Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico's most popular resort destinations, and with good reason. Set on Banderas Bay on the Pacific coast, the city boasts any number of amusements, from the breath-taking (a canopy tour) to the more mundane (shopping for groceries for your villa rental Puerto Vallarta). Even those entertainments that seem fairly common are exceptional; a round of golf, for instance, is just different when you're playing beside the ocean. The same holds true for relaxation; somehow, it's easier to relax deeply in this environment.

Wisdom from the Aztecs

It's not hard to find someone to help you relax in Puerto Vallarta. The city has its share of superb spas; there are plenty of traditional facilities built into resorts for those who are most comfortable with the familiar. For those who want something a bit different, however, something that's uniquely Puerto Vallarta, a visit to Terra Noble might be in order.

Terra Noble, which sits above the city on Avenida Tulipanes, is a spa set up to make the most of its surrounding environment and designed to "awaken the senses." Visitors call it "quaint" and "unpretentious," and swear that the experience is like none other. The spa's full name, Terra Noble Arts and Healing Center, explains a bit more about the experience. In addition to their main-stream treatments, visitors can enjoy the Temazcalli ceremony, drawn from traditional Aztec healing arts, to discover a path to inner relaxation, as well.

Chocolat + Massage = Aaah

The rustic, outdoor experience is not for everyone, and that's not a problem in Puerto Vallarta. A visit to Metamorfosis Day Spa in the Zona Romantica, just a couple of block from Los Muertos Beach, can be totally soothing and restorative in a more traditional setting. The staff are experts in the arts of massage, and they also do facials, manicures and pedicures. And you can't help but relax from the scent of their Chocolat Treatment, while your skin soaks up the benefits as well.

Perhaps most relaxingof all is the opportunity to bring a massage therapist directly to you. Many visitors who stay in a villa rental Puerto Vallarta contact Yin-Yang when they want special treatment but they don't feel like going out. The company will visit your villa and deliver a massage at home; and of course, they also do aromatherapy and body treatments. Their clients say the service is great and the prices are extremely reasonable.

The message in all of this is simple: Puerto Vallarta isn't just fun and games. The city is set up to deliver the most relaxing vacation possible, and if you choose wisely, you won't have to stress about the price.