Travelling in the shoulder season, which is just before or after the high season, has its advantages. Prices are lower, the crowds are smaller and most people involved in the tourist market are happy to see you. That was the case last week when I cruised the Mexican Riviera aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas.

It’s been a tough year for Mexican Tourism. The recession and the H1N1 flu have hurt them badly. Although it’s been difficult, Mexicans are optimistic about this winter. The typical Riviera ports for cruise ships are Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas. Our schedule was turned upside down due to Tropical Storm Patricia, but we managed to visit all three ports.

When we got to Puerto Vallarta, we had an authentic Mexican food experience.

It started with breakfast at La Canoa at Marina Vallarta. It is a simple family restaurant with true eggs ranchero, orange juice, bottled water and coffee for less than $6. It ended with lunch, typically eaten at 2 p.m., at 8 Tostada, which was only about a five-minute drive from the port. I started with a marlin tostada followed by a Mexican version of bouillabaisse that was loaded with fresh fish. Between meals, we drove downtown and then to the old section of Puerto Vallarta.

I spent the morning at the Dolphin Adventure Center where you can swim with dolphins. They are truly amazing when you are up close to them.

The best beach in town is in the Romantic Zone. There is also a pier where you can watch local people fish with nothing more than a line and a hook, no rod or reel needed.

Also Thursday, USA3000, which suspended service at Detroit in April, announced its return to DTW with its usual selection of sunny destinations. Flights to Cancun, Mexico and Ft. Myers, Florida, commence November 21, 2009, just in time for Thanksgiving, and service to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, begins November 29. USA3000 will also add flights on selected days this winter to Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. “We are very happy to welcome USA3000 back to Detroit,” said Robinson. “Our modern and efficient new North Terminal will provide a vast improvement over the decommissioned Berry Terminal where USA3000 operated previously.

By ALAN SOLOMON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – This isn’t the only tourist town on the Mexican coastline, but you already knew that. Cancún. Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. Playa del Carmen. Acapulco. Cabo. Cozumel. Manzanillo. More. All with beaches and the requisite cervezas frias . Each, if you look closely, with something to offer that the others don’t.

Puerto Vallarta has two of those somethings: There’s the old town, with its sometimes scruffy charm and happy surprises: that tiny shop selling museum-quality Oaxacan woodcarvings, the gallery offering brilliant works by local painters and sculptors, another shop with weavings to grace your holiday table. Good stuff among the requisite tourist junk.

And its restaurants.

In terms of quality, quantity, variety, creativity and value, in all of Mexico only Mexico City and, maybe, Guadalajara – this nation’s largest metropolises – come close to Puerto Vallarta.

Don’t expect cheap, necessarily. The days of paying $2 for a whole red snapper that hours earlier was celebrating the sunrise in Banderas Bay are long gone. PV prices have caught up.

On the other hand, a favorable exchange rate (recently about 13 pesos to the dollar) eases the tabs. A bonus: Tourism slowed a bit by global economic realities means that most nights, tables at even the finest restaurants can be had without reservations and with an especially sincere welcome.

(One more point: There are plenty of humbler little places in PV. By all means try them.)

What follows is a sampling of Puerto Vallarta restaurants we found worthy on our latest visit. It isn’t a comprehensive list; many reliable favorites, including the elegant Cafe des Artistes downtown and Porto Bello at the Marina, eluded us this trip.

These didn’t.

A year after acquainting you with Riviera Nayarit, one of Mexico’s top luxury resort destinations, Travel Agent has uncovered the region’s hottest property, Punta Mita.

Stretching over 1,500 acres along nearly 10 miles of Pacific beachfront, the region has been designed by owner and developer DINE, and is in demand with travelers seeking second and third homes, apart from regular tourists, with draws like two luxury hotels, two Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses, wildlife, dining and shopping. But what we like about Punta Mita is its selection of luxury communities, which provides guests with the opportunity to rent homes.

• The new golf course called “Punta Mita Bahia” will offer both challenge and spectacular ocean views

• Riviera Nayarit is establishing itself as a golf destination par excellence

Punta Mita, Riviera Nayarit, October 22, 2009 .- Punta Mita, one of the areas with most luxurious resorts and residences in Mexico, announces the opening of “Punta Mita Bahia” a new design by the famous Jack Nicklaus.

The opening ceremony will be held on November 16th and will include the presence of the legendary golfer and course designer, Jack Nicklaus, who will also give ceremonial first swing on this new inspirated course of his design.

