Rhythms of The Night
By Heather Wilson
Summer-Fall 2005

If you want a very special evening while in town but can’t decide between all the options available, like taking a fun boat tour where you just might see whales, dolphins and manta rays, checking out the lay of the land beyond Vallarta, catching an evocative cultural spectacle, or enjoying an intimate oceanfront dinner, this is your chance to experience all that and more. Vallarta Adventures has a well-deserved reputation for seamlessly handling every detail, so it’s nice knowing that all you need do is kick back and enjoy this most romantic of tours.

A comfy catamaran carries you to the hidden jungle cove where director John Huston spent many a happy year. And it’s great fun recognizing Vallarta’s landmarks, like the Guadalupe church, and pointing them out to your friends en route. Factor in the powerfully hypnotic effects of undulating mountains, tangy sea air, your choice of drinks, plus mellow music and cares just drift away. And you’re not even at your destination yet!

Disembarking, you enter a primal aura of mysticism, haunting indigenous music and incense imbuing the air with wonder as you follow a torch-lit path to dinner: a buffet with a nice variety of dishes sure to please everyone, cocktails and wine included.

Then it’s off to the pyramid amphitheater to take in a dance performance featuring pre-Hispanic motifs, the vivid costumes and choreography terrific. The deer dance was so convincing that, for a moment, I felt myself the regal animal so vital to indigenous survival.

After “one more for the road,” it’s back to the boat for some dancing, if you like, while absorbing the magic a diamond-like canopy of stars creates when unimpeded by city lights.