BUENOS DIAS, PUERTO VALLARTA!

For Thanksgiving last year I headed south in search of sunnier climes and, for a splendid week, I was beguiled by the charming and warm embrace of Puerta Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in the state of Jalisco.

I stayed at a timeshare property in the Old (Viejo) Town, just south of the Cuale River and thriving downtown. Criss-crossed by narrow cobblestone streets and punctuated by cafes, restaurants, bars, art galleries, book shops and boutiques, Viejo Vallarta is also known as the Romantic Zone.

A refined and friendly pueblo atmosphere pervades Old Town and it was a real joy to explore and linger, to take some time and read a book and drink coffee on the shaded sidewalks. Street vendors, Farmers Markets and live music provided a splash of color and a pleasant running commentary to my days. The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe with its sun faded pink façade topped by a large wrought iron crown is probably the most conspicuous landmark.

The crowded Playa Los Muertos was just a few blocks away where families enjoyed swimming, sunbathing and parasailing. The Pier at Los Muertos Beach, part of an extensive renewal of the Malecon Boardwalk, is undoubtedly the focal point and a great place to watch the stunning sunsets over Banderas Bay. It was too busy for me and so I took a rickety local bus to the tiny and secluded Conchas Chinas Beach, just ten minutes further south.

Walking down the gently sloping cobble-stoned drive, kicking off my sandals on the cool, wet sand around 8.30am each morning and having, for a precious hour or two, the entire beach (and seemingly the ocean!) to myself was so, so good for body and soul!

Puerto Vallarta’s proximity to the Bay of Banderas and the agricultural valley of the Ameca River, has given the town a more interesting past than most Mexican tourist destinations and Puerto Vallarta was a thriving Mexican village long before it became an international tourist destination.

Early one morning I took a local bus, seemingly held together with rust and tape and staples and prayer, down the mesmerising and utterly beautiful coast to Boca de Tomatlan. Here I sought solace in the tranquility of the slowly awakening bay, taking my time over my coffee as the tranquil waters lapped with a soporific sigh at my feet. I then took a water taxi around the corner, still heading south, to the livelier waterfront at Yelapa where I whiled away the day with a fabulous seafood lunch and a nice hike to a local waterfall.

In 1918, the village was renamed after former state governor Ignacio Vallarta. By the 1950s, Puerto Vallarta had started to attract Americans, mostly writers and artists in search of a retreat from the USA of the era of Eisenhower and McCarthy. The city also attracted Mexican artists and writers who were willing to trade the comforts of life in the larger cities for the scenic and bucolic advantages of PV, as Puerta Vallarta is often affectionately referred to.

Puerto Vallarta was once named as La ciudad más amigable del mundo (The Friendliest City in the World), and although it has long been established as a thriving tourist and retirement destination with the associated rapid growth in hotel and rental apartment construction, I’ll be heading back to PV for Thanksgiving again this November.