Puerto Vallarta Kids and Family

Worst of Puerto Vallarta: The Billboards: 24.4 km - Distance between Puerto Vallarta’s Maritime Terminal and the Punta de Mita exit. 447 - Number of billboards and signs visible from the highway on this stretch. 25 min. - Average time between each billboard/sign. 3 sec. - Average time between each billboard/sign.

Best New Bussines Idea: Klaudio’s Car Wash: Is it possible to be too busy to take your car to the car wash? Manuel Antonio Flores and his son Klaudio think so. With a truck outfitted with all the necessary bells and whistles, from water tanks to pressurized pumps, they have established Klaudio’s Car Wash. Coming to you anywhere on the bay, they offer your car a day of beauty without ever leaving its parking space.

Best Reason to Go for a Swim: PV Lifeguards: Twenty guardian angels are now looking after the well-being of residents and tourists alike who turn Puerto Vallarta’s most popular beaches into their daily playground. Established in 2006, thanks to a partnership between federal and municipal governments, the program includes an increasing number of lifeguards from the local firefighter squad undergoing intense training.

A Grand Gesture of Sponsorship: Toyota Vallarta: The new “Toyota Vallarta” dealership near Las Juntas recently made a grand community gesture by sponsoring the WesMex Regatta, the Vallarta Yacht Club’s premier youth sailing event. This event featured three Olympic-class boats: Optis sailed by 8- to 14-year-old children; as well as 420s and Lasers, sailed by young adults.

Best Example of Neighborhood Empowerment: Pat may and Her Sewing Group: Hidden away in the traditional Mexican town of Jarretaderas, just minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, is an unsung hero named Patricia May. For the past six years, she has been bringing bolts of donated fabrics, sewing machines and notions from the USA to give to local women. Every Saturday afternoon, they meet at May’s house for a sewing class, where they learn new skills.

Best New Maritime Adventure: Sea Lion Encounters: The Vallarta area is well known for animal adventures such as swimming with dolphins and whale watching, but you may not know that you can now interact with sea lions and even go snorkeling with them.These grand whisker-faced creatures are extremely social, comical and mischievous by nature. They love to interact and play with humans, and being close to them is an exhilarating experience.

Best New Animal Conservation Group: Guacamayas Siempre: Guacamayas are as emblematic in Mexico as bald eagles are in the United States. Can you imagine Mexico without the guacamayas (Military Macaw)? Well, neither can Bob Price, founder of the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens, or any of the other members of the newly formed conservation group Guacamayas Siempre (Guacamayas Forever).

Best Unexpected Malecon Treat: Crepe Stands: The night air on the Malecon is filled with a smorgasbord of delicious smells emanating from numerous food vending stands. An unexpected and newly popular option is made-to-order French-style crepes. Nightly between about 6:00 pm and midnight, talented crepe makers pour thin batter onto their steaming griddles, and in no time.

Karen Lahm: Proof Positive of the Power of Commitment, Creativity and Collaboration: Its natural beauty and near perfect weather aside, Vallarta holds a unique appeal for those seeking more than just a pleasant respite from cold winters — namely, the opportunity to assimilate a wonderfully diff erent way of living in concert with a stimulating expatriate community whose respective life experiences, sense of adventure and creative pursuits.

Advocating for the Animals: Vallarta's abandoned companion animals now have a light at the end of the tunnel, efforts being made on their behalf by the new government-registered SPCA of Puerto Vallarta.

New Field Guide to Regional Fauna Debuts: Originally from Czechoslovakia, author Petr Myska has been documenting local flora and fauna since 2002. Both a zoologist and an experienced photographer, Myska has just completed “Viva Natura,” a field guide to the fauna of western Mexico.

Taking Hand to Brush: So, you're bending the elbow a bit, practicing the gentle art of Margaritaville on the beach when you decide to get more creative. Once it's time to dig your toes out of the sand, where can you find something for the soul? Surprisingly, many locals artists offer classes, for advanced students or even beginners.

Waiting for Liz: The sunset displayed such colors, it seemed as though the celestial artist had three margaritas more than I did. He’d surely get an extra tab for the reds and yellows. The sea-scented air diffused my colleagues’ cigar smoke. The heat and humidity were taking a toll on me, despite my rolled-up sleeves. Some of them wore hats, good to sweep away the sweat.

Giving in Banderas Bay: Give, Donate. All around Bahia de Banderas, from El Tuito in the south to San Pancho in the north, opportunities abound for residents, as well as vacationers, to help others. There are charitable and non-profit organizations designed to enrich the lives of children, the ill or incapacitated, seniors and abused women, while other groups focus on animals, among others.