Ixtapa, Mexico

The Mexican Riviera stretches thousands of miles down Mexico’s Pacific coast from the Californian border all the way to Guatemala. Originally comprising a series of small fishing villages, tourism boomed with the opening of new roads that made these ports accessible. As the region developed the cruise industry discovered it and now it is one of the most important cruise destinations in the world. Despite development the region retains a truly Mexican flavour couples with pristine beaches coupled with stunning backdrops of cliffs and jungle.

Please note that Mexican ports located on the Gulf of Mexico are visited by Western Caribbean cruises. These ports are listed below.

Cruise Types
The destination is primarily serviced by the major cruise lines so the cruise types are really based on cruise length which vary from 3 night weekend/4night midweek cruises through to 14 night extended cruises.

Cruise Season
This is a year round destination blessed by a balmy weather though August and September can be hotter and more humid. Some cruise lines have ships based here all year while others base ships here for the September to April period before moving them to Alaska or Europe.

Main Ports
Cruises generally start in either Los Angeles or San Diego and the key ports visited are Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco and Manzanillo

Weather
Temperatures remain balmy (mid 20s Celsius) most of the year. August and September are hotter, with temperatures in the 30s, coupled with humidity that can make shore excursions a bit unpleasant.