Have you ever dreamt of lying on a beach in Mexico, the sun shining down, waves rolling in, palm trees swaying, and the only thing on your mind is, “What’s for lunch?” This was how our day at the adults-only Tau Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta on Banderas Bay turned out.
A Warm Welcome and Refreshing Drink
The all-inclusive Tao Beach Club in the prestigious residential zone La Marina is located right down the street from the stunning Velas Vallarta Hotel. An air-conditioned shuttle transported us from the hotel entrance to the beach club to start our day in the sun. Once inside, it is all open-air with a spectacular bay view.
Walking past the fully stocked, high-end liquor bar and restaurant, we found an infinity edge pool with a sun shelf, perfect for relaxing, right on the beachfront. The pool offered sparkling blue water and even had a jacuzzi.
The pool deck was scattered with comfortable shaded loungers, cocktail tables, and beach umbrellas for those seeking shelter from the rays.
A friendly face greeted us with chilled fresh coconut water drinks. It was such a refreshing treat, and the Tau Beach Club name on the coconut shell was the kind of special touch that really speaks to me. We were made feel welcome at once and offered assistance for anything we needed throughout the day.
Beachfront Property
Want to enjoy the sand and be closer to the water? Tao Beach Club offers Balinese beds in the sand, with layers of azure water as far as you can see. Right down the beach were places to rent equipment for water sports, but we chose to soak up the sun and enjoy the grounds and pool.
A couple of the local vendors walked near the beach club to show us their wares while we were in the pool, but they were not intrusive or aggressive. One gentleman had sterling jewelry, and another had quality hand-stitched throws, blankets, and rugs. We loved his blankets’ design and tropical weight, so we bought this, our only souvenir, at a fair price. It is now used frequently in our family room back in Mesquite.
Need something fun to do in downtown Puerto Vallarta or at night? We have two awesome things to consider in this post, including a food tour and Rhythms of the Night performance.
Infinity Pool
It doesn’t take much to please me, and the swimming pool at Tau Beach Club did just that. First, we only shared it with two other people the whole day. And second, I could have enjoyed those pool loungers for hours.
The water was just right and a bit cooler than the bath-water temperature at the hotel pools. It was a super hot spell on our trip, so the cool water was vastly refreshing.
The perfect snack for lounging in the sun and enjoying a day in Mexico has to be chips, salsa, and guac. Vela’s guacamole was so creamy and yummy, plus they gave me a basket with various chips for dipping. The salsa was excellent, too, but my husband wasn’t sharing any of it.
The snack menu included octopus and avocado carpaccio, tuna tostadas, chicken or flank steak fajitas, chicken wings, or chicken nachos. Vegetarian options were also available.
We also had a tasty fruit plate sent over to nibble on. Rarely a fruit eater, how could I say no when it was so appealing and bite-size? Fruit is super refreshing in the hot sun, and I loved the slight crunch of the stuff they sprinkled on the plate, which was beautiful and tasty with the fresh figs.
This is a view of the Tau Beach Club from the beach. It was an excellent way to spend the day during our Puerto Vallarta vacation.
Tau Beach Club Drinks
The Tau Beach Club offers attendants to bring you food and drink on the beach or around the pool. They are attentive and friendly. We perused the beverage menus and ended up with margaritas and a Pina colada. You can’t come to Mexico and not indulge in a margarita, right?
The bar also featured beer, wine, and mocktails (non-alcoholic beverages).
The pina coladas were made with creme de cacao and evaporated milk, making them extra creamy and yummy. Only a handful of people were at the club, other than coming in for lunch only. The most popular drink remained the coconut water served in the festive shells.
Tropical music added to the ambiance of the Tau Beach Club.
Thanks to Velas Vallarta for hosting our day at the beach club to get familiar with this property. As always, opinions and reviews are 100% mine and unbiased.
Tau’s Food
We took a break from the sun and ate at one of the dining tables in the open-air restaurant for lunch. Guests are welcome to dine in bathing suits with appropriate cover-ups or street clothing, but it appears to be frowned upon without a covering.
I loved the light and airy feeling of the furniture and decor, plus the wicker chairs and seat cushions were very comfortable. We had already enjoyed an order of tortilla chips, fresh salsa, and incredible guacamole at the pool, so we skipped a starter.
Eddie went for the lightly battered and fried fish tacos with cabbage salad and chipotle mousse. I chose (2) chicken sopes, an excellent dish with fresh cheese, sour cream, tomatillo sauce, and refried beans.
We finished our meal with a scoop of ice cream –maracujá (passion fruit) for me and lemon for my husband. It was the perfect palate cleanser and meal finisher.
We were supposed to stay for dinner that night, but all that time in the sun made me too sleepy to hold out. I missed an incredible evening, especially with the coconut shrimp with creamy risotto on the menu.
Curious about Tau Beach Club’s dessert? Menu offerings on this day showed Tau’s strawberries (whipped cream and toasted almonds), dessert taco, fresh cheese and organic flowers, sweet corn cake, and roasted figs with goat cheese ice cream.
FAQ
Tau Beach Club hours are 10 AM to 5 PM for pool and beach service (day pass) and 6 to 10 PM for dinner. Its location is 6 minutes from the airport and 15 from the Malecon boardwalk.
The beach club property also had large restrooms with showers and lockers to store your belongings.
For those driving, there is a private parking lot.
A day pass at the adults-only Tau Beach Club costs 2000 pesos per person and includes an 800 (pesos) food credit.