28 FEB 2018: Before John Huston’s 1964 film, The Night of the Iguana, Puerto Vallarta was a sleepy fishing village. All that changed when Liz Taylor arrived to keep an eye on her lover, Richard Burton, while he was filming with the voluptuous Ava Gardner. The publicity buzz about Burton and Liz’s torrid affair, plus the success of the movie, put Vallarta on the tourist map.
I have made Puerto Vallarta, my winter “home away from home” for the past 12 years. Why here?
Let me count the ways.
The Puerto Vallarta/Riviera Nayarit region boasts ideal weather. In my dozen years here it has rained twice for a few hours. The average daily temperature is about 80F with a breeze. Nights are cool and balmy and we sleep with a ceiling fan; no need for air conditioning.
The restaurants and markets provide fabulous food options-from Mexican to Italian to Thai. The Banderas Bay region appeals to all types: it is senior friendly, gay friendly, single women friendly, couples friendly, family friendly… even dog friendly. You don’t need a car because public transportation (buses, taxis and collectivos) is efficient and cheap, albeit not what I’d describe as luxurious. Every bus ride over Puerto Vallarta’s cobbled streets is a free cellulite treatment!
Trust me, the Mexican Tourist Board is not paying me to be their spokesperson. I sincerely love the place and its people and I’m fed up with the negative press that Mexico gets. I feel safer here than I did living in downtown Toronto. Mind you, I am not out soliciting drugs or soused on tequila in the middle of the night.
Here’s my 2018 update of where to save, splurge and make the most of your pesos on the Bay of Banderas.
(All prices approximated in Canadian dollars.)
THE “CHEAP THRILLS” SAVE LIST
Coffee, Chocolates and Cigars
This self-confessed coffee snob has finally found the best latte in Puerto Vallarta. I had ignored the Vallarta Factory in the past because I thought they sold only cigars. I was wrong. They sell hand-rolled cigars as well as homemade chocolates, pastries and terrific coffee. The owners source their coffee beans from Mexico’s prime growing areas (Oaxaca Vera Cruz, Chiapas and San Sebastian, just north of Puerto Vallarta and roast them on the spot. The Vallarta Factory is located on Calle Libertad near the bridge going north over the River Cuale. www.vallartafactory.com
A Palapa in Yelapa
Accessible primarily by water taxi, Yelapa provides a taste of rustic Mexico with not an all-inclusive or high rise in sight. You’ll find plenty of aging hippies, artists and laid-back locals. Take a hike or ride a burro to the waterfall, then sprawl out on the golden beach. Buy a slice of pie from one of the lady vendors who balance the homemade goodies in plastic containers on their heads and chill out. Boats leave daily from Marina Vallarta, Boca de Tomatlan, and Los Muertos Pier.
Saturday is Market Day
The Old Town Farmers’ Market takes place in the Lazaro Cardenas Square in the Romantic Zone on Saturday mornings. It’s full of vendors selling everything from fresh bread and baked goods to organic vegetables to crafts. Plan to have breakfast as you graze from stall to stall.
Meet me on the Malecon
Puerto Vallarta’s lovely seaside promenade, the Malecon, is enhanced with a number of bronze sculptures by world-renounced artists. Gary Thompson of Galeria Pacifico offers free walking tours every Tuesday starting at 9:30 a.m. Meet at the Millennium sculpture next to Hotel Rosita.
When the sun goes down, watch a folkloric spectacle in the Los Arcos, the open-air amphitheatre. On Sunday nights a live band plays in the zocalo. Join the locals, young and senior, in a sexy salsa number.
