 Animal Assistance
The welfare of cats and dogs is a recent concept here; however, the powers that be, the local veterinary association and City Hall included, are now setting the stage for a comprehensive animal protection program. But in the meantime, if you see one of these little guys in distress and the spirit moves you, please do something about it rather than assume someone else will. And our shelters and animal welfare groups can use all the help they can get – food, litter, medicine, flea powder – you name it, they need it.
Recommended Vets
Dr. Wenceslao Paino, president of the Association of Veterinarians Specializing in Small Animals in Puerto Vallarta and vice president of the official program to regulate their well being, (329) 298-0941, Bucerias
Dr. Jorge Paino, involved in the official aid program, 222-5393, South Side
Manuel Pena, 224-0319, near Plaza Caracol
Sabuesos, husband and wife veterinary team, 222-5775, El Centro
Arturo Rios, 044-322-728-7338, Pitillal
Donations Appreciated
S.O.S. Animal: No-kill shelter, www.sos-animal.org for info in English and German, www.sosvallarta.com for Spanish, sosanimalac@hotmail.com, Gloria Boulton 224-3978, Monica Gonzalez 293-2018
Amigos de los Animales: Spaying, emergency help and adoptions, www.surfnetusa.com/AmigosdelosAnimales/home.html, mexicoanimals@yahoo.com, Roie Griego 223-3576
Rancho Felino: Home to 90 cats run by Monica Aguirre, adoptable cats offered Wednesdays and Saturdays 11 am - 2 pm at Plaza Marina Comercial Mexicana
Casa Andrea: Animal shelter, adoptable dogs and cats, Andrea 222-1213, Marianne 222-6719
Best Beaches
Banderas Bay’s 100 km of coastline is privileged with 140 beaches, or playas, each with a special appeal. And if you’re just here for a week or two at a time, that’s a lot of beachcombing! So to keep it simple, you might start with the following, accessible by bus or boat shuttle and graced with good palapa restaurants.
More an event than a beach, the South Side’s Los Muertos is one of Puerto Vallarta’s key features. Not necessarily the best beach for swimming, it is the best for people watching and partying, local families flocking here Sundays to picnic and listen to strolling mariachis. Bustling with restaurants, bars and activities including parasailing, it’s the stepping off point for small boats (pangas) to gorgeous isolated beaches farther south, like Las Animas and Yelapa, both possessing an exotic South Seas aura and more tranquil ambiance.
To the north of town, the long, golden sand Bucerias beach is highly recommended for families and timid swimmers because the water’s shallow, the swells gentle and the beach the bay’s longest. Plus, the town itself is fun to check out! Farther up the coast, Playa Destiladeras is pretty and popular with swimmers of varying abilities. And surfers should note that the most popular place to do their thing is in Sayulita, just outside of the bay.
So grab your sunglasses, sunscreen and towel, confirm directions with your concierge, and head out to indulge in one of Vallarta’s favorite pastimes on one of its best beaches!
Locally Authored Books
Planning on reading by the pool? Then why not learn about this beautiful part of the world while you’re at it? Here are some of the books available about the area written by local authors.
“Puerto Vallarta My Memories,” by Catalina Montes de Oca de Contreras, conveys details with a journalist’s eye over an intriguing 62-year period of Vallarta’s history (English and Spanish).
“Puerto Vallarta 150 anos de historia,” by Luis Reyes Brambila, publisher of “Opina” and “Vallarta Today,” is a Who’s Who of the movers and shakers during Vallarta’s formative years (Spanish).
“History and Tales of the Hidden Paradise,” “Recuerdos y sucesos de Puerto Vallarta ” and “Panorama historico de Puerto Vallarta y de la Bahia de Banderas,” by the town’s official historian, Carlos Munguia Fregoso (the first in English and Spanish, the others in Spanish).
“The Birds of Paradise, The Guide and Checklist of the Birds of Puerto Vallarta,” by Dennis Body and Alejandro Martinez, features National Audubon Society illustrations and photos of some of this area’s 317 recorded species (English).
“Los Terribles Cocodrilos,” by Professor Fabio Cupul and Dr. Juan Luis Cifuentes, explores the biological, cultural and economic role of crocodiles in Mexico and around the world (Spanish).
