This is one of the most colorful hotels you’ll ever visit. The Decameron Los Cocos boasts 16 different exterior colors, all vivid and tropical, highlighting walls, balconies and stairways of the five main buildings of this hotel. The festive environment is just the top coat of a great family getaway that celebrates the sun, the surf and family.

Configured like a small town square covering 4 acres, the Decameron has five buildings housing 240 guestrooms with three restaurants, a playground. mini-golf course and other services brightly linked together. The beach is one of the longest in the area and the surf remarkably calm, but the coordinated activities on the beach and availability of other fun around the property create anything but a low-key family vacation.

The Decameron Los Cocos is the only all-inclusive resort on the Rincón de Guayabitos, a meandering community snuggled up against the curvature of the Jaltemba Bay, whose nickname is “the pool of the Pacific.” An island out in the bay called Crab Island helps slow the waves coming from the ocean, creating one of the most genteel vacation settings you can find on North America’s west coast.
Snorkeling or scuba trips to Crab Island, organized by services at the resort, are a great outing, as is the whale watching. Humpback whales apparently love the calm surf as much as humans. Some days in the winter months, it’s possible to watch the whales at play from your balcony.

Few details have been overlooked in planning family activities here. The focus is outdoors with an extensive selection of sports and games for all ages. But despite the organization and array of events to choose from, the resort still has plenty of places for peace and quiet and downtime.

Rooms at the Decameron are spacious with plenty of room for a crib or rollaway bed. All of the rooms have full balconies or terraces. The complex has only seven connecting rooms, so if that's important, book early. However, there are no refrigerators or DVD players available in the rooms, nor tubs in the bathrooms. The hotel property has a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout. Colorful headboards shaped like flowers and towel art make any time in your room a lot more fun.

Tip: The most popular building is Cocos #1. You can sit on your balcony and watch whales jumping in the bay from late November to April. This building is also closest to two of the three restaurants.

Guestrooms
Each building has four floors and your choices are rather simple - two double beds or one king bed with a crib or rollaway. But don't take that to mean the rooms are simple or boring. A colorful décor, flat-screen TVs, generous sized bathrooms and those fabulous balconies make the rooms quite comfortable.

Basketball Court
Get your game on. A half-sized basketball court is one of the many amenities at the Decameron. It's not lit at night, but enough light is emitted from other parts of the property that a good pick-up game is not out of the question.

Beach
Jaltemba Bay is nicknamed the "pool of the Pacific" because the surf is so calm and peaceful here. No need to worry about toddlers getting knocked off their feet in a wave. It just doesn't happen. The beach in front of the Decameron stretches 12 kilometers or about three quarters of a mile. It's a narrow beachfront filled with beach chairs, flying kites, waving flags and strolling vendors. People in kayaks, paddleboats and other non-motorized water toys make the bay an energetic place. A lifeguard is on duty to oversee the activity.

Bicycles
A nice selection of bicycles for children and adults is available in the courtyard. Safety seats for infants and helmets are available.

Chess
A supersized chess set is among the activities in the grassy town square.

Kids' Club
This is not your typical kids' club with nap time, snacks and such, but an outdoor, fenced in play area with craft tables, a small sandy soccer field and a play fort with tunnels and slides. The staff brings iguanas for feeding and coordinates beach volleyball and other fun activities, but if your kids need down time, it's your responsibility to make that happen. The play area is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Games
Near Snack Bar #5, you'll find lots of board games for check out with offerings that appeal to all ages of the family. Every afternoon, the staff coordinates a bingo game, among other activities.

Mini-Golf
Under the shade of palm trees in the grassy town square, your family will enjoy a lazy afternoon of mini-golf.

Nightly Shows
Just off the lobby of the main building, in the room labeled "Disco," a family-style variety show draws a huge crowd each night. These are professionally trained singers and dancers who draw the crowd into the show. After the family component shuts down around midnight, the dance floor opens up for those 18 and older until 3 a.m.

Pools
The numerous pools are just lovely here, and no configuration is the same. Each building has its own set of pools, an adult pool that's about 4.5 feet deep, adjacent to a kiddie pool that is always 1.5 feet deep. Lots of pool toys are available, as well a deck space to grab some sun. With the generous size of the beach, the pools are never too crowded.

Scuba Lessons
Free, beginning scuba lessons are offered daily in one of the pools, but an additional charge is required for excursions in the bay.

Tennis Court
It's a full-size, concrete court in great shape with a nice breeze enough to keep you cool, but not enough to mess with your volley.

All three restaurants and two snack bars are open starting at 7 a.m. and most remain open until 11 p.m. The snack bars are open until 2 a.m. and the self-serve ice cream is available all day.

La Bamba
This American-style steakhouse also has great hamburgers and family-friendly fare in a buffet-style for lunch. For dinner, you'll need reservations and to dress slightly nicer. There's earlier seating for families with children and later seating just for adults.

The Canoa
You're in Mexico, so please spend some time in this authentic restaurant and expand your family's appreciation of Mexican cuisine. It's buffet-style and has an excellent dessert bar.

The Tropical
The largest restaurant on the property offers the best view of the beach and the Jaltemba Bay. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the buffet-style restaurant has an international flair with lots of seafood, a nice salad bar and a variety of Asian-inspired dishes.

In-Room Dining
In-room dining is not available at the Decameron Los Cocos.

Babysitting Services
Babysitting services are available for about $8 an hour per child.

Nurse
The hotel has a nursing staff on call 24 hours a day.

Check-in/out Times
Check-out is at noon and check-in at 3 p.m. Those times are quite firm.

Fitness Center
This Decameron property does not have a fitness center, but take out a bicycle, join in a game of beach volleyball or run along the beach for your refreshing workout.

Pets
Sorry, no pets are allowed at this hotel.

Shopping
The Decameron has one boutique with the essentials you might have forgotten, as well as a few souvenirs and clothing items. Another shop provides for the interests of those who smoke cigars and cigarettes. But an easy walk through town showcases numerous souvenir shops, boutiques and galleries.

Welcome Treats
Get your phone out for an Instagram post of the beautifully clad staff member bearing a tray of drinks as you check in. They are served in a fresh pineapple with lots of fruit and a little umbrella sticking out, and yes, there just may be some alcohol inside. Kids get frozen fruit drinks.

The Art of Smart Timing
Great prices on rooms are in October and November, before the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. This is the rainy season, but typically rain moves through in about an hour and you have the rest of the day to enjoy the sun, beach and pools.

Obviously, the Christmas holidays and winter months in North America send families looking for the warmth of Mexico, so you'll not find many bargains at this time. After the Easter holiday until early summer, you will find other good deals.

Getting There
The Decameron Los Cocos is about an hour north of the Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) in Puerto Vallarta. If you're flying in from the West Coast, watch closely during the approach and you'll be able to see the multi-colored buildings of the hotel. If you choose to take a bus to Rincón de Guayabitos, the bus station is about one-third of a mile from the hotel or a short 500 meters.

Getting Around
Rincón de Guayabitos is a lovely, walkable community filled with a number of shops and restaurants. It's possible to easily explore on foot, or via the bicycles available at no charge from the hotel. The bus stop is convenient and taxis are inexpensive and plentiful.

For Mom and Dad
The entertainment area just off the lobby provides a family-friendly show each night until midnight. Then, the lights turn low and the music heats up until 3 a.m. for the adults.

The Decameron Beach Club is about 5 minutes away by taxi and offers an additional restaurant for adults with a pool and bar. Make it your own for one evening.