Shaped like a horse’s head jutting into the Pacific, the point, or “punta,” is the northern tip of the Bay of Banderas, the second-largest bay in North America. As a result, the region’s top attractions are its sands and waters, with more than 50 kilometres (30 miles) of beaches, one after another, many of them empty. While the Punta Mita area is largely undeveloped, and surrounded by 14 unbroken kilometres (9 miles) of high sandy coastal dunes, Puerto Vallarta, one of Mexico’s liveliest cities and most popular cruise ports, sits just 42 kilometres (26 miles) down the coast, the combination offering visitors the best of both worlds, escapism and exhilaration. The Punta Mita area is old Mexico, the laid-back beach town surfers have been seeking out since the 1960s, and its attractions include scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, golf and nearby whale-watching cruises. The village is tiny, with a handful of casually charming beachfront restaurants. Downtown Puerto Vallarta is a different story, with its heart the famed Malecón, a long pedestrian promenade with the beach on one side and endless shops and restaurants on the other.