Puerto Vallarta Best Of

From new bridges and roads to enticing new businesses, 2007's editorial picks for Best of Vallarta reflect Banderas Bay’s constantly evolving panorama, both literally and figuratively. As Puerto Vallarta grows, so do the increasingly diverse needs of its inhabitants and visitors. For those of us living here year-round, witnessing this growth is a testament to Puerto Vallarta’s enduring popularity as a tourist destination. Enjoy!

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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 Promising Tennis Player: Thais Romero: Sharp and experienced, two words that perfectly define young Thais Romero, one of the most promising players in the international tennis world. Thais came to Puerto Vallarta when she was six years old, the age when she started playing tennis.

 

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 Reason to Take a Cruise: Maritime Terminal Expansion: It’s been a long time in the making but the completion of Puerto Vallarta’s Maritime Terminal expansion to accommodate three full-size cruise ships at a time is nothing but breathtaking.

 

Best New Use for an Old Building: Maritime Museum: When in downtown Puerto Vallarta, you can visit Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, stroll the Malecon and enjoy a beautiful sunset. And now you also can visit the Maritime Museum, which is sponsored by the Mexican Navy and opened its doors to the public last year.

 

Best New Reason to Fly: Airport Expansion: Recent upgrades at Puerto Vallarta’s international airport, named for former Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz (1964-1970), have greatly improved the quality of service offered to national and international travelers arriving to our paradise.

 

Best Reason to Explore the Bay: New Docks: Let’s face it: Getting on or off a small motorboat (or panga, as we call them) without the use of a dock is not for the faint hearted, particularly on a windy day. And yet, we’ve seen people using them regularly to explore Puerto Vallarta’s South Shore.

 

Best New Promising Event: Vallarta Wine Fest: The culture of good wines, their history and manufacturing process were the main topics of the Vallarta Wine Fest, Jalisco and Nayarit. This is the latest festival to reach our shores and a new option for promoting Banderas Bay worldwide.

 

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 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.

 

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 Place to Mingle and Support a Worthy Cause: Banana Cantina: Everybody has to eat, right? So why not do it where there’s a party going on with local celebrities? And your presence makes a difference because it’s in aid of worthy charities. Setting an altruistic tone we hope is contagious, this community-minded restaurant is the place to be Wednesday nights during high season, when guest hosts spice the night with fun and patrons enjoy award-winning Mexican food.

 

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 Place to Develop a Green Thumb: Botanical Gardens: Historically, a garden was not only an escape from the enclosed interiors of impersonal construction, but also a way of creating an Eden by including Mother Nature in the embracing environment. Bob Price of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens focuses on “bringing native Mexican plants into safe contact with us so we can see them face to face.”

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