeous 15 min drive along a windy, coast-hugging road. Originally a little fishing village, La Cruz has expanded in recent years with the completion of the Marina Riviera in 2008. The town is named after the cross (la cruz) made of Huanacaxtle (guanacaste) wood that stands near the village entrance.

The Sunday Farmers' Market (open 10am to 2pm...get there early!) started a few years back following in the footsteps of the incredibly popular Old Town Farmers' Market in Puerto Vallarta on Saturdays. The markets are producer only, which means that all the vendors there must either make it, bake it or grow it. And the shear creativity, talent and enthusiasm displayed this group of local bakers, jewelers, designers, musicians, chefs, artisans, painters, and farmers is incredible!

The first thing you notice as you enter the market is the stunning backdrop of the location. The market was moved this year from the plaza in the center of town to the Mercado del Mar (Fish Market) along the Marina boardwalk overlooking the Bay of Banderas. The sun glistening off the ocean and beautiful sailboats coming in and out of the harbour only add to the magic of the market. And an added bonus to the new location is that you can just pop into the fish market before heading home to add to your bounty!

Ok, let's get down to the goods!! There is so many wonderful stalls with wonderful wares to choose from, it's difficult to know where to start!

There are an incredible array of jewelery designers, all with their own unique style.

There are local fashion designers with everything from handbags to t-shirts to dresses to bathing suits.

There are handmade crafts like blown glass trinkets, puppets, wall hangings, picture frames...

And let's not forget the FOOD, all the glorious food....from beautiful, organically and locally grown microgreens, tomatoes, squash flowers, herbs...

To the incredible artisan breads, empanadas, pastries, and baked goods....

To handmade cheeses, sausages, hams, salamis....

To salsas, hummus, dressings, dips, spreads....

To nuts, dried fruits, seeds, grains....

To ready made meals of tacos, curries, rice paper wraps, sandwiches, tamales...

To the fish market (open 6 days a week) which is stocked with fresh, locally caught seafood...

The La Cruz de Huanacaxtle Farmers' Market is open on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and is a great way to support the local community.

Tequila Sunrise

2011-11-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

The sun was the color of sweet orange juice this morning as it rose over the mountains.