Best of Vallarta 2004


BEST Civic Improvement:
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

After several years of wondering would it happen, should it happen, and then would it ever get finished, and so on, it became the brunt of the local media?s jokes. Everyone in town was talking about it, and not usually in flattering terms.
Some businesses predicted it would bring their ruination because potential customers would no longer have to walk past them to get to the beach. Some initially thought it a huge eyesore, a blight on a formerly unadulterated stretch of oceanfront. And who could imagine anyone ? at Oscar?s on Isla Cuale for example ? enjoying the cocktail hour and sunset with this monstrosity in the picture.
Happily, it turns out they were wrong. The bridge brings them more customers than ever, and the crowds lingering on it seem to appreciate the vistas it provides. And last, but certainly not least, getting between the Malecon, Isla Cuale and Los Muertos is a lot faster, easier and more pleasant now, thanks to its existence.



BEST Walking Tour:
THE NEWLY LINKED MALECON

Now that the new pedestrian bridge links the Malecon to both Isla Cuale and the Los Muertos promenade, the mile-long walk from the Hotel Rosita to La Palapa may very well beat any walking tour in this country.
It?s got it all, stunning natural beauty all the way and lots of potential diversions. Rich with sensory input ? invigorating sea air, dolphins and some pretty good street entertainers showing off and many of the town?s best shops and restaurants along the route ?it?s impossible to stroll here and not feel privileged. And with the mood and activities on the beach changing as the light does, this walk is interesting day or night.
Before the bridge existed, we wrote several articles about a similar walking tour demanding a detour of several blocks with heavy traffic. So, it wasn?t nearly as much fun as this primo promenade is now!

BEST/WORST Idea:
CAR FREE MALECON

The jury is still out on what at first glance seems like a great idea, but at second thought is a double-edged sword: the ?Pedestrian Only? municipal program making much of the Malecon (Paseo Diaz Ordaz) off-limits to vehicles on weekend evenings.
Some see this pilot project as rescuing Vallarta?s historic center by letting it be enjoyed in peace the way it once was, while others say it?s putting the cart way ahead of the horse and the serious downtown traffic and parking problems should be rectified first.
Implementing the change on Valentine?s Day weekend, apparently Mayor Gustavo Gonzalez Villase?or initially found this notion so romantic he couldn?t resist jumping in with both feet, banishing vehicles between McDonald?s and the lighthouse from Friday evening right through Monday morning.
But after being lobbied ? by vociferous business owners especially ? he cut back the very next week to Saturday and Sunday nights only, cautioning ?the process must go slowly.?