The Real Playa and Gran Porto Real
August 2 – 11
We were having a hard time planning this family vacation with some of us wanting to do the real playa (local hotel, 5th Ave. meals every night) and the other wanting to do an All-Inclusive (but still close enough to 5th Ave. )So we agreed to a happy medium and we booked 4 nights at a local spot and the other 5 at Gran Porto Real. Now my brother and girlfriend arrived early and he had planned to stay for 1 full month so he was on a tight budget. He found us a room right on 5th Ave for 700 pesos a night. That was the best bargain we ever got. It was a studio type room…one room with a kitchen, stove, microwave, table and TV. The other room with two double beds, bathroom etc. It was totally A/C and quite comfortable and clean. There was also a fold down double bed in the living room. For my family of three this was perfect, to make it even better. There was a balcony overlooking 5th Ave. This was fun. A nightly ritual opening a few beers and people watching. This place looks very deceiving on the outside, but the rooms and staff were great. The place is named El Sol del Caribe. So for our first few nights we did the “Real Playa”. We found great local spots and then the younger kids wanted to do some festive places. We had dinner at La Parilla one night. It was alright. It was very much like a Tex-Mex spot you would find in the US. I had the shrimp and chicken fajitas and my daughter and husband had various types of shish-ka-bobs. The calamari as an appetizer was tasty. The nice thing was the serenading mariachis. Another night we did Frida’s. That has always been our favorite restaurant but this time we were rather disappointed. They lost our order and after an hour and 45 minutes we decided to leave. The manager quickly came behind us and asked us the problem. He investigated and then came back and said your food will be out right now and all your drinks and meals are on the house. Wow that was over 850 pesos. We then left and went right across the street to a new spot called Deseo. That was great. I’ve only seen the nightclubs with the beds in it on Sex and the City. Here a real live one! They had a old Spanish movie playing against another building and the ambiance was to die for. The drinks were a little expensive but hell it was worth it just for the atmosphere. We really felt chic in this spot. The other few nights we did my favorite, El Oasis and their shrimp tacos and the kids ran off and did their thing. For breakfast my 8 year old and I would walk down to the ferry area and buy fresh cut up fruit from one of the vendors and then stop in at one of the Pandaria (local bakery) and buy breads. This was the best tasting breakfast along with the cheapest. We spent all our days on the beach since we have been to the Mayan Rivera in the past and have done all of the ruins and eco parks. The area was very crowded with many Mexicans and Europeans traveling.
Then we were off to our All-Inclusive. I was excited to be pampered. We got in around 10:00 am to find out that we had a little line to wait in. Check in was a breeze and then we heard those words, we have a problem. I was ready to put on my boxing gloves and pull a Holyfield on him. They said we only have a room with a king size bed in it but we can put in another bed for you. I thought let’s check it out first. Wow, it was an ocean front junior suite, 354 baby! There was enough room to put a few extra beds. We were happy with it and took it. This has the most amazing view and after we did a few hours of ooh’s and aah’s, we were ready to hit the beach. Our room was very comfortable with temperature control panel, a shower for a million people and a two level balcony with 2 lounge chairs and then a table and two other chairs. The fridge was stocked with softdrinks, beer and water. This was living. We headed downstairs and breakfast was still going on. We decided to grab something to eat. This became my favorite meal. Made to order omelets, fresh pan dulce (sweet breads), fruits, cheeses, the works. My daughter loved the French toast and sausage. One thing to note, bacon is not placed on the buffet. A huge secret…just ask your waiter. They bring out a big plate of it. We had our bacon every day. We had some guest ask, where did you find the bacon. We’re not mean people, we shared the secret.
Our days were filled with lounging on the beach. Now the big uproar about bad beach this or that. The beach area has boats moored to it. We are in a former fishing village, and many people still make an honest living fishing. The boats add to the whole atmosphere. There is great beach up a little further and there is also a small bar right there. We would get a few boogie boards (free from Aqua world) and use them in that area. It was fine and we spent every day sunbathing and enjoying the water.
The hotel has a lunch buffet and also an outdoor grill area. They have the best guacamole and salsa. Most of the time the kids ate there, hotdogs, burgers, fries, nachos, onion rings and various other American style fast food. Inside you can get your fruit, cheeses, and tons of food. I am not a picky eater but out of 7 of us there has to be someone complaining, right. WRONG, everyone always found something that they enjoyed. Food was never issue at all. Drinks were fine, if you want to be drunk by 2 in the afternoon just ask for another shot. They will happily give it to you. We didn’t eat at the Mexican restaurant but ate at the Italian 3 times and thoroughly enjoyed it. Important to note, you must make reservations a day in advance NOT the morning that you decide to eat. Also, don’t forget room service once a day. That came in handy for late night snacks or icecream for the kids after we headed up to the room.
Try out Mambo Café for awesome dancing and a good time. We enjoyed this spot more than all the others.
The entertainment staff did their daily routine. We participated in a few games, they were fun. We didn’t hang out by the pool much though because by mid afternoon it was a sauna. Find the pool on the third floor, adults secret hideout, with a swim up bar and all.
Avoid the customer service people, they give you a little information about the hotel and then try to sell you a timeshare thing.
Overall this was a great vacation. This was also the first time we traveled with such a large group and everyone from the 8 year old to the 40 year old had a ball. We all agreed that we got more than our money’s worth. I think many people expect a 5 star hotel with a 3 star price. Would we return…Yeah, I think so! Any questions, feel free to e-mail me at
shalue@yahoo.com