“The Magic of Puerto Vallarta,” by Marilu Suarez-Murias, is a coffee table book whose words and images capture the essence of our beautiful town, and “Discover Puerto Vallarta” is a helpful guidebook by the same author (English and Spanish).
“Escape to Paradise, A Mexican Odyssey,” by William Reed, is an intriguing account of the author’s intense relationship with director John Huston and various Hollywood types and the struggle to make it in a culture very different from his own (English).
“Still Life With Violin,” by Inge Lokos and Martie LaCasse, is the memoir of long-time Vallarta resident Stefan Lokos and wife Inge, a story of art and music as an international language that triumphs over cultural differences (English).
“Tales of Retirement in Paradise” and “More Tales of Retirement in Puerto Vallarta and Around the World,” by Polly G. Vicars, offer vignettes about the lifestyle she and her husband enjoy in Puerto Vallarta and on their travels (English).
“Puerto Vallarta on 49 Brain Cells a Day” and “Refried Brains,” by Gil Gevins, are both hilarious takes on everyday local life, as well as on its overtly wacky aspects (English).
“Mexico Magico,” by German Estrada, offers everything you wanted to know about moving and living here, but nobody told you (English).
Where to Find Them
Your best bet is Libros Libros Books Books, 31 de Octubre 127, 222-7106, libroslibros@hotmail.com, although Mungia’s books can only be purchased at the public library, 224-9966, probiblioteca@prodigy.net.mx. And you might find what you’re looking for at one of the several used bookstores around town, like Page in the Sun at Olas Altas 399 and Aldama 180.
Boutique Hotels on the Bay
In this area we’re fortunate to have a quartet of lodgings so fabulously intimate and unique they’ve been made members of Mexico Boutique Hotels (MBH), a prestigious group of 32 stringently qualified accommodations around the country. Stay at one and be assured of the finest food, accommodations, ambiance and service Mexico offers. And it’s real easy to check them out. Click on www.hotelsboutique.com for Majahuitas – south of town in a pristine jungle setting reachable only by boat, Quinta Real – on a championship golf course, Hacienda San Angel – a tranquil oasis in the heart of town, and Casa Las Brisas – on a sugary Punta de Mita beach, all within an hour of downtown PV. To get the complete scoop on these ideal getaways in English, French or Spanish, call toll free: 01-800-508-7923 from Mexico, 1-866-818-8342 from Canada and 1-877-278-8018 from the USA.
Bountiful Bridges
The Rio Cuale divides El Centro from the South Side of town after meandering through lesser known neighborhoods like Remance and Buenos Aires, where it’s spanned by numerous footbridges – one of them an atmospheric covered puente. And a few minutes farther southeast in Paso Ancho, the recent addition of a vehicular bridge has swelled the numbers of those exploring this area. The newest bridge, oceanfront at the mouth of the river, is a hit with strollers because it links the Malecon to Los Muertos Beach and the views from it are stellar. But the ones most tourists cross first, and use the most, are the southbound bridge on Ignacio Vallarta and the northbound one on Insurgentes. By the way, if you haven’t had the pleasure of crossing one of our swinging bridges yet, your equilibrium can be tested at Isla Rio Cuale.
Charming Cafés
If you haven’t been here in a few years, you won’t recognize the place when it comes to the happening café scene around town. We’ve now got several dozen cozy venues serving up good coffee in incarnations like mocha frappé and triple latté, along with stacks of magazines for perusing and often Internet services to boot. And cafés tend to be good places to meet people, something about them eliciting our down-to-earth, friendly side. For a sampling of our favorites, read on.
South Side: On Rodolfo Gomez, The Coffee Cup (223-8584) offers original art and good food and Dee’s Coffee Company (221-1197) is a haven of comfy couches and reading material. On Olas Altas, Page in the Sun (222-3608) is the place for impromptu backgammon games, psychic readings, book exchange and people watching, ditto for Café San Angel (223-1274). El Centro: Oro Verde (222-3159) is laidback, spacious and on the second-floor above the hustle bustle. Organic Café (222-1264) is a concise friendly space in an artsy area. And Gloria Jeans (222-0306) offers a bright and modern ambiance near the Luz Maria cinema. Marina Vallarta: The Coffee Cup (221-2517) on the Marina Malecon in Puesta del Sol is a smooth blend of art, coffee, food and Internet service, ditto the Plaza Marina location.
