If you enjoy staying at all-inclusive resorts, you can find them in all kinds of destinations (except the US, lol).  All-inclusives abound in many areas of Mexico, and since Mexico can be a cheaper and quicker flight for some Canadian and American vacationers than other destinations, where to stay at an all-inclusive in Mexico can be a common dilemma.

Two of the most frequently visited vacation destinations for US travelers (if staying at an all-inclusive resort) are Puerto Vallarta on the west coast and the Cancun/Riviera Maya areas on the east coast of Mexico.  I have stayed at all-inclusives for multiple vacations at both destinations and personally prefer Cancun/Riviera Maya for its beaches and cenote/ruins adventures, but I also realize that living on the west coast of the US and traveling all the way to Cancun can be a daunting prospect since it uses up an entire day of precious vacation time just to reach my destination airport–round trip that means 2 less vacation days to enjoy my vacation 🙁  From where I live in San Diego, I can reach Puerto Vallarta in less than 3 hrs. and Cabo in less than 2 hrs., while it takes me at least 7-8 hrs. to reach Cancun (what’s up with no direct flights from San Diego??? Last I heard Alaska Air was going to start non-stops to Cancun but then COVID hit and no flights.  If anyone knows of the latest info on this please send me a link).

If you are on the fence about where to visit in Mexico, here’s a video done by Aly Smalls outlining the pros and cons of visiting Cancun/Riviera Maya and Puerto Vallarta.  Where would you choose to go?