Profile: Santiago Ortiz
By Elena Del Barrio
summer - fall 2001

Some residents of Costa Vallarta say they belong to the south end of the bay and others lay claim to the north. This distinction probably arises from a difference in temperament and perception of beauty; people believe that the south incites romantic passion, whereas the north offers peaceful serenity. It is in the north that Santiago Ortiz Monasterio found his niche.
The story of Monasterio and Punta Mita began in the 80s, when he used to camp with his friends on the shores of the small peninsula. He was then a business student in his 20s and, though as a child he had taken a fancy for Acapulco’s glamour, it was Punta de Mita, “the arrow shaped peninsula,” that struck him. He kept coming back, until he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime in 1996, almost by chance.
He was to become the Director of the Punta Mita Project, a very ambitious development financed by Mexico’s most important developer, Grupo Dine. Though other options, such as Cancun, had been considered, they finally decided on Punta Mita because its beautiful bay offered foreign visitors the opportunity to discover another world through the charm of its genuine Mexican spirit.
With these priorities in mind, Santiago wanted to preserve the essence of Punta Mita, augmenting it with the refinement of modern luxury and infrastructure. He did not want to create something new or transform it. Quite the contrary, the nature and beauty of the area inspired the very conception of the project itself. He combed the peninsula, discovering its meaning and pleasure, to make this deeply rooted feeling possible.
Punta Mita gave Santiago the opportunity to express his creative and professional maturity. The results today have proved him right, since few developments offer such a perfect and harmonious blend of land and sea. His accomplishment, which is also the work of a devoted group of experts, already has received international recognition. The Four Seasons Resort, a major project within this mega development, has become a favorite destination in a very short time. They, like Santiago, cherish the fresh and inspiring tranquillity of the north side of this bay, where even the waves seem to break almost unwillingly.

Profile: Lee Gibson
By Elena Del Barrio
summer - fall 2001

Lee Gibson used to live in the States, but after 15 years on the road exploring the charm of Mexico, he became more interested in the indigenous cultures of this country. In fact, this prompted him to start his own business in northern California, where he sold handicrafts from the two Americas. At the beginning, he was undecided and split his time between Mexico and the States. However, in 1985, he finally decided to settle down in the small, friendly town of Bucerías because he loves the solitude of the ocean and the friendliness of the people in this town. Bucerías was also the place where he found the best Spanish course, which he claims was a delightful experience and did wonders for his language learning.
Today, he and his wife run Las Palmas, a real estate business, which is unique in itself as they sell, rent and manage properties. Moreover, they have a reputation for ensuring the maintenance and upkeep of clients’ houses, employing more than 60 people in this town. Though he often goes to the States to see his family, now he cannot give up the warm waters, the surfing and the snorkeling of this bay. From the States, he brought with him all those little handicrafts that have guided his way and for his next holiday, he plans to visit Oaxaca, which has sparked his curiosity again with its strong indigenous culture.

Profile: Raul Villalpando
By Elena Del Barrio
summer - fall 2001

Raul Villalpando Ochoa is Pacific Estates. This firm statement asserts his strong attachment and devotion to his career and achievement. He has worked in the real estate industry for more than 30 years and is just as passionately in love with his profession as he was when he first started. With this same enthusiasm, he arrived in Vallarta three years ago to set up his own business.
He started his career in the States, where he acquired all his learning experience and received his licence as a real estate agent and broker. He has a sound knowledge of the American real estate industry, since he successfully managed several companies and was in charge of identifying and marketing real estate properties. It is in the States, his second home, where he married and raised his four daughters.
In a short space of time, he has also come to know Vallarta very well. He drives up and down the bay every day, looking for new plots of land and possibilities that may inspire his commercial flair. In his opinion, Vallarta has reached an optimum stage of development and, as a tourist destination, encompasses everything: beauty, comfort and authenticity. However, he is very concerned about the environment and feels much more should be invested in Vallarta’s infrastructure to preserve its distinctive character. He believes that Vallarta should head for an up-scale market and luxury home sites because these will ensure the preservation of the environment. With this commitment in mind, he accepted his present position as the Sales Manager in Mexico for Sotheby’s International Realty. The exclusive residential home site, Real del Mar, was the result of this appointment.
Raúl was born in Acapulco and always thought he would return to live by the ocean.
Banderas Bay was his choice on the Pacific Coast because he enjoys its cosmopolitan flavor and the refreshing comfort of its surroundings. In his spare time, he explores the beautiful hideouts of this bay with his wife to enjoy the restoring power of nature.

Profile: Bernardo Applegate
By Elena Del Barrio
summer - fall 2001

With his blue eyes of Spanish heritage, strong physique and English surname, no one would guess Bernardo Applegate was born in Tepic, Mexico. In 1917, at the age of three, his family moved to the San Francisco Bay area because Pancho Villa had revolutionized the place. Although he is an American at heart, there is a streak of Spain in his frankness and sensitivity and his fresh and spontaneous manner belongs to Mexico. He is the kind of man who likes to calls things by their names and shakes your hand with a strong and friendly grip.

Those blue eyes enabled him to look deeply into the traits of each country at a time when racial and national conflicts were at stake. He claims the Spanish are too proud, Americans have too many ridiculous prejudices and Mexicans are would-be politicians. Wandering through his recollections at the age of 87, he speaks with extraordinary precision and clarity of thought, which reveals the teacher in him, as he was indeed a principle before he became a businessman. From his love of detail and moments, one can feel his joy for life. He recalls enthusiastically how the macaws used to rain from the sky when he first set foot on this bay in 1957.
He was a pioneer in Vallarta. “We started from scratch,” he says with a spark in his eyes. Like most Americans, Applegate is a “doer,” who likes to bring life into things and especially to people. He bought land and strove to settle it at a time when there was nothing but a beautiful bay. Steel and fiery blood run in his veins, which makes him recognize the transcendence of every human act and the unexpected strokes of fate. He mentions without regret, although he was crazy about flying, how he could have furthered his military career as a teaching captain in Paris, but the sparkling fuzziness of a single night took him to California and, years later, back to Tepic.

His visionary spirit and sensitivity to beauty made him choose the land that today is one of the most coveted areas in the real estate market. At that time, it had not yet been christened with the wonderful name of “Conchas Chinas.” Its playful sound evokes the dreams of a tender man and the memory of its beach once sprinkled with curly-whirly shells.
He lived the “golden age of the Iguana,” when Vallarta was the St. Tropez of Mexico, and he laughs when he remembers how Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor used to have a whale of a time. Full of sad and happy moments, there is a space in time that is distinct in his mind, when he recalls the Oregon of his youth, the forests of northern California and the day he set eyes on this bay. Though he has high hopes for the future of Vallarta, it will never be like the one he lived. His business he leaves in the hands of his sons because he is thinking he might just buy another plot of land for his wife, somewhere north of the bay.