Once I started observing some of the historical photos that Homes & Living so kindly provided me with, I started noticing the views of Puerto Vallarta in the olden days were sometimes quite similar to the views I could find in my photo archives and the views you can find in Google Streetview, so I took some time to try to find similar angles and shots so I could compare past vs. the present.

See them all at: http://www.puertovallarta.net/gallery/puerto-vallarta-historical-comparisons.php

Puerto Vallarta’s parish Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is a city icon, it dominates Vallarta’s downtown skyline and is one of the favorite symbols and landmarks of the city, both in photos, shirts, logos and postcards.

If you’ve been to Vallarta, you have surely visited it, if you are to visit the city, add it to your list of things to do in town, it not only is great for your souvenir photos, you’ll get a glimpse of one of the most important monuments of the city and the spiritual center of the Catholics in town (religion in Vallarta).

Read the whole article at: http://www.puertovallarta.net/what_to_do/our-lady-of-guadalupe-church.php

Mismaloya is the beach that started it all, a beach that changed the future and destiny of a whole Mexican town, we are talking about Puerto Vallarta, of course.

Before John Huston arrived to film the movie “The Night of the Iguana” in Puerto Vallarta in 1963 and specifically at Mismaloya Beach, the town and the area was just a sleepy fishermen town, known by a few adventurous artists and travelers.

Read it all at: http://www.puertovallarta.net/what_to_do/mismaloya.php

La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is a quiet small fisherman town (total population: 1621 inhabitants) located in the state of Nayarit, north of Puerto Vallarta. It’s between Punta de Mita and Bucerías, closer to Bucerías and is, more or less, 30 minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta, depending on if you drive, you take a bus or a taxi, the last one is the option that’ll get you there fastest…
Read the whole article at: http://www.puertovallarta.net/what_to_do/la-cruz-de-huanacaxtle-nayarit.php

The Spanish King Carlos V and his court must have been thoroughly amazed when a group of ball players from Mexico -whose lands had recently been conquered in The King’s name at the beginning of the Sixteenth century- demonstrated their ability to skillfully hit a rubber ball with their hips. It was Hernando Cortés, the conquistador of the Aztec empire, who on one of his trips back to the Spanish Peninsula took these players with him, causing great admiration among the Europeans.

Read complete article at: http://www.puertovallarta.net/fast_facts/sacred-aztec-ball-game.php

Bucerias is a small attractive town located in the Banderas Bay in the state of Nayarit between La Cruz de Huanacaxtle to the north and Nuevo Vallarta to the south and is part of what is now called Riviera Nayarit.

It is 11 miles north of Puerto Vallarta’s International Airport, 4 miles from Nuevo Vallarta and 90 miles from Tepic, the capital of Nayarit. The locals are simple, sincere and kind people, they are proud of their town and their clean beautiful beach. The 5 mile long beach itself offers soft sand and calm waves. Though many mention that the name derives from “place of divers”, the word itself doesn’t make much sense in Spanish, so that is open to dispute.

Read complete article at: http://www.puertovallarta.net/what_to_do/bucerias-nayarit.php

Having visited Puerto Vallarta in the more recent years, you would never imagine the city was once a small rural fisherman town.

Luckily there is photographic proof, here we present a series of old historical photos, many are without dates, some are more or less figured out by the quality of the photos and the people that appear in them, some appear with dates.

Time passes, we try to forget the fact, try to think we are eternal, these photos remind us just how fast time passes and just how much changes everything in its path. Wake up wake up you sleepy heads…

http://www.puertovallarta.net/gallery/historical-puerto-vallarta-photos.php

Gloria Calzada presented the artists and a promotional video with the new image of the city: “Puerto Vallarta: Live More Than Once.” The newly renovated Malecon and downtown Puerto Vallarta where the perfect backdrop for the songs of Mariachi Vargas, the most famous of all Mariachi groups in Mexico.

Tourism Secretary, Gloria Guevara Manzo, welcomed guests, tourism business representatives and authorities from the various states in Mexico.

“…the Tianguis is already exceeding our expectations,” she said, there are more than 7,000 people attending the Tianguis Turístico (Tourism Expo). The Mayor of Puerto Vallarta, Salvador Gonzalez Resendiz and Jalisco Governor, Emilio Gonzalez Marquez were also present at the event.

A welcome cocktail party was held last Sunday in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle which received tour operators and wholesalers attending the 37th edition of the Mexico Tourism Tianguis 2012 held in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

At 7:00 o’clock pm, the esplanade of the Marina in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle looked perfect for a historic event in the tourism industry of Mexico. There was an element of fantasy and the beauty of the region with lights, music, and dance that gave the room a magical touch.

About 4000 people attended, shared experiences and insights, and commented on the spectacular reception, the grandiose structures that were complemented with excellent service that has made the region famous for the warmth of its people.

More on La Cruz de Huanacaxtle: http://www.puertovallarta.net/what_to_do/la-cruz-de-huanacaxtle-nayarit.php

More on what to do in Puerto Vallarta: http://www.puertovallarta.net/what_to_do/index.php

One of the most profitable ecotourism activities in the United States and Canada is birdwatching, since the economic revenue that stems from it tops that of whale watching. For every dollar you receive from watching whales, you obtain at least 7 dollars for birdwatching. This means that it is by far a better deal, based on the effort, and it does not have a distinct season.

Read the complete article at: http://www.puertovallarta.net/what_to_do/birdwatching-in-puerto-vallarta-02.php