What is Puerto Vallarta Known For?
How Would you Describe Puerto Vallarta?
Puerto Vallarta is located on the Pacific Coast along the lower edge of one of the largest mountain ranges in Mexico, the Sierra Madre. One of the most beautiful bays in Latin America is surrounded by majestic mountains and a lush green jungle.
Puerto Vallarta is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. It is located on the Pacific Coast in Jalisco and is a part of the Banderas Bay, one of the world’s most beautiful bays and Mexico’s most prominent. The entire bay measures 26 miles from east to west and 20 miles from North to South.
Today, Puerto Vallarta receives millions of visitors each year. They come from the US, Canada, and Europe to enjoy the white sandy beaches and breathtaking landscapes. Vallarta sits just 2 meters above sea level and at the same latitude as Hawaii, which means this Mexican city enjoys a temperate tropical climate year-round.
How to Visit Puerto Vallarta?
Direct flights leave for Vallarta from North America and many European cities. Airlines that fly to this area are Aeromexico, America West, Alaska, Continental Airlines, American, and more.
The city has been a major international tourism destination for more than 50 years. It receives many international flights, yacht arrivals, and major cruise lines from the US, Canada, and the Caribbean.
What is the origin of the name Puerto Vallarta?
Interestingly enough, Puerto Vallarta did not start with the actual name. It was once called Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe after the founder Guadalupe Sánchez in 1851, but the name was changed in 1918 in honor of then ex governor, Ignacio Luis Vallarta.
Is The Bay The Biggest Bay in Mexico?
The Bay of Banderas has a 60-mile coastline and is about 26 miles wide. It is the largest bay in Mexico but not in North America. The largest bay in North America is Chesapeake, but the Bay of Banderas is the largest in Mexico.
How Did Puerto Vallarta Become such A Popular Destination?
In the 1950s, Puerto Vallarta was a small village of about 12,000 people. It is a city with over 300,000 full-time residents and more than 2 million visitors who come every year.
The first tourist boom started in the 1960s when The Night of the Iguana was released. The movie brought the city into the limelight, and people learned worldwide.
Starring in the movie was golden boy Richard Burton and Eva Gartner. Elizabeth Taylor accompanied Burton on the trip, and their scandalous love affair took the world by storm, as they were both married to other people. During their stay in Puerto Vallarta, Burton and Taylor each bought a house up on the hill and built a bridge from one home to the other to visit each other. The homes still exist. One is now the famous Casa Kimberly restaurant.
Activities in Puerto Vallarta!
Puerto Vallarta is a world-class resort offering the perfect place to experience Mexican culture and enjoy some of the most diverse beaches located in a single area. In addition, there are several activities, and excursions visitors can enjoy when they come. Activities such as horseback riding, diving, cruises, hiking, and sightseeing are available in downtown Puerto Vallarta and south and north Vallarta.
In the downtown area, visitors can find interesting architecture, artistic sculptures, the Los Arcos Amphitheater, the Lady of Guadalupe Church, Town Hall, gorgeous murals, art exhibits, and more.
Surrounding Areas
The outskirts of Puerto Vallarta are just as beautiful as the city itself. Each of the fishing villages has its beauty. Small towns boast architecture and culture hundreds of years old in the mountains. Cities like San Sebastian del Oeste are steeped in history. These are places where the locals still live in the natural environment they have lived in for hundreds of years. San Sebastian is a living town that is reminiscent of pre-revolutionary Mexico.
What Is The Best Time to Visit Puerto Vallarta?
The weather determines the best times to go to Puerto Vallarta, and because Vallarta sits close to the Equator, the temperature is relatively uniform throughout the year. Even so, the hottest months run are in August and September.
Summer is the rainy season, so it is the time of year when visitors are most likely to experience inclement weather. Therefore, this season is considered the slow season for Vallarta as winter is when most people visit if visitors want to come when there are no crowds and when the weather is nice, the best time is between April and June.
