Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Puerto Vallarta is a city in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Also known simply as "P.V.", the city fronts the Bahia de Banderas on the Pacific Ocean. In 2003 Puerto Vallarta reported an estimated population of 165,800 and about 5 million overnight stays by tourists.

Puerto Vallarta at night. This file is licensed under GNU Free Documentation License. Check out more photos of all our featured destinations in our photo gallery.

Spring Break

Puerto Vallarta is a popular spring break hotspot.

Hotels and Restaurants

Look for our full directory of hotels, coming soon.

Clubs and Bars

Look for our full directory of clubs, coming soon.

Attractions and Events

In 1918, the village was elevated to municipality status and renamed after former state governor Ignacio L. Vallarta. In 1963, it became famous worldwide after director John Huston decided to make a movie version of Tennessee Williams's play "The Night of the Iguana" in what was then a quiet fishing village.

During the filming, the paparazzi had a field day covering Elizabeth Taylor's scandalous affair with Richard Burton, as well as the constant tension between Huston and the film's four stars. The subsequent publicity helped to attract foreign investors in the 1970s, which resulted in the massive expansion of Puerto Vallarta to its current size.

Today, there is a statue of Huston in the park on La Isla Rio Cuale in the center of the city. A nearby plaque dedicated on the 25th anniversary of the film's release honors Huston's contribution to the city's fame.

Puerto Vallarta's outer jungle areas, is also the location where the movie Predator (starring California governor and former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger) was filmed.

Tourism

The city is important primarily as a tourist destination. Shipping traffic consists of cruise ships which arrive almost daily, and occasional visits by U.S. Navy frigates.

Climate

Coming soon.

Good to know

The main language in Puerto Vallartais Spanish, although English is widely spoken throughout the tourist areas.

Most establishments accept U.S. dollars, even though the Mexican Peso is the official currency.

History and Development

Unlike Cancun (another leading Mexican tourist destination), Puerto Vallarta was a traditional village before gaining worldwide recognition as a travel destination.

The village was originally founded on December 12, 1851, by Don Guadalupe Sanchez Torres, who named it "Las Penas de Santa Maria de Guadalupe" ("the rocks of Saint Mary of Guadalupe"). The name was eventually truncated to "Puerto Las Penas" ("Port Las Penas") which literally translates as "Port the Rocks." The original reason for the port was to enable the transshipment of silver from nearby mines.

This article has been modified from its original version (available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Vallarta) and is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.