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Midpoint of the Mexican Riviera

by Toni Dabbs

Some North Americans consider Puerto Vallarta the next best thing to paradise, returning year after year to enjoy its comfortable climate and affordable prices.

Located near the midpoint of Mexico's west coast, Puerto Vallarta sprawls around tranquil Banderas bay at the feet of the jungle-clad Sierra Madre mountains. It records 345 sunny days per year, with average high temperatures of 86 F (28 C) from January to April and 92 F (31 C) from May to December.

In Puerto Vallarta, local children pose with pet iguanas for visitors' cameras. The town gained notoriety in 1964, when Elizabeth Taylor joined Richard Burton there while he filmed Tennessee Williams's "Night of the Iguana." Their homes, connected by a passageway over the narrow street, can be found among the hillside villas of Gringo Gulch, reached by steep stone steps ascending from Plaza de Armas.

Thanks to building codes forbidding non-traditional construction, the cobblestone lanes of the central part of Puerto Vallarta retain much of their original charm. Bright bougainvillaea grow alongside pastel stucco structures with red tile roofs.

Rising above them is the bell tower of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, topped by angels holding aloft a wrought iron crown -- an enormous replica of the one worn by Carlota, empress of Mexico from 1864 to 1867. The church was built over a 33-year period, from 1918 to 1951.

Shops around Plaza de Armas, while surrendering few bargains, are stocked with quality goods that beg browsing -- leather huarache sandals, embroidered cotton clothing and jewelry fashioned from locally mined silver. Better buys in folk art -- terra cotta pottery, hand loomed rugs, woven straw baskets -- are found on Isla Cuale, a small island in the middle of Rio Cuale, the river that effectively halves Puerto Vallarta.

In addition to boutiques, Isla Cuale features an archaeological museum, a botanic garden, a children's park, a statue of "Night of the Iguana" director John Huston and restaurants. Restaurants ranging from outdoor cafes to fine dining establishments also are found along the Malecon, the town's waterfront promenade. A pleasant place to stroll by day, the Malecon becomes the focus of nightlife after dark.

At both ends of town, resort hotels offer visitors the use of swimming pools, tennis courts and golf courses. Other sports available at hotel or public beaches include scuba diving, horseback riding, windsurfing and parasailing -- being strapped to a parachute and towed above the bay behind a speedboat.

More than 15 beaches border Bahia de las Banderas, the seventh largest bay in the world. Those to the south are the most beautiful -- Las Estacas, Punta Negra and Mismaloya. Mismaloya was an isolated spot when director John Huston chose it as the location for "Night of the Iguana." Buildings used in the film still stand deserted on a hill to the south.

Visitors looking for a remote beach today need to travel a little farther. To the south, Playa de las Animas (at a small fishing village) and Quimixto (beside a jungle waterfall) are accessible only by boat. North of town, Anclote can be reached by a road that passes ranches and mango groves.

Contact
1-800-44-MEXICO
http://mexico-travel.com

by Toni Dabbs

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