Canopy Tours
Flying through the air with the greatest of ease is a novel adventure three generations can enjoy together, ages seven through 70 in reasonable health invited to participate. And Vallarta has a trio of tree canopy tours to chose from, each offering unique perspectives of spectacular scenery: Canopy Tours de Los Veranos, 223-6060; Vallarta Adventures’ Canopy Tour, 297-1212; and Canopy Tour El Eden, 223-6003.
Charities
One of the most fulfilling ways to get involved in the life of a town is to be active in something worthwhile – a local charity, for example. And Vallarta offers ample opportunities to help others. You’ll find a comprehensive list of charitable organizations in the “Vallarta Tribune,” including the following, dedicated to helping:
Handicapped – DIVAC, 221-5153
Orphans – Casa Hogar, 221-1908, and Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza 222-7857 and 222-5765
Terminally Ill Children – Make a Wish Foundation, 221-6212
Children Get an Education – Becas Vallarta A.C., 222-1478 and 221-0789
Animals and the Ecology – Grupo Ecologico de Puerto Vallarta A.C., 222-0897
Public Library – Pro Biblioteca de Vallarta A.C., 224-9966 and 222-1478
AIDS Prevention and Cures – Organization Vallarta Contra el SIDA, 224-1225 and 224-1396
Everyone They Can –International Friendship Club, 222-5466
Day Trips
In just 15 minutes you could be in a Mexico that you might have thought no longer existed, Vallarta Adventures (297-1212) taking you by air tour to intriguing towns in the mountains where life goes on much as it always has – San Sebastian, a pretty, peaceful 400-year-old former silver mining town; Talpa de Allende, famous for the Virgin of Talpa said to grant miracles; and the lushly agricultural Mascota, once a pre-Hispanic capital, among them. The flights themselves are spellbinding, revealing the 150-square-mile Valley of Flags where Vallarta’s located. And if you’re up for going farther afield, they’ll take you to Tequila – the only region in the world where the spirit worthy of the same name is produced – and Mexico’s second-largest city, Guadalajara, on the same day, getting you back in plenty of time to catch the Vallarta sunset.
By bus and car, you’re within an hour of not only a multitude of beaches, but also several neat little towns. To the north in Nayarit, check out the fishing villages of Bucerias and Cruz de Huanacaxtle on the bay, and Sayulita and San Francisco about 20 minutes beyond it, all authentic, small-town Mexico and relatively unspoiled. To the south, El Tuito with its pleasant town square and cooler temperatures is about an hour away in the mountains. Closer are the jungle-infused villages of Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlan, boats available at both to take you farther south to Quimixto and Yelapa. These towns are smaller than the ones mentioned to the north, offering a more primitive ambiance in more spectacular settings.
Eco Tours
With so much abundant nature in the Vallarta area, it would be a shame to leave here without experiencing some of it up close. The following tour companies, staffed by experts in their fields, delight in sharing their knowledge and love of the environment, taking you to the most promising sites and helping you appreciate what you’re seeing. Birding, whale watching, turtle camps and releases, swimming with the dolphins or visiting a crocodile preserve are activities the entire family can enjoy together and long remember.
Birding in Mexico, www.birdinginMexico.com, 222-7407
Ecotours de Mexico, www.ecotoursvallarta.com, 222-6606 and 223-3130
Open Air Expeditions, openair@vivamexico.com, 222-3310
Wildlife Connection, www.wildlifeconnection.com, 225-3621 and 044-322-100-2908
Vallarta Adventures, www.Vallarta-Adventures.com, 297-1212 and toll-free from the USA 1-866-256-2739
Flora
Banderas Bay is such an exuberant botanical garden it would take a heavy tome to describe it all. Color jolts of brilliant bougainvillea are everywhere, the surrounding Sierra Madre horizontally striped with three distinct layers of vegetation reflecting the climatic zones – sub-tropical at sea level, with lots of palms, including coconut and oil-nut; followed by thorn forest; and then pines, oaks, hazelnut, walnut and almond trees. Our tropical deciduous forest is a mélange of shrubs, mosses, grasses, vines, plants and flowers, as well as trees – bamboo, strangler figs, rubber, gum, banana, papaya, mango, guava, breadfruit, avocado, mahogany, rosewood, cedar, Primavera, numerous pod-bearing ones and more. Birds of Paradise, gardenia, jasmine, wild poinsettias, bromeliads and 140 orchid species are just some of the area’s flowers.
