A Little Dose of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Puerto Vallarta is to west coasters as Cancun is to east coasters. Is it touristy? Yes. However, we prefer it to Cancun as it still manages to offer some authentic Mexican flavor and charm (once the cobblestones start). Being an east coaster, this was in fact Mandy’s first time setting foot in Puerto Vallarta, including the cliched “Zona Romantica.” Greg, on the other hand, was reliving memories of his five earlier trips to PV and his younger party boy days when he stayed up past 11. It was nostalgic for him to reflect on the changes. Although we’re glad we only devoted a day to exploring the tourist mecca, it was good to soak it in.

One thing that hadn’t changed in twenty years was the very iconic church called Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Parish of Our Lady of Guadeloupe), which is known for its crowned Renaissance-style tower. The church was finished a hundred years ago this year and we were lucky enough to get to spy through the side entrance on a wedding. The hand ringing of the bells with a rope is a long local tradition.

The plaza in front of Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe was closed off due to COVID, along with many other public gathering spaces.

In fact, unlike in Sayulita or other towns up the coast from Puerto Vallarta, we were happy to see them doing their part. Masks were plentiful here.

According to TripAdvisor, the Malecon is said to be Puerto Vallarta’s number one thing to do. This lovely .7 km walk along the sea is very nice and a notable improvement to what Greg remembers from 1999. At that time, cars were able to maneuver up and down this strip and pedestrians were confined to the right perimeter. Now, thankfully it is pedestrian only and features a large number of sculptures, artwork and other eye candy. However, the vibe is still similar and is lined with clubs, bars, and obnoxious tourist shops/restaurants like Senor Frogs.

All this said, we undoubtedly disagree with TripAdvisor and think the best part of Puerto Vallarta is steering off the Malecon and heading up the hills for epic views, authentic restaurants and residences, and a terrific glute workout.

This restaurant built a lovely multi-media display using lots of real plants, textiles and colors.

We love how literally every church in Mexico looks a little bit different.

Back on the Malecon, Senor Frogs is packed with people. More reasons to avoid.

These sculptures, however, are certainly worth a look. Can’t figure out what exactly is going on with this overweight, yet skeletal, looking elf eating his melting hand… ??‍♀️

Puerto Vallarta is certainly catered to those not comfortable speaking Spanish.

Other views on the Malecon

The view going up the hill from the Malecon. Greg remembers organizing his senior trip to Puerto Vallarta in 1997. He also remembers most of his classmates being hesitant to leave the tourist zone and go two blocks back to eat the “sketchy” street tacos. That summer, when the senior trip was over and all his classmates returned to Oregon, Greg instead chose to stay. He hopped on a bus solo and decided to go all the way to the Yucatán. Clearly, once an explorer gene, always an explorer gene.

The famous Puerto Vallarta welcome sign was once just the boy riding a seahorse.

Lazaro Cardenas Park is a stunning park in the Zona Romantica, which was also blocked off due to COVID. Despite this, we were still able to appreciate the exquisite mosaic tile benches which covered the park. It’s clearly a work in progress, but wow! Apparently, there is a Saturday Market here every week but we missed it by a couple of hours.

An unusual landmark in Puerto Vallarta is Isla Cuale, which is situated in El Rio Cuale leading to the Pacific Ocean. This is the view as we passed the first bridge leading onto the island. It reminded us of scenes we had seen in Cambodia.

Loved the childlike artwork on the bridge.

Make sure you go down the stairs into “Gringo Gulch” to fully appreciate the island. It’s called this because on the far east end is a series of upscale mansions tucked into the hills where gringos, including Elizabeth Taylor, have set up residency. The entire area is covered in lush free-flowing jungle trees and there is plenty of space for enjoying the riverside and picnicking as well.

Side note: Some Mexicans say that the word gringo was generated when the U.S. invaded Mexico in the year 1846, wearing green uniforms, and people used to yell at them: “Green Go” (as in leave!) but now we know this information is totally inaccurate.

In actuality, it came up centuries ago in Spain, and it was basically applied to those who spoke an incomprehensible language, such as English. It reappeared during the war because the soldiers from the States simply spoke a strange language.

One of the suspension bridges leading off the island. Not for those of have watched too much Indiana Jones or for the faint of heart.

The Cuale Island Flea Market is loaded with fun souvenirs to take back home.

A street scene above the island. Puerto Vallarta is incredibly clean and walkable, although buses are frequent and easy to ride as well.

Party Greg had breakfast here at 11:45 am in 1997.

Pineapples, papayas, and watermelon…all cheap and all in season. ?

Heading up…

Taking in views of the city and the Pacific Ocean. One wonderful thing about COVID? No cruise ships dumping tons of people out!

Loved the decorative street signs.

We were also very happy to see this in support of BLM. Especially “Todos somos America.” We are all America. Yes, we are.

What an adorable home.

Leading up to the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

As if it were made of stone and lace, that crown really is exquisite.

The local bus is super easy to use and costs $10 pesos ($.50) a ride. Uber is also available.

We had a very early flight, so we headed back to our accommodation early, at the Container Inn. We’ve been admiring the eco-friendly and architectural wonder of container establishments for awhile and finally found the opportunity to stay at a container hotel, conveniently located near Puerto Vallarta’s airport.

The hotel is, in fact, the largest hotel in Mexico built with repurposed maritime shipping containers and offers creativity and innovation in this form of accommodation. It generates more than 90% of their energy for its operation thanks to solar panels and has conducted other sustainable measures as well. And a great deal to boot: $24/night, an American breakfast and a 15-minute walk to the airport. Definitely a great option for a night when flying in or out of this area!