On the highway between Punta de Mita and Nuevo Vallarta, are the towns of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, best known as "La Cruz" and Bucerias.

La Cruz is a very quiet fishing village that has had slow affluence until now. Attention is being drawn towards the north end of the bay due to the Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita. This small town offers very affordable properties and a wide variety of fresh fish and seafood eateries.

Bucerias is a slightly larger town with more options in shopping, dining and living arrangements. Many Americans call Bucerias home, which makes for many opportunities in buying and selling real estate.

Water sports like sailing, windsurfing and most recently kite surfing are a favorite activity amongst tourists and locals alike. This small town has a picturesque plaza and many local residents own various art galleries, internet cafes, clothing stores and quaint little restaurants like Cafe Bamboo. Mark's is one of the best restaurants in town, serving gourmet cuisine in a casual yet elegant atmosphere, highly recommended. Visit Roots vegetarian restaurant and juice bar where they offer tasty entrees and refreshing juice elixirs enjoyed in a bohemian style outdoor dining area. Catch a movie showing after your meal in the outdoor theatre on Friday, Saturday or Sunday at 8:30 pm. For information on the movies being previewed e-mail: rootsrestaurant@hotmail.com.

The small town of La Cruz is now booming with growth. Grupo Real del Mar is changing the face of La Cruz with the development of 600 luxury condominiums constructed on over 100 acres of hilly ocean-view land. Included in the project will be a bank, cafes, a hardware store, post office, and a grocery store. The Construction of Marina La Cruz is well underway with plans for a 386 boat slip Marina with a dry dock. The project includes a malecon and boardwalk with plans for a fish market, restaurants, bars, boutiques, parking, marina front condominiums, resort hotel and landscaping. With all of these amenities being placed in this tiny sleeping village we can expect to see leaps and bounds in tourism to the Bucerias and La Cruz area.

Prices for beachfront condos in the Bucerias and La Cruz area start around $400,000 and range up to $1,500,000. It is still possible to find a luxury beachfront home in Bucerias for under $1,000,000; La Vida provides premiere seaside homes in a low density development with prices starting as low as $700,000 http://www.lavida.com/. If you do not require a beachfront property your in luck; it is still possible to find condos starting in the $200,000 price range with ocean and beach views.