The diverse topography of the area around Banderas Bay provides a wide variety of land tours to choose from. The dense jungle with its lush vegetation and amazingly vivid tropical flowers, rivers that flow through huge gouged boulders, hidden waterfalls and exotic wildlife, offer visitors a trip into another world. Several movies were filmed in these jungles, and the sets are now restaurants and day parks. High above are the Sierra Madre mountains. Out of town are more arid locales. Visit a large man-made lake that offers ancient petroglyphs, camping, rock climbing and great bass fishing, or visit ranches, archeological sites, sunbaked brick factories, turtle farms. Stay in town and take a walking tour of the city, or take an air-conditioned plush coach ride through town that weaves its way through the streets of cliff-side communities, riverside towns, and luxury beach communities.
Widened Malecon Sidewalks Welcome Pedestrians: Enjoying the colorful, atmospheric Malecon is now better than ever, thanks to the enlargement of sidewalks on Diaz Ordaz street, including the installation of planters.
Most Consistent Event: Art Walk: If you telephone your friends in town on a Wednesday evening and get their answering machine instead, chances are that they are out gallivanting from one art gallery to another as part of Puerto Vallarta’s most popular and enduring weekly event: The Art Walk.
Most Happening Town for Evening Events: Bucerias: Kudos to the businesses and associations in Bucerias who, over the past year, have not only held many more special events and activities but also have gotten much better at promoting them.
Best Neighborhood Improvement: Bucerias Main Road: Less is more, especially when it means eliminating the things that are an inconvenience when walking or driving, such as uneven cobblestones, speed bumps and pot holes.
Top Ten Best-Kept Activity Secrets: Beyond the glitz and high profile are some activities and destinations that you may not have heard of.
Best Sport You Never Thought You’d See in the Region: Polo: Both fashionable and trendy, La Patrona’s weekly Saturday tournaments in San Pancho, Riviera Nayarit, are increasingly attracting the region’s who’s who, not to mention a number of people who wish to learn more about this exciting sport.
Best New Park: Recicla Parque, Corral del Risco: Hot on the heels of the magnificent Recicla Parque in San Pancho, entreAmigos, spearheaded by Nicole Swedlow, teamed with Molly Fischer of PEACE and about 200 volunteers to build a fabulous playground in just one day, using recycled materials, at the Corral del Risco Kindergarten.
Strolling Around Gringo Gulch: Climb up any of the step-lined streets that lead to this charming hillside neighborhood and you will quickly understand why Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton chose to have homes built there back in the 1960s.
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.
Bucerias Art Walks Better Than Ever: With new galleries and numerous visiting artists from throughout North America, the third season of the Bucerias Art Walks promises to be exciting and full of surprises. (April 2)
San Pancho: A Little Slice of Paradise: Deserted powdery white beaches and a traditional small-town feel await you at San Francisco, affectionately known as San Pancho. Located in the state of Nayarit, about an hour north of Vallarta along Highway 200 — away from the high-energy experience of nearby Puerto Vallarta — this beautiful town invites rest and relaxation. Swim, surf, shop or simply do nothing, while getting relaxed and recharged. The average annual temperature is a pleasant 27°C (81°F). Rainy season stretches from June to October and is the hottest and most humid time of the year. From November to May, the air is a perfect temperature to enjoy being outdoors.
Best Way to Pamper Yourself: Mexico Boutique Hotels: There are many ways to honor that special someone in your life, but beyond the traditional gift ideas, why not surprise and amaze them with a once-in-a-lifetime experience they will cherish and talk about forever? Mexico Boutique Hotels is the guide to selecting upscale getaway destinations, which are maintained to the most stringent standards. Here are some local choices, guaranteed to impress.
Best Way to Occupy Your Green Thumb: Vallarta Orchid Society: Did you know that there are about 240 indigenous species of orchids growing wild in the greater Puerto Vallarta area? TJ Hartung, founder of the Vallarta Orchid Society, does. This society was inaugurated in 2006 with the goal of educating people about orchids, as well as rescuing and preserving the existing orchid species in our area.
Best Public Art Installation: The Art of Chase: “Recuerda Quién Eres” (Remember Who you Are), reads the message in a colorful mural located on the right just as you enter El Centro from the north. It was created by Chase, a successful Belgian artist, along with his talented colleague, Blue. In just 10 days, these graffiti artists transformed four previously neglected public walls around town, covering their rough surfaces.
Best New Paved Roads: Sayulita and San Sebastian: These two popular daytrip and overnight destinations have been begging for discovery for years. New access roads make this easier than ever. If driving to Sayulita, consider taking the Punta Mita route instead of Carr. 200 Norte. Once on the Punta Mita road, take a right onto the new Litibu road that connects with the recently paved Sayulita back entrance.