Fauna
The iguana is practically our town mascot, since John Huston’s “The Night of the Iguana” was filmed here back in 1963. The most common local species is a mottled green and black herbivore that grows up to six feet and is found primarily in trees (especially on Isla Rio Cuale), with an average life expectancy of 15 and maximum speed of almost 22 mph.
While we’ve got lots of other lizards, the fat-tailed, black-faced Mexican Beaded is the only one that’s poisonous. Geckos on the other hand – the Gumby-like little guys you’re likely to spot clinging to the ceiling or walls – are harmless and helpful, freeing the environment of insects. The first time you hear one, you’ll probably be startled, their vocalizations surprisingly loud. So if you hear strange “kissing” sounds in the night, it’s probably them! American alligators, called crocs here, live in our estuaries and lagoons, including those on golf courses. And the jungle is home to quite a few of this country’s 680 snake species, primarily Boa constrictors, Corals and Rattlesnakes.
Armadillos, coatimundis –related to racoons, with a mask, ringed tail and long snout – racoons – always referred to here as mapechés – and possums – known as tlacuachés – badgers, jaguarundi –known as “Otter cat” for its appearance – wild boar, coyotes, skunks, white-tailed deer and mountain crabs are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our fascinating wild creatures.
Seven of the world’s eight sea turtle species nest on our shores – most commonly Olive Ridleys, as well as Laud turtles, the planet’s largest. Whales frequenting our bay include Humpback, Gray and Orcas, the best time to see them November through March. We’ve got Pacific Bottlenose, Spinner, Rough-toothed and Spotted dolphins and Manta rays weighing a ton that are 18 feet across and can leap a dozen feet out of the water. We’ve got over 160 species of fish, including sailfish, swordfish, Bonito, Yellowfin tuna, Black and Blue marlin, rooster fish, dorado and red snapper, as well as freshwater bass and colorful tropicals including King Angelfish, Sergeant Majors, Spotted Boxfish, Giant Damselfish, Reef Cornet and Puffer fish.
Bay of Banderas is no slouch in the bird department either, with over 300 species recorded. And if you’re lucky, you’ll spot one of five parrot species, the Military Macaws perhaps. Forty-seven kinds of bats hang here, as do quails, doves, cuckoos, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, jays, eagles, vultures, mockingbirds and more, rare Blue-footed boobies found at the bay’s northern tip.
Great Golf
In the past few years we’ve gone from having a couple of golf courses to offering a different championship course to play every day of the week, each world class, challenging and with stunning scenery.
Marina Vallarta, (322) 221-0073, www.foremexico.com
Vista Vallarta’s two pro-designed courses, (322) 290-0030, www.vistavallartagolf.com
Mayan Palace Country Club, (322) 226-1517, www.mayanpalace.com.mx
El Tigre at Paradise Village, (322) 297-0717, www.paradisemexico.com
Flamingos, (329) 296-5006, www.flamingosgolf.com.mx
Four Seasons, (329) 291-6000, www.fshr.com
Hospitals
It’s reassuring to know Vallarta has four hospitals staffed with both English- and Spanish-speaking doctors and nurses accepting most major insurance plans. In the Marina Vallarta area are Ameri-Med (221-0023) and San Javier (226-1010). In the South Side are Medasist (223-0444) and C.M.Q. (223-1919).
Landmarks
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church with its ornate crown, the Boy on a Seahorse statue and the Los Arcos columns on the Malecon symbolize Puerto Vallarta around the world and are the most oft-photographed sites by visitors to this destination. But we locals have landmarks, too, like the signs indicating we’re about to enter Marina Vallarta – the towering, and one might even say campy, Poseidon hoisting his trident atop Plaza Neptuno and the giant whale sculpture marking the turnoff.
Latin Dancing
Spicy Latin rhythms are a given in this part of the world, several local venues presenting bands playing salsa, meringue, tango and more. It’s lots of fun to watch and even more fun to get up on the floor. Regularly offering the opportunity are dance clubs Jabalu and J.B., both on Fco. Medina Ascencio in the Hotel Zone, and restaurant Bodeguita del Medio in El Centro. And frequently, restaurants El Dorado (222-1511) and Bianco (222-2748) on the South Side and The Rex (223-2710) and De Santos (223-3052) in El Centro have Latin evenings.
