To kick off Day Two in Puerto Vallarta, I had some down time in the morning, so I slept in and ordered breakfast to my room for a slow morning. I was starting to get hungry, so, luckily, my scrambled eggs with bacon and hash browns arrived quickly; everything was delicious.

That morning I headed over to Casa Velas’ sister property, Velas Vallarta, for a spa appointment. I got a full-body massage that incorporated elements that included the smell and hearing senses to help reach ultimate relaxation. And that I did, as I was totally relaxed during the treatment. I felt like I was going to fall asleep, but I stayed awake to fully enjoy the whole experience.

After the massage, I had the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Before heading back to my resort, I decided to take advantage of the beach access at Velas Vallarta to feel the ocean temperature. To my surprise, the water was warm, but I didn’t want to only swim in the ocean, so I headed back to Casa Velas to relax by the pool. I knew I was going to spend the afternoon by water, so I put my bathing suit on in the morning and packed sunscreen and a book in my beach bag to avoid running back to my room before finding a chair by the pool.

Before settling, I made sure I was lathered up in sunscreen to avoid a burn. Once settled, I ordered a shrimp quesadilla and a refreshing drink for lunch. The sun was strong and the temperature was high, so I had to take a dip in the pool to cool off while I waited for my food. I got out of the pool to enjoy lunch and re-apply sunscreen; but by the time I was done eating, I was sweating and needed to get back in the pool. This time I brought my book and my water so I could spend the rest of my time enjoying the sun in the pool before heading back to get ready for the night’s events.

I met the rest of my group in the lobby for a quick tour of the resort before heading over to Velas Vallarta for drinks. We then headed to Taú Beach Club for a guacamole-making lesson and dinner on the beach, which was my favorite part of the day. We got to see a beautiful sunset, sip refreshing wine, and enjoy a delicious surf and turf dinner. The night was picture-perfect!

Stay tuned to see what Day Three brought!

— Mary Melnick, social media & editorial coordinator