HotelChatter

Verana is a cluster of eight houses rather than a single-building hotel. Of the houses, I might go with Palapa or the Stone House, but this is one of those menus from which it is hard to choose. The Studio and the Casa Chica have their own charms. The décor is subtle Mexican, the walls painted in a vibrant but subdued palette, the rooms sparsely furnished with what looks like primarily handcrafted furniture. Each house has a view of the Bay of Banderas and beyond the Bay the ocean.

Getting there is an adventure of sorts: Yelapa is reachable by a taxi boat from Puerto Vallarta. (You can also fly in.) Once in Yelapa, guests climb a jungle path to reach Verana. At Verana itself, there's an infinity pool to die for. I would bet the ranch this pool makes someone's Top Ten List (what is it with lists?). At the spa, I'd get a Watsu, a massage and salt glow and ginger scrub. It would be hard to pass on the starlight aromatherapy bath.  

I'd alternate the sybaritic spa treatments with a hike, a mule ride, kayaking, a whale-watching day trip. Based on a great cooking-class experience in Oaxaca, I would take one at Verana. As a bonus, they offer classes with their bartender. What a great way to learn about a locale. What's not to like? A few exceptions to the praise on TripAdvisor involved poor service and creatures. This is the jungle after all. But the vast majority of reviewers, including a repeat visitor or two, felt they'd found paradise. Something tells me I would, too.