Travel and Leisure has named Puerto Vallarta as one of the friendliest cities in the world and I can attest to their hospitality. Their kindness was overflowing but it was also apparent that there is a lot of pride that they take in their city. Puerto Vallarta or as I like to refer to it , PVR, is located on the Pacific coast of Mexico, in the state of Jalisco. Hello Jalisco, home of Tequila! Well that's for a whole other blog!
One of the things I hear a fair amount from my clients is that I have been to Cancun, I don't need to go back to Mexico again. Friends, that is like saying that I have been to New York so I don't need to see Florida!! There is so much to explore of this beautiful country. I loved exploring PVR and I am already planning my return trip . Check out some of the things I loved about this destination. Also be sure to check out my blog on Cabo San Lucas, another fun destination!
Downtown PVR was a short 10 min taxi ride from the resort I stayed at. As I explored the downtown area, it was easy to see that tourist and locals lived amongst each other. This pride they have for their city could be seen as I visited downtown twice on my trip and I was amazed at how clean the downtown area was on a Friday afternoon. I just loved how colorful the city is and the brightly colored murals that were on so many buildings.
Two of the main areas that I visited in downtown was the Malecon (boardwalk) and the Romantic zone. As most boardwalks, the Malecon stretches along the coast. There are several bars and restaurants that lined the area. There is also a pier, sculptures and of course you can't skip getting your picture with the PVR sign. We also popped over to see the beautiful Church of our Lady Guadalupe. Such a gorgeous church! The Romantic zone is a trendy area with cafes, cobblestone streets, LGBT bars, and restaurants. On the weekend, there were plenty of locals enjoying the beaches and spending time with their families. We had so much fun exploring these areas!
In addition to the tourist spots, there are also plenty of local areas. We stopped at a local tortilla shop and we got to have the freshest tortillas I have ever had. They were warm and delicious!!!!
Downtown is so alive! Plenty of food vendors if you are feeling adventurous.
PVR has an interesting history in pop culture. It was not a well known vacation destination until Elizabeth Taylor put it on the map. The area was the location of the filming of the movie, Night of the Iguana. Richard Burton was in the movie with Ava Gardner. At the time, Burton was having an affair with Elizabeth Taylor. The media traveled all over to capture pictures of the couple who were also married to other people at the time. It was quite the media frenzy of the day. When Elizabeth flew down to visit Richard Burton, the Hollywood reporters traveled there to photograph the couple. Like the say, the rest is history.
I am a beach girl. But I also love destinations that have an interesting landscape besides just a beach. In PVR, not only do you have a beach, but you also have the Sierra Madre mountains that surround the area. It provides such a beautiful backdrop to the beach. PVR is on the Pacific coast of Mexico so you do find the beach area more of a bronze color and it can be rocky in areas.
Puerto Vallarta is great for zip lining and whale watching. I got to experience a bucket list item of mine and went whale watching! We took a small boat with about 10 other people and got close enough to the whales where I could hear the water spurting out of the blow holes and hearing the fins smack the water. At one time there were as many of 3 whales together. Our guide also dropped a microphone into the water so we could hear the whales "talk" to each other. It was amazing!!! Whale watching season is December - March, so if you are in the area during the season, you should defiantly go. There is so much more to explore in this area from surfing towns along the coast and tequila tastings from the birthplace of tequila. I can't wait to go back!
Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta
This was such an amazing experience!
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Happy Traveling!
Tammy
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