We LOVED Acapulco. Even though June and July are part of the rainy season, it only seems to rain at night in Acapulco (During the day, the difference in temperature from the land to the sea pushes the rain out to sea and it only comes to the coast when the land cools down at night, or something like that!). The daily temp. was about 85 with a constant cooler breeze coming off the ocean. The only tine the heat bothered us was when we walked along the traffic-busy main strip in Acapulco and the high-rise buildings blocked the breeze. June has very few tourists, so we were pampered wherever we went.

Everyone at Villa Vera was helpful and friendly. The buildings, grounds, and pools are all well maintained. The daily maid service was very thorough, including fresh flowers everyday, picked from the grounds. The bed at Villa Vera was the best I've ever slept on in Mexico. It had a 1-inch foam pad. YEAH! Towels were thick and nice. The only negative was an odd/unpleasant smell in our bathroom, which required leaving the window open to the heat. BUT, the limestone tiled tub was lovely.

July is a quiet month, so we were often the only ones in the pool near our building. The water temperature was perfect and the waterfall blocked out all outside sounds to make a truly relaxing escape. The buildings are laid out in such a way that every room seems private. The Palma Real restaurant is excellent and reasonably priced. They have an amazing breakfast. Try the banana bread and fresh carrot-pineapple juice! I’ve included a picture of the view form the restaurant. The view from the main pool is breathtaking, but I didn’t take my camera in the water! All the waiters are helpful, and service is great. Plus, Israel makes the world’s best pina coladas—with or without alcohol.

Overall, we enjoyed the Villa Vera as a vacation hideaway. It is quiet and relaxing. We enjoyed exploring the grounds which have various flowers and sculptured hedges. If the main drive is too steep for you, they have a truck to go up and down. We thought the location was convenient for walking to the commercial area. Taxis are also plentiful. The spa offers a good selection of treatments, and I had one of the most relaxing massages I've ever received. In summary, Villa Vera is not resort-style luxury, but it is charming, private, and friendly.

Sebastián Hernandez:
Based on so many positive recommendations from other reviewers, we contacted Sebastian in advance [--]so that he was there to pick us up at the airport. How wonderful to be able to walk by all of the salespeople and taxi drivers by saying, “I’m meeting someone.” I have vacationed in Mexico on five different trips to five different cities, and this is the first time that I have engaged a driver. I hope I can find others like Sebastian in the future. First, I can remember several miserably hot car rides from the airport, with part of my luggage on my lap. Not with Sebastian. He uses the air conditioning all the time and has plenty of room for luggage in the trunk in his 4-door car with a luggage rack on top. If you have a large group or need extra space, he also has a Suburban available.

Planning our week was easy because Sebastian speaks lovely English. My husband and daughters and I told him what interested us; we got ideas from him and others; and we set our own schedule a day a two at a time. Sebastian was always on time, friendly, and helpful.

Sebastian arranged for us to go swim with the dolphins (This was fabulous!! Go for the whole hour—the second 30 minutes are the best!) and enjoy the aqua park CICI. The price was the same as the resort’s “discount” but the schedule was at our choice. On another day, he took us to a busy local fiesta where we were the only tourists. We danced and ate Pozole (a local soup) and enjoyed native culture. One evening, Sebastian took us to Esmirna del Mar, a small local restaurant where we played on the beach at sunset while the proprietors grilled our fresh-caught fish and shrimp.

Instead of a package Acapulco tour “deal” for $95 per person, Sebastian customized a tour to exactly what we were interested in and only charged $90 for all four of us. He was happy to start at 3:00 in the afternoon, answered every question I came up with, took us to the Flamingo for their famous sunset overlook, gave us the history of Diego Rivera’s mural, walked around the Zocalo with us, and ended by helping us choose a restaurant. (El Cabrito was very authentic, clean, delicious, and low priced!) Plus, I didn’t have to get on a bus! At the Church of Peace, Sebastian told us the history of the location and guided us through the inspiring setting. Unlike a taxi driver, he did not leave us at the entrance, so our visit was rich with local information.

Another highlight of our trip included a wonderful dinner at Las Tortugas. The combination plate didn’t have exactly what my husband was interested in trying, so they made a special meal for him at no extra charge. When I complemented the spicy pickled vegetables, Rufino brought me paper and gave me the detailed recipe. We felt like honored guests, and the food was fabulous! Don’t leave without coconut ice cream!

One of the best days of our two-week trip was a trip to Taxco with Sebastian. We left at 6:30 in the morning and stopped at a small restaurant for breakfast. Twice I was oohing and aaahing at the scenery so much that Sebastian pulled over for me to get out and take pictures. As we drove, Sebastian told us about the countryside and answered lots of questions about local weather, plants, customs, and culture. In Taxco, he took us to 3 specific jewelers where he has a relationship. We met silversmiths who told us about their craft, showed us pictures of the mine, and the prices were about 30% of the prices in Acapulco. Again, I’ve shopped for jewelry in Mexico many times, and the jewelers that he chose were classy and respectful. None of the heavy sell or chasing you out in the street. We came and went on my schedule. Sebastian also walked around the town with us, encouraged us to stop to explore other vendors, showed us around the local market and provided a detailed tour inside the church. When I fell in love with a 3-foot tall woven basket as we were walking, Sebastian negotiated a great price and carried it back to his car for me. We ate a late Mexican lunch with a fabulous view. We returned to our hotel at 6:00; on the way home, we had such delightful conversation.

Sebastian is more than a taxi driver. He is also a tour guide and a friend in Acapulco [--]. Riding with Sebastian is like having a cousin in town who loves his city and wants you to enjoy it as much as he does. His English is great; his prices are reasonable; his air-conditioned car is much better than the blue and white taxis; and he is a kind, honest man.