Bountiful Botanical Gardens
Hop on the bus that says El Tuito at the corner of Carranza and Aguacate. The scenic ride takes you along the coast to the Botanical Gardens. Wear walking shoes so you can explore the various trails and collections of palms, roses, ferns, agaves, orchids, wildflowers, coffee and vanilla trees. A fascinating variety of birds and butterflies call these gardens home too, so bring your camera and binoculars. Take a refreshing dip in the Rio Los Horcones (don’t forget to bring a towel), and then head up to the Hacienda de Oro restaurant for an alfresco lunch. The gift shop is full of unique items, including vanilla beans grown on the property. We visit these gardens every year and each time we discover something new. Last year they built a chapel; weddings in this idyllic setting are very popular. This year there is a new cactus garden. Entrance to the gardens is about $10. www.vbgardens.org
Wednesday Night Art Walk
From the end of October to the end of May you can participate in Art Walk every Wednesday evening. About 20 galleries and studios in the historic centre open from 6 to 10 p.m. Most serve snacks and drinks; often they’ll have an artist or two on the premises. Café des Artistes, one of Vallarta’s top restaurants, offers early-bird dinner specials (three courses for about $50) in a lush garden setting. www.vallartaartwalk.com
Joe Jack’s Fish Shack
The atmosphere is funky and casual but the cooking is superb. Joe Jack’s, located in the Romantic Zone on Basilio Badillo, is a fun spot for lunch or dinner. Shrimp and avocado tostados slide down extremely well with a gazpacho Bloody Mary or Ginger Mojito. On Fridays, they serve all-you-can-eat beer battered fish and chips. My husband and I always share the whole red snapper cooked with lime, chillies and garlic. Muy bueno! www.joejacks-fishshack.com
THE “YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE” SPLURGE LIST
Some Enchanted Evening
For an unforgettable evening under the stars, take the new Savia, Rhythms of the Night expedition to Las Caletas offered by Vallarta Adventures. John Huston built his home on this pristine cove after directing Night of the Iguana. You arrive via catamaran to welcoming tiki torches and drummers dressed in native costumes. The evening includes outdoor candlelight buffet dinner and a magically choreographed performance in a jungle theatre with talented dancers, fire dancers, acrobats and more. Think Cirque de Soleil on a Jungle Island! On the cruise back to the Marina Cruise Terminal your crew provides surprisingly good entertainment. Vallarta Adventures offers all sorts of other excursions from zip lining to dolphin and sea lion programs. www.vallarta-adventures.com
Say Si to Sergio
Perhaps the loveliest jewelry/art shop in Puerto Vallarta is that of Sergio Bustamente. The famous Mexican artist whose sculpture “Searching for Reason” graces the Malecon, also creates miniature sculptures in the forms of rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Bring back a trinket with one of his stylized suns for fond memories when in colder climes. www.coleccionsergiobustamante.com.mx
Star Struck at Casa Kimberly
During their romantic romp in PV, Richard Burton presented Casa Kimberly (named after the builder’s daughter) as a gift to Elizabeth for her 32nd birthday. The totally renovated and expanded Casa Kimberly opened in December 2015 as a luxury boutique hotel.
The opulent Elizabeth Taylor Suite comes with its own private pool, Jacuzzi and wrap-around terrace. I think Liz would approve of the massive ensuite bathroom and the vintage pink marble bathtub in the shape of a heart where Ms. Taylor herself soaked back in her days in PV.
Six evenings a week, the twelve-piece Joya de Mexico mariachi group serenades guests with everything from traditional mariachi to Hollywood and classical tunes in The Iguana Restaurant & Tequila Bar. www.casakimberly.com
Trio Treats
Located in a stylish colonial home in Centro, Trio serves Mediterranean-style food with panache and impeccable service. The Lebanese salad is a winning combination of thinly sliced roasted beets topped with marinated goat’s cheese. There’s always a special “fish of the day” and terrific vegetarian dishes. You can order main courses in small or regular portions. Either way, save room for the warm chocolate cake. To add to your dining enjoyment, there are roving musicians. www.triopv.com
Vallarta Food Tours
I highly recommend Vallarta Food Tours if you want to “eat like a local.” Last year I did the Mex-ology bar circuit and the year before, the Taco Crawl. This year we signed up for the Vallarta By Road. Travelling by van, our group of ten was able to venture into some Vallarta suburbs that are off-the-beaten tourist track. Our moveable feast included seven stops for various tastes of local cuisine.
Our guide, Juri, a Japanese/American, who has made PV her home for a few years, was a font of knowledge about the cuisine and Mexican trivia.
On some back streets of PV, we consumed tacos filled with lamb slow-cooked in agave leaves and baguettes filled with pork and a spicy tomato dipping sauce. In the neighbourhood called Pitillal, we visited a church and then had tamales in a family’s garden. In the Versailles barrio, we downed mango margaritas and superb shrimp tacos. Back in PV we stopped for smoked marlin tacos that truly tasted like “the bacon of the sea.”
We ended on a sweet note at the ChocoMuseo with a tasting of their various chocolate products and a divine little chocolate taco filled with fresh berries, and whipped cream. If you want to munch and mingle with locals and learn more about the local cuisine and culture, join a Vallarta Food Tour. Come hungry with an expandable waistband.www.vallartafoodtours.com