Puerto Vallarta

Introduction

Puerto Vallarta

© priscillaz

Sun-kissed Puerto Vallarta embraces the Pacific coast of Jalisco state, Mexico. Once a small village where fishing and pearl-diving were the order of the day, Puerto Vallarta is now a tourist resort city in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Ideal weather, picturesque beaches and colonial cobblestone streets make this a perfect holiday destination for travellers who don't mind a crowd.

Sights and Activities

Vallarta Botanical Gardens

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens are a popular showcase of orchids, agaves, cactus, palms, and other native plants. A restaurant and river swimming is also available to visitors. The gardens are located 24 kilometres South of Puerto Vallarta on Highway 200. Buses for the Vallarta Botanical Gardens depart from the corner of Carranzas and Aguacate Streets in the Zona Romantica and are labled as both "El Tuito" and "Botanical Gardens".

Events and Festivals

Day of the Dead

Although the Day of the Dead is also celebrated in many Latin American countries in addition to Mexico (and also in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa), the Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is most intensely celebrated in Mexcio where where it is practically a National Holiday. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration takes place on November 1st and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using candles, sugar skulls, Mexican Marigolds (Tagetes erecta), and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. Although it is about the Dead, it is also a celebration where eating and partying both are common as well. The Vallarta Botanical Gardens have a Día de los Muertos celebration every November 2nd. During the day the Gardens host workshops teaching the crafts of making catrina skeleton dolls and memorial flower arrangements. Tombstones in the Garden of Memories are then decorated in full Mexican Tradition with marigolds and candles for evening celebrations there and a bonfire dance near the Hacienda de Oro Visitor Center.

Other Events and Festivals

Grito de la Independencia - September 15th is Mexican Independence Day! A massive celebration involving plenty of singing, dancing and fireworks takes place in the Zócalo. Everyone here awaits an appearance from Mexico's president who rings a bell from a central balcony of the Palacio Nacional overlooking the Zócalo. The president then shouts out the Grito de Dolores, or the Cry of Dolores which was Father Hidalgo's famous call to arms against Spanish rule in 1810.

Weather

Puerto Vallarta has a tropical climate with hot and humid conditions year round. Temperatures are mostly around the 30 °C mark during the day and around or slightly above 20 °C at night. The rainy season is from June to October, though most rain falls from July to September, peaking in August, when nearly half of the days see some rain. Climate-wise, it's best to visit from November to May.

Getting There

By Plane

Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) has numerous flights. Some of the main cities served include Mexico City, New York, Guadalajara, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Denver and Phoenix.

Sleep

Upscale

Learn

• University of Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafe's are widely available and you generally can find one in the direct vicinity. Sometimes photocopy stores or photo processing stores will double as an internet cafe with a couple of computers. Look for signs reading "Acceso a Internet" or "Cibernautica" or "Cibercafe". Charges range from approx. US$1 an hour to US$3 an hour, depending on the location.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Phone cards can be purchased anywhere and are needed for the majority of public phones. To call any number outside your region you have to dial 01 then followed by the area code. If calling a cellphone from a normal phone start with with 044. If calling cellphone to cellphone just dial the 10-digit number. To make an international call dial 00 followed by the country code then the local number. To call to Mexico, also dial 00 (most of the times) followed by the national code 52.

Post

The Mexican postal service is operated by Correos de México. The post service in Mexico is pretty good although not very cheap. It is reliable regarding the sending of postcards, but it takes at least a week to send it to other countries (US/Canada), more so if you send it to Europe or Australia. For packages it is better to use international services like FedEx or UPS. If you are sending a package internationally with the Mexican postal service, take the package OPEN to the post office, they may want to inspect it. Seal it up at the post office. Post offices typically open from 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday, and 9:00am to 1:00pm Saturday. You will find post offices (Oficina de Correos) is almost any town or city in Mexico. To buy stamps it is best to go to the post office, although you can also get them at stamp machines, located outside the post offices, at bus stations, airports and some commercial establishments.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Tourism Website