Sorry I didn’t make that clear. After you’ve been there a couple of times you presume everybody knows what you’re talking about. Puerto Vallarta sits at the back of Banderas Bay which a very large horseshoe shaped bay. The most westerly northern point of the bay is Punta Mita. I’d guess it’s about 12 miles from Puerta Vallarta to Punta Mita.

I think any new road can be a bit intimidating, plus they are in a foreign country going through the jungle at night and the weather is overpowering with heat and humidity. I can see where it can be a bit intimidating.