PUERTO VALLARTA
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, masterfully plays the part of a remote tropical getaway, even as it grows into a larger city that's connected to the outside world by multinational chain stores and a steady stream of jets and cruise ships. Puerto Vallarta's success has a lot to do with looks. However, in recent years, unchecked development along every inch of its beach has gradually turned the once-quaint fishing village into a mass-market destination for the hoi polloi as well as the moneyed few. Still, there remains much beauty in Vallarta (as it is known to the locals and habitues) and the coast to its northwest.
Whitewashed walls and terra-cotta-tiled roofs are nestled along Banderas Bay, with the ornate crown of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe serving as a focal point. The lush, green foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains to the east make for a beautiful and dramatic backdrop.
Puerto Vallarta's style is another key. Even as more and more travelers have arrived, and more and more hotels have been built, it has somehow managed to retain—or at least appears to retain—a cultured grace that's rare in heavily touristed areas.
Artists, architects, writers and chefs flourish in this rarified climate of tropical creativity. The restaurants, galleries and shops there are some of the finest in the country, drawing local talent from Mexico City and Guadalajara, and farther afield from Italy, Switzerland, Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere.
Whitewashed walls and terra-cotta-tiled roofs are nestled along Banderas Bay, with the ornate crown of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe serving as a focal point. The lush, green foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains to the east make for a beautiful and dramatic backdrop.
Puerto Vallarta's style is another key. Even as more and more travelers have arrived, and more and more hotels have been built, it has somehow managed to retain—or at least appears to retain—a cultured grace that's rare in heavily touristed areas.
Artists, architects, writers and chefs flourish in this rarified climate of tropical creativity. The restaurants, galleries and shops there are some of the finest in the country, drawing local talent from Mexico City and Guadalajara, and farther afield from Italy, Switzerland, Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere.
HighlightsSights—Spiritual reverence at La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe; a day trip to Mismaloya or Yelapa; whale-watching tours December-March in Banderas Bay; educational turtle-camp tours in which hatchlings of the endangered species are released.
Memorable Meals—Barcelona Tapas for the magnificent view and the best tapas in town; The River Cafe for superb service, excellent cuisine and a romantic setting; Trio for its seasonal dishes and tasty desserts; El Arrayan for an intimate and authentic Mexican meal in a quaint, charismatic setting. Late Night—J&B Salsa Club for the authentic salsa experience; try Vallartacrawl for a high-energy crowd and dancing in three clubs; Garbo's for fabulous martinis in a sophisticated ambience with piano renderings; The Zoo for some atavistic conviviality. Walks—A seaside jaunt along the spacious pedestrian-only malecon; a short hike into the hills of Gringo Gulch for excellent views of the city and bay; browsing the shops and restaurants at Marina Vallarta followed by sunset cocktails at its bird's-eye-view lighthouse. Especially for Kids—Swimming with dolphins at Vallarta Adventures; splashing at Aquaventuras waterpark; seeing crocodiles in their natural habitat and learning all about them at El Salado Estuary. SightseeingAs a resort town, Puerto Vallarta's best offerings are recreation, restaurants and seaside relaxation rather than pure sightseeing. The city is expanding at a horrific rate, and in the rush to add more malls and shopping venues, much of the quaint old town and the Zona Romantica have been made over. However, there are a few sites and areas worth visiting.
