Casa Iguana was truly a peaceful getaway for two Gringos, first-time visitors to Mexico. We were not looking for glitz, endless Margaritas, crowds, and high prices of the strip but instead experienced local village life, fine food, great weather, friendly people, and simply a neat place to spend a vacation.
Outside the flowering hotel grounds, walked cobblestone streets through the village of Mismaloya to the zoo--not San Diego Zoo, but nice, carved and molded into the desert jungle. Rode the lively bus (6 pesos) to downtown Puerto Vallarta, walking the Malecon, shopping for clothes, finding the perfect holiday tablecloth and gifts in the open malls and narrow-street flea markets, taking in the church, eating at Bolas along the river. Took the day trip to Las Caletas, watching leaping humpback whales, enjoying a great buffet on the beach, snorkeling (nominal here; much better places exist where there are coral reefs), and partying with the crew on the boat back to the Marina. Also highly recommend the Botanical Gardens south of Mismaloya. Tonys up the street from the hotel serves generous amounts of food; it got noisy there one evening when a boy three stories down exercised his fighting cocks, raising a ruckus among the neighborhood chickens.
We enjoyed Red Snapper, mahi-mahi, omelets and other great Mexican dishes at the hotel's La Cocina restaurant. Eat at least one dinner around 8-9pm; Jorge the 62-year-old manager gets out his guitar and belts out one or two memorable songs; what a grand voice from the heart. Libby (sp?) and Ricardo certainly treated us well there, and Jaime at the front desk walked us through our repeated questions.
Casa Iguana is set between the mountains along a stream a short walk from the beach. The local teenagers apparently are allowed to use the pool Friday evenings for a couple of hours, and it was neat watching them enjoy themselves from our balcony.
We met others at the hotel from Alaska, Canada, and our home state, Colorado. Many of our acquaintances in the area were repeat visitors. We'll long recommend Casa Iguana to friends and coworkers.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Pet owners
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Outdoor / Adventure, Great food / Wine, Shopping