Puerto Vallarta is an honest-to-goodness authentic Mexican town as well as a world-class resort, so visitors here enjoy a wider range of experiences than your typical vacation destination offers. Plus we’ve got all the requisites for that much-anticipated trip down south – weather as good as it gets (similar to Hawaii’s, but the peso gives you a lot more bang for your buck), gorgeous scenery, 100 km of pristine beaches on the bay where Puerto Vallarta is situated (Banderas Bay, Mexico’s largest and deepest, and home to award-winning sport fish, giant turtles, manta rays, dolphins and whales), more than a thousand restaurants, and every imaginable activity to engage in – even flying through the tree canopy!
Experiencing Vallarta: Where to Stay: One of the most alluring features of Puerto Vallarta as a destination is that — unless you are traveling onboard one of the many cruise ships that dock for the day at our Maritime Terminal or are simply driving through on your way somewhere else — when the day is done and it’s time to get some well-deserved rest after exploring our town, the lodging options are as plentiful and varied as our restaurant choices.
Puerto Vallarta 101: All packed and ready to go? Here are some essential tidbits and last-minute details you may want to keep in mind as you prepare to discover our destination!
The Unique Neighborhoods In and Around Banderas Bay: It’s impossible to paint all of Banderas Bay with the same brush, so to help you get a taste of the different neighborhoods around the bay (“colonias” in Spanish), we’ve created this handy list of some of the most popular.
Experiencing Vallarta: What to Do: In our previous issue, we explored the many different ways visitors connect with our destination, whether it is for a short vacation or for a lifetime. In this second and final installment, we take a look at some of the leisure pursuits to keep in mind as you design your perfect Puerto Vallarta experience.
The Birth of a Tourist Destination: The history of Banderas Bay, one of the largest bays in the world, and that of Puerto Vallarta go hand in hand. Discover some of the historic events that marked the birth of this beautiful tourist destination.
Fiestas and Festivals: Every day is a día de fiesta in Mexico! Here is a list of official Mexican holidays and important local festivals you may want to keep in mind as you plan ahead for your paradise vacation.
An Evening of Dinner & Dancing to Benefit La Clínica de Rehabilitación de Vallarta: Join us on Saturday, September 4, from 7pm – 11pm at the beautiful Casa Carmelina in Conchas Chinas for the inaugural fundraiser to benefit La Clínica de Rehabilitacíon de Vallarta.
New Environmental Campaign Launched in Banderas Bay: Called “Mexico Limpio y Querido” (Clean and beloved Mexico), the new organization will hopefully inspire residents and visitors with a renewed pride in Mexico.
No Way Jose! Celebrates Readers’ Choice Award: To celebrate the end of a successful first year in Puerto Vallarta, as well as their “Best New Restaurant 2010” Readers’ Choice Award, No Way José! is hosting a special celebration on Friday, September 3.
Daiquiri Dick’s Announces Mahi Mahi Cooking Contest: Also known as “dorado,” mahi mahi is highly sought for sport fishing and commercial purposes, and is quite popular in many local restaurants.
Riviera Nayarit's Half Marathon, Announced: Riviera Nayarit's Half Marathon is ready to take place on November 13 in Nuevo Vallarta, also including this year a 10 km. competition.
Bicentennial of Mexican Independence and Centennial of Mexican Revolution: Commemorating two hundred years since the outbreak of the Creole revolution against Spanish rule and one hundred years since the beginning of the Mexican Revolution, Mexico is celebrating the Bicentenario de la Independencia de Mexico y Centenario de la Revolucion Mexicana throughout 2010.
d’Rachael: What compels a single mother to move her family from Tucson, AZ, to Yelapa in the early ‘80s? For the talented and spontaneous musician d’Rachael, it was a feeling that infused her soul on previous visits to this enchanting seaside community just south of Puerto Vallarta.
Banderas Bay B&B Success Stories: They are called “zimmer” (German for “room”) in Israel, “petite hotel de charme” in France and “casa particular,” or “private home,” in Cuba. Sometimes they go by “inn,” “cottage” or “guesthouse.”
Puerto Vallarta Businesses and Individuals Unite to Keep Bay Clean: Three of Puerto Vallarta’s most well-known companies; Botanical Gardens of Puerto Vallarta, Canopy Las Juntas y Los Veranos and Vallarta Adventures, are teaming to remove garbage from a well-traveled highway to beautify the area, improve environmental conditions and boost tourism in a one-day volunteer driven event
VirtualVallarta.com Readers' Choice Poll 2010 Results Now Online: The results for this year's annual poll on Puerto Vallarta's favorite restaurants were made available online to the public on Thursday, July 15, 2010.
Laura Quiroz: Laura Quiroz was only 18 years old when she came to Puerto Vallarta for Easter Vacation. When she saw the fishing village from the air, she was delighted and thought “here is where I want to live and die someday.”
Tribute for Sculptor Ramíz Barquet: Relatives and friends of the sculptor José Ramíz Barquet, who passed away this last weekend, met at the Centro Universitario de la Costa (CUC) to deliver and present the sculpture entitled La Familia, a sculpture made of bronze by the artist with the intention to offer it to the university as part of its cultural heritage.
Dark Fields is Filming in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit: Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit were elected to film important scenes for the US production Dark Fields, directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist) starring Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper.
Cathy Von Rohr: Originally from Toledo, OH, she had graduated from Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute three years prior and was freelancing as a graphic and exhibit designer. As such, Von Rohr couldn’t resist fellow designer Pamela Waters’ invitation to visit Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
