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Puerto Vallarta  Puerto
Vallarta was once a sleepy fishing village along Mexico's Pacific Coast.
This started to change in 1963 when Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were
romantically involved there during the filming of John Huston’s "The Night
of the Iguana." The publicity from this affair started the flow of tourists
and changed the focus of Puerto Vallarta’s economy from fishing to tourism.
Many visitors still make the pilgrimage to Casa Kimberley, the home once
owned by Elizabeth Taylor. My own recommendation is to skip this trip
because there is nothing to really see at this private residence that is
closed to the public. Fortunately, this area has retained some of the flavor
and charm of its past with many fine homes on the hillside overlooking the
bay.
Puerto Vallarta
is nestled in a tropical setting. It has lush, green hills and a
picturesque bay, Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Flags). Hotels line the bay’s
curving beach. The bay is generally calm but sometimes the water can have a
brownish-green color during the rainy season when rains and rivers carry
soil from the surrounding hills into the bay. One can find clearer water
south of town at Los Arcos and elsewhere. The arched rock formations of Los
Arcos are a popular stop for dive and snorkel trips. We went with Chico's
Dive Shop, a local institution on both snorkeling and diving trips. They
maintain a presence at the larger resorts offering short lessons at the
swimming pool and introductory dives for beginners.
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| "El Cerro" (the hill) which rises steeply up behind the Guadalupe Cathedral offers a spectacular panoramic view of "Old Town" and the Bay. A mile-long "boardwalk" known as the "Malecon", runs along the downtown oceanfront and the oceanfront street, Paseo Diaz Ordas. There are several blocks of shops, galleries, gift shops, restaurants and night clubs across the street facing the ocean. And this is "the" place where residents and visitors, shoppers, diners and lovers stroll along the ocean from morning to night. In the morning, about the time a few joggers are out running along the beach, fishermen set up an open fish market at one end of the "Malecon" near the Hotel Rosita (Puerto Vallarta's first hotel) where they sell their catch-of-the-day to the public. At the other end, there's an open air theater called "Los Arcos" (The Arches) where different kinds of free performances such as mariachis and puppet shows are given in the evenings, beginning at about 5:30 PM every Sunday and on special holidays. Local artists who paint scenes of the town square and the Guadalupe Cathedral, set up to sell their paintings nearby. | |||||||||
 
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| Along the southernmost edge of the downtown area is the Rio Cuale. And there's a long thin island in the center of the river that divides it, running from the oceanfront to the street that goes to Mismaloya (Insurgentes) and beyond. Its a beautiful place to walk. And you'll find cute shops, top restaurants, the Cuale Museum, John Huston Plaza and even botanical gardens. It's a favorite walking area for most of the visitors to Puerto Vallarta. There's even a shaky small wood plank and cable foot bridge crossing one side of the river, for those who wish to go to Rizo's Supermarket or the town's most popular tortilla factory across the street from them. With the influx of tourists the town now has a Hard Rock Cafe and a Planet Hollywood though I have never been to each one. In addition there are many bars and discos that can lure the unsuspecting. I would suggest you head for the river walk area and south of the river. It's a little quieter there and you can find a few nice restaurants. We ate there one night and were serenaded by a young troubadour who of course offered to sell us a CD of his biggest "hits". | |||||||||
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| Just north of the Puerto Vallarta International airport is the residential-resort development of Nuevo Vallarta, a project begun by the federal government over 10 years ago. Nuevo Vallarta consists of a 1,150 acre site with 2.9 miles of beachfront. There are many homes that have been built along its windy canals and its beautiful beachfront. Elegant villas and estates line the channels, each with their own docking pier and manicured gardens of bougainvillea, hibiscus and birds of paradise. Yet the ecology of Nuevo Vallarta is well preserved. The residential dream homes give way to a five mile stretch of tropical lagoon and estuary frontage for home sites with private docks. South, the channels weave their way through impenetrable tropical foliage. | |||||||||
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  As
you can see from the pictures there are many activities to take part in. I
enjoy the jeep jungle tour that visits many interesting stops including
usually a local Tequila factory, an outdoor Super Go-Kart track, snorkeling
and just plain swimming the best. Shopping is another popular pursuit.
Besides the usual curios and t-shirts there is an abundance of pottery,
sculptures, masks, tequila and cigars. The best ones to buy are those from
Cuba and the Dominican Republic which are readily available. While most of
the tourist shops are along the waterfront, crossing the river and
continuing into the old town brings you to many of the local galleries.
There are also a lot of restaurants in this area. We stopped for lunch one
day at The Shrimp Factory after renting a Jeep. Puerto Vallarta is also the
site of a large Corona Bear factory. Stopping at their company store we must
have purchased one of everything they had on offer. On our return from
vacation we plan on having several BBQ parties in our backyard this summer.
This will give me a chance to learn how to use our new gas grill. |
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