Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Puerto Vallarta, founded in 1851 as Las Peñas, is located on Banderas Bay in the northern-western part of the State of Jalisco, Mexico. This impressive bay is the seventh largest in the world, and with its 150 kms of coastline, it is hard to beat in beauty. In 1918 the town was renamed Puerto Vallarta in honor of Ignacio Luis Vallarta, state governor at that time.
Puerto Vallarta, with a permanent population of less than half a million, receives more than 4 million visitors annually. The many nearby beaches of the bay offer the visitor ample spots to swim and engage in other watersports such as snorkeling and surfing. The bars and nightspots of the old town serve up a kaleidescope of music – from Mexican favorites to jazz and salsa, and the stores and markets present the visitor with colorful, indigenous arts and crafts. There is a charm to the old town architecture and excellent dining found along its streets. In addition, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy, such as dolphin and whale watching, sailing adventures, golfing and deep sea sportfishing.
Things to do in PV
Just about everything you ever dreamed of doing in a beach-side resort can be done in Puerto Vallarta and surrounding beach communities.
Boat trips
Take a boat ride to the nearby village of Yelapa or the beaches of Quimixto and Las Animas.
Visit one of Puerto Vallarta’s Country Clubs for a round or two of golf. These include the Marina Vallarta Golf Club (18 holes) at Marina Vallarta, Flamingos (18 holes) in Bucerias, the Vista Vallarta (two 18 hole courses) in the northern part of town, and the Mayan Palace golf course (18 holes) in Nuevo Vallarta. There is also a members-only 19 hole golf course at the Four Seasons in Punta Mita.
Chico's Paradise
Take an evening walk along the Malecon (sea walk) downtown; enjoy the sculptures, sea breeze and sunsets with your fellow strollers.
Explore Old Vallarta’s streets and shops, offering silver, Huichol crafts and other artifacts, and a variety of souvenier stores and boutiques.
Take a trip to Chico’s Paradise to the south of town and romp amongst the spectacular rock pools and waterfalls
Malecon
Go on sunset bay tour on the Marigalante, a replica of one of the Columbus caravels
Watch the whales and dolphins from right up close in Banderas Bay. There are several tour companies in town that offer excellent daytime Whale Watching expeditions.
Visit Vallartas museums: The Prehispanic Museum is located on Rio Cuale Island; The Ernesto Muñoz Art Museum is at Fco. Madero 272 and the Burton-Taylor Museum, housed in Casa Kimberley, is located on Zaragoza St., behind the Iglesia de Guadalupe.
Marina Vallarta
Go horseback riding or hiking into the lush jungle and through small, mountain villages. Visit the Santa Lucia Waterfalls at Las Juntas y los Veranos.
Surf, dive and snorkel the beaches of Vallarta from Quimixto in the south to Punta Mita in the north. There are a number of dive shops, such as Ecotours and Chico’s Dive Shop, for diving and snorkeling supplies. Surfing in Jalisco…
Have a relaxing and refreshing cocktail overlooking Vallarta’s romantic Playa Los Muertos, the old town beach, or spend a more lively evening in the taverns and restaurants of Marina Vallarta.
South of Puerto Vallarta
Live music is to be found in many of the local clubs and restaurants (sometimes not every night, though – check the local schedules first). Some of these are Club Roxy (Rock & Reggae), La Bodeguito del Medio (Cuban salsa), River Cafe on Rio Cuale (jazz/guitar), Cafe des Artistes (Piano/Flute), Hard Rock Cafe (Rock), Zapata’s (Latino) and El Faro in Marina Vallarta (guitar).
Deep Sea Fishing is excellent in the Vallarta area – cast your line for sailfish, marlin, dorado, tuna. Participate in Puerto Vallarta’s annual Sailfish Tournament held every year on the weekend closest to the 20th of the month (Revolution Day weekend)
Puerto Vallarta hotels
Puerto Vallarta Weather
Puerto Vallarta has a typical tropical climate, with temperature and variations in humidity that can make July through September nearly intolerable. It has pronounced wet and dry seasonal variation, with sudden monsoon-like rains from July through September, normally for a few hours in the evenings.
The average daily high temperature is 86 °F (30 °C); average daily low temperature is 70 °F (21 °C); average daily humidity is 75%. The rainy season extends from mid June through mid October, with most of the rain between July and September. August is the city’s wettest month, with an average of 14 days with significant precipitation. Even during the rainy season precipitation tends to be concentrated in large rainstorms. Occasional tropical storms will bring thunderstorms to the city in November, though the month is typically dry. February, March and April are the months with the least cloud cover.
Wikipedia contributors, “Puerto Vallarta,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Puerto_Vallarta&oldid=316569031 (accessed October 7, 2009).
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Originally posted 2009-10-07 15:56:07.
