Fernando Baños: Renaissance Man: This true Renaissance man includes art, literature, history and humanities in his repertoire. Every week during the Malecon sculpture tour Fernando Baños meets the public at the foot of his “Millennium” sculpture, created under his artistic name, Mathis Lidice.

Renee Perez: Putting It Together: I didn't think any grown woman could be so cute and perky, but Renée is like a ray of sunshine, bursting with enthusiasm about her family, her work and the world around her. And I guess that's part of why she brings out the best in each and every one of her theater students at the American School.

Juan Manuel Gómez Encarnación: The City’s New Chronicler: The city’s chronicler is very important to Puerto Vallarta. For many years, Carlos Munguia was responsible for documenting the city’s history, and his work left a profound mark on local society. After he passed away, Juan Manuel Gomez Encarnacion was chosen.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Real Estate in Vallarta But Never Knew Where to Look...: A reflection of the bay’s constantly evolving real estate market, “The Vallarta Real Estate Guide” now features a companion online publication, VREG Online at vallartarealestateguide.com. This new Website makes use of the most innovative Web techniques and the many options available for property buyers and sellers. Learn how to best take advantage of its features.

Best Infrastructure Development #1: La Cruz-Bucerias Malecon: Since everyone heads toward the malecon, it stands to reason that you can create another one. This is just what the government of Nayarit decided to do in bringing together two of their most flavorful towns along the bay, Bucerias and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

Best New Shopping Experience to Look Forward To: Liverpool: Red alert for all shopaholics! A new shopping center will open its doors in October, promising to be a menace to our credit cards but also a delight. One of Mexico’s most popular department stores, Liverpool, will feature two floors with more than 73,000 square feet of shopping space each.

Best Business with Least Open Hours: Taqueria in La Cruz: At six o’ clock sharp, the smell of delicious roasting meat becomes noticeable and people are anxiously waiting in line for Tacos on the Street to open. This singular La Cruz de Huanacaxtle restaurant has been operated for the past 12 years by the husband and wife team of Jorge Armando Díaz and Raquel Gómez.

Best Baguette: Comercial Mexicana: Just above the bin of bolillos at Comercial Mexicana lie the baguettes, fragrant bayonets of bread with crispy crusts. At just $8 pesos each, this bread goes fast — especially on weekends because only 56 are baked each day in each of the two stores in Puerto Vallarta.

Best Way to Get Sand in Your Shoes Without Going to the Beach: Azul 96: Hedonistic avant-gardism awaits all who venture atop this cutting edge new restaurant. The open-air Sky Sushi Bar’s design concept nothing less than brilliant – a retractable roof letting you enjoy the place all year long – absolutely every detail reiterates the ultra chic venue’s oh-so-desirable resort setting.

Best New Excuse to Walk Around Puerto Vallarta: Malecon Extension: Long a destination in itself, the Malecon meanders along the edge of Banderas Bay. And now it’s possible to stroll this “boardwalk” from the historic Hotel Rosita at the north end of town past the Los Muertos pier and farther south – all without having to shake sand out of shoes.

Best Infrastructure Development #2: New Bridges: Building bridges is not every politician’s forte, but during the last administration, bridges came up in spades. Two very crucial ones provide smoother entrance into the city by adding lateral lanes to cross El Salado and the Pitillal River in the Hotel Zone.

Best Excuse to Sin: Xocodiva: New on the PV scene is yet another temptation. And we recommend you not pass up this one: delectable, handcrafted artisan chocolates. Made in a gleaming little South Side shop by Canadian chocolatiers Carole Fast and Charlotte Semple, these confections are mind bogglers, activating every pleasure center, bar none.

Best Use of Glass: Galeria EM: Intrigued by that funky little palapa-roofed building across from the entrance to Marina Vallarta? Well, you should see what’s going on inside! And you can, half-hour tours of this glass studio and showroom given in English or Spanish to those curious about the making of translucent magic from A to Z.

Best Storyteller: Lee “Lencho” Chapmpman: Oral and written storytelling traditions are well and good, but painting blueprints for the imagination in his folkloric “Lencho” style is the one that comes most naturally to this teller of tales.

Best New Canine Congregation: Daiquiri Dick’s Pet Picnic: Dogs ruled in December at PV’s first-ever charity picnic designed just for them, canines big and small and some 60 devoted owners sharing good times and delicious doggie bag lunches on the beach. The brainchild of videographer Laura Gelezunas and restaurant owners Peter and Tari Bowman, it shows that working out sparks great ideas.