This is now the second Nicklaus golf course he has designed in Punta Mita, the first being the “Punta Mita Pacific”, inaugurated in 1999 and has the only hole Par 3 in the world, located on an island naturally in the ocean, both golf courses are part of Punta Mita Golf Club, private access and exclusive use of owners and guests.

Located just 28 miles north of Puerto Vallarta’s International Airport, Punta Mita is on a peninsula, with 9.5 miles of pristine beaches on the Pacific Ocean and Bay of Banderas and is one of the most sophisticated and luxurious Riviera Nayarit tourist destinations.

Maui, Maui, Maui, I knew wherever my family went I would hear this word and any trip would constantly be compared to our family vacations in Maui — but I wanted to try something different. I suggested Mexico again to my wife. We had previously holidayed in Puerto Vallarta, but had unfortunately picked July and the rainy season. Very hot and humid! I had heard the warning to the brides-to-be that unless you want to sweat like a Sumo wrestler don’t plan a wedding on the West Coast of Mexico in the summer.

I knew the only way I could get my wife and my family back to Mexico was to find the perfect beach and the promise of good weather. I was a little familiar with Cancun but thought this would be somewhat akin to Waikiki — too busy — and I wanted something a little off the beaten track.

I longed for a place that the children would enjoy and that would offer great snorkeling for me and a relaxing vacation for my wife. How about an all-inclusive, I suggested. This would satisfy my son, the pickiest eater of the bunch, my wife who could relax without worrying what we would have for dinner, and for me, I liked the open bar concept. My low-maintenance daughter was always happy with any vacation.

With the aid of the Internet, I Googled “best beaches in Mexico.” Akumal Bay, just south of Cancun on the Caribbean, kept coming up. I did some more searching and found the little town of Akumal, with only one all-inclusive resort. Unfortunately I had left this a little late and this resort was full.

The man most responsible for Puerto Vallarta becoming the most popular gay destination in Mexico is fighting for his life. Paco Ruiz, the founder of Club Paco Paco, is gravely ill with cancer.

Club Paco Paco opened in December 1989, nearly 20 years ago, and changed everything in Vallarta. A few people know that it was when the police threw him in jail, many years ago, for two lesbians kissing in his bar, that Vallarta was transformed into the gay friendly town we know today. Rather than bail him out of jail, his lover and partner, David Lansley, called the news organizations in Mexico City.

His case became one of those momentary media sensations all over Mexico. It was on all the newscasts on TV and PV’s mayor was not pleased. If fact he pretty much freaked out, because it made Vallarta the laughing stock of the moment.

The changes where the city stopped the homophobic repression of gay bars and embraced gay tourism happened quickly in the aftermath. The mayor even helped arrange the leasing of a new location for Paco Paco, where is was for its heyday years until its demise. It is now the location of Paco’s Ranch.

As in many of Mexico’s coastal cities, walking is the best way to see the old town. The beach on Stone Island, and day trips to the Sierra Madre Mountains and the towns of Concordia and Copala received favourable comments from fellow passengers.

In Puerto Vallarta, we had an authentic Mexican food experience. It started with breakfast at La Canoa at Marina Vallarta. The simple family restaurant served eggs ranchero, orange juice, bottled water and coffee for less than $6. It ended with lunch at 8 Tostada, a five-minute drive from the port, and a marlin tostada followed by a type of bouillabaisse loaded with fresh fish.

Between meals, we drove around downtown and the old town, and I spent time at the Dolphin Adventure Centre, where you can swim with dolphins. For more details, go to vallarta-adventures.com.

The best beach in town is in the Romantic Zone, where people fish from a pier with nothing more than a line and a hook, no rod nor reel.

The first Puerto Vallarta Old Town Art Walk of the 2009-2010 season will be held on Wednesday, October 28, from 6-10 p.m. Some of the 16 participating galleries will be decorated with a Day of the Dead theme. Refreshments and wine will be served at all he galleries, which will show a wide rang of media. Entrance is free at all galleries.

Brochures showing the art walk route and participating galleries are available at most of the major hotels.

On November 16, Jack Nicklaus will hit the ceremonial first tee shot at the Punta Mita Bahia golf course – the second of his courses at Punta Mita.

Nicklaus always waits until his signature courses have “bedded in” before playing them himself.

The Bahia course has been open for several months at the luxury Punta Mita resort, about 25 miles north of Puerto Vallarta.

The par 72 course has Miniverde greens built to USGA standards. Five of the holes play along the ocean, and another two have views of the water.

In a recent interview Nicklaus said, “You would be hard-pressed to ask for a more beautiful backdrop for a golf course than Punta Mita.”