Print Media
In the past few years there has been an explosion in the number of local publications. Those with asterisks listed below are primarily distributed free of charge, so help yourself to them when you’re out and about!
Newspapers
*Ambito/Ambiance – bilingual, weekly
El Sol -– Spanish, daily
Meridiano – Spanish, daily
*Tribuna de la Bahia – Spanish, daily
The Tribune – English, weekly
Vallarta Opina – Spanish, daily
*Vallarta Today – English, daily
Magazines
*Bay Vallarta – bilingual, biweekly
*Homes & Living – bilingual, quarterly
*Iguana Gazette – bilingual, bimonthly
*NYPV Times – bilingual, semimonthly
*Vallarta Golf, The Official Guide – bilingual, quarterly
*The V.I.P., Vallarta Important People – bilingual, bimonthly
*Zona Romantica, the Alternative Guide – bilingual, quarterly
Vallarta Lifestyles – bilingual, quarterly
Vallarta Style – bilingual, annual
Guides
Banderas Bay Cruisers’ Guide – English, annual
*Inside Vallarta – English, quarterly
*Key to Bucerias – bilingual, quarterly
*Key to Puerto Vallarta – bilingual, quarterly
*Key to Rincon de Guayabitos – bilingual, quarterly
*Viejo Vallarta Sur, South Old Town Vallarta – bilingual, semiannually
*Top Choices – bilingual, annual
*Vallarta Dining – bilingual, annual
*Vallarta Lifestyles Map and Dining Guide – bilingual, quarterly
Other
*Anunciate – Spanish, weekly
Mano a Mano – Spanish, weekly
*The Property Journal – bilingual, monthly
*Vallarta Real Estate Guide – bilingual, monthly
Lounges
This past year or so has brought dynamic change to what going out in the evening here is all about, much welcomed by those of us who appreciate an ambiance of relaxed sophistication rather than the loud, frantic environments we once thought were fun.
An exceptionally avant-garde place to meet your friends and listen to live music that lets you hear them is the Costantini Bar Lounge in Café des Artistes, a wow experience, as is the gorgeous Nikki Beach restaurant and bar on the water at the Westin Regina. Rounding out the best of the new lounge scene are The Rex in El Centro and Tribu in the Marina Mayan Palace, each definitely worth checking out.
Sister Cities
Puerto Vallarta has a mutually beneficial relationship with three US sister cities – Santa Barbara, California, since 1972; Highland Park, Illinois, since 2002; and, most recently, Mission, Texas, since July 2004. Cultural exchanges are ongoing between these cities and ours, a Vallarta artist painting a 36-foot-long mural at a Chicago area high school, for example, while four other sister cities are temporarily inactive – Angra Dos Reis, Brazil; Gijon, Spain; San José, Costa Rica; and Siofok, Hungary.
Worship
We have numerous Catholic churches, Our Lady of Guadalupe the only one offering English mass, 10 am Sunday, Hidalgo 370, El Centro, 222-1326. Sunday mass in English is also offered at the Westin Regina and the Fiesta Americana at 11 am and at the Sheraton at 1 pm.
First Baptist Church has an English service Sunday at 9:45 am (also at 8:30 January through March), followed by the Spanish service at 11, Argentina 181 at Parque Hidalgo, 222-1722 or 223-1322.
Calvary Chapel offers nondenominational Christian services Sunday at 10:30 am in Spanish and 6:30 pm in English at Pablo Picasso 105, below J.B. Latin dance club in the Hotel Zone, 293-5455. And a nondenominational Christian service is held in English Sunday at 9:30 am at the Westin Regina, goodnews@montylee.
Mormons worship at the Church of Latter Day Saints at Emiliano Zapata 420 in the Valentin Gomez Farias neigborhood Sunday at 8, 10 and noon in English. For Spanish times, call 224-9680.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have several kingdom halls, including Libramiento 244, the Sunday public talk in Spanish at 4 pm, contact Jose Pena at 222-2732. English meetings are at Milan 271 in the Versalles neighborhood, public talk Sunday 7 pm, contact Brian Tomson at 293-4834.
We have no synagogue, Mel Bornstein at 221-5659 advising of Jewish gatherings.
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