Puerto Vallarta
Protected by the second largest bay in the American continent, Bahía de Banderas, with over 40 km of golden beaches in the center of the Mexican Pacific and surrounded by the majestic mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental lies Puerto Vallarta, a paradise whose special charm is due to its blend of colonial and cosmopolitan features.
The best way to enjoy Puerto Vallarta is to wander through Viejo Vallarta, with its traditional cobbled streets, white-walled houses, wrought-iron balconies and red tiled roofs; visit the Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, with its unusual dome, a replica of the crown worn by Empress Charlotte in 1860; admire the original murals by the artist Manuel Lepe in the Palacio Municipal; walk along the jetty with its esplanade of bronze statures and wide variety of shops with something for everyone; explore the galleries displaying contemporary Mexican art; sample the varied gastronomy in one of its open-air restaurants while gazing at a beautiful sunset or enjoy a traditional Mexican evening complete with folkloric ballet.
To the north lies Marina Vallarta, the largest sports port in Mexico that attracts luxurious yachts and sailboats from all over the world and is surrounded by deluxe hotels, shopping malls and golf courses. Next to it, in the state of Nayarit, is Nuevo Vallarta, the most recent tourist resort in the bay.
In Puerto Vallarta you will find more than one way of recharging your batteries, since there are hundreds of opportunities for recreation, particularly water sports such as diving, sailboat regattas, fishing, skiing and Jet Skis as well as gentle boat rides round the bay to watch dolphins, turtles and humpbacked whales, just some of the natural attractions that make this one of the world’s favorite destinations. |