Start with a walk along the oceanfront promenade known as the malecon. It's the ideal place for people-watching and viewing the sunset, and it also has myriad fascinating sculptural installations, some wonderfully whimsical and created by local artists. Shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and cafes are chock-a-block along this strip. As crowded as it can be, there's nothing else like it in Mexico, and it is an absolute must to take in—especially Sunday evenings, when local families traditionally enjoy it on their one day of rest (a six-day work week is common there). Strolling through El Centro can also be a treat. The most obvious architectural landmark is the city's main church, La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. After you've admired the interior, climb any of the staircases behind the church: You'll be rewarded with delightful views of the church, the city and the bay. Two other good spots for a stroll are the quiet Isla Rio Cuale, a small island in the river with good restaurants and quiet nooks for resting, and the lively South Side neighborhood of Conchas Chinas just inland from Los Muertos Beach. The quieter cobblestone streets there provide a glimpse of the small fishing village Vallarta once was. The old town in general, and especially the Zona Romantica, also affords some wonderful sights and architectural gems, often hidden away on a side street or resting comfortably alongside a modern edifice. Strolling through the side streets is best done in the early morning to midafternoon, when you're less likely to encounter the hordes of tourists that make Vallarta into a very different place at night. For Tennessee Williams buffs and travelers smitten with Hollywood history and lore, a minor industry has sprung up around the relics of The Night of the Iguana, which was filmed in Puerto Vallarta in 1963. The Mismaloya area, where much of the location work was shot, continues to draw visitors to its pretty cove dotted with palapa restaurants. Nowadays, a group of privately owned condominiums dominates the beachfront just north of Mismaloya, the site of the filming. Some of the original set (vastly reconstructed) initially was maintained by the complex and used for a 50th-anniversary celebration. Some remains of these can be seen from a pathway, but there is no longer any access to them. Rumor had it a few years back that the set would be re-opened; an attempt was made to convert it into a restaurant, but the temporary reconstruction of the set in 2012 lies abandoned. Some of the most beautiful scenery along Banderas Bay is just south of the city, where tropical rain-forest-blanketed mountains actually reach the shores of sandy beaches. Day trips by taxi or bus to Mismaloya or by water taxi to Yelapa will reward you with wonderful views and pleasant beaches. If boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants are more your thing, you'll find plenty from El Centro to Marina Vallarta—a yacht marina and development north of the Zona Hotelera. With Mexico's national liquor originating in Jalisco, tequila tastings are ubiquitous in Puerto Vallarta, with dozens of labels offered. It is important to note, however, that many shops that call you in off the street to sample their tequila are tied into time-share sales. Buyer beware. North of the Hotel Zone the scenery is, to put it mildy, spectacular, if more rustic. Small fishing villages such as La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Sayulita are beautiful vestiges of what the area was like only a few years ago, and often tours can be arranged to see part of this region, which was once rarely visited by anyone but ecotourists and is now growing with luxury resorts. |
HistoryThe area around Puerto Vallarta was originally inhabited by Tarascans, Chapalas, Huichol and members of the Aztec confederation of tribes. The first European to visit Puerto Vallarta was Francisco Hernandez de San Buenaventura, a nephew of conqueror Hernan Cortes. As the story goes—we suspect it has been embellished over the years—the Spanish explorer and his party were met on the shore by 20,000 Indians, each carrying a flag made of bird feathers. In turn, the Spanish produced four banderas (banners), including one that depicted the Immaculate Conception. This display supposedly subdued the natives, who laid aside their feather flags while a Spanish priest prayed for their souls. Banderas Bay takes its name from the event.
Centuries later the bay was a favorite of pirates who lurked in its coves and inlets waiting to plunder the richly laden Spanish galleons traveling from the Philippines to Acapulco. Smugglers trying to avoid the custom houses in San Blas also landed their boats in Puerto Vallarta. Although the flag incident was said to have occurred in 1525, development of the bay didn't begin until the 1850s, when the Sanchez family used the Rio Cuale as a port for transporting silver from the mines in the nearby sierra. The town was called Las Penas then, and for a long time fewer than 2,000 people—mostly farmers and fishermen—lived there. In 1888, half the town was destroyed by fire. According to legend, the damage would have been less if most of the male population were not attending a cockfight. In 1918, Las Penas was renamed to honor Ignacio Luis Vallarta, governor of the state of Jalisco. By the 1940s, commercial flights began landing on a dirt airstrip outside town. Artists and writers from the U.S., disillusioned with the McCarthy era, started immigrating to Vallarta in the 1950s and built homes in what is now known as Gringo Gulch. By the late 1960s, it was a hideaway for movie stars and other reclusive types, and remained charming and serene. What really ignited interest in the city was Hollywood. In 1963, director John Huston chose Puerto Vallarta as the location for his film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana, which starred Richard Burton, Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner. Elizabeth Taylor wasn't in the movie, but she accompanied Burton, with whom she was having a torrid affair. Much of the filming was done in the deserted cove of Mismaloya. The antics of Taylor and Burton attracted the international press and gave Vallarta its reputation as a steamy romantic escape; soon, large numbers of travelers went to experience it for themselves. In 1968, a road was built from Tepic, about 105 mi/169 km northeast of Vallarta, to connect Puerto Vallarta by road to the rest of the world. |
