Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is a city in the Mexican state of Jalisco and has about 250,000 inhabitants. In the west it borders with the Pacific Ocean. Puerto Vallarta is one of the most important areas for economic growth and is the third largest port in Mexico. In addition, Puerto Vallarta is a popular tourist destination, which also contributes to the economic development. Puerto Vallarta has a wealth of sandy beaches, a marina and golf courses. Puerto Vallarta is ideal for a holiday on the beach, also enabling many cruise ships. It is a very safe city, where there is not much crime.
Entry/Visa
No Visa is required.

Vaccines
Vaccinations other than the standard vaccinations are not needed.

Climate
Between October and May is the best time to travel to Puerto Vallarta as during this time the weather is warm with little rain.

Currency
Mexico’s currency is the Mexican Peso.

Language
The official language spoken by the majority of the inhabitants in Puerto Vallarta is Spanish.

Customs / Culture / Traditions
Puerto Vallarta was first occupied in 1851 by fishermen.The native population is called "Cuitla" or "Xiutla". When the Spanish arrived in the bay, about 20,000 Indians lived in Puerto Vallarta. Over time, the bay became a major port. By the early nineteenth century English smugglers came into the bay. Puerto Vallarta, was founded in 1851 which was formerly known as “Puerto Las Peñas”. In 1869, “Las Peñas” officially became known as a commercial port. In 1918, Las Peñas was renamed "Puerto Vallarta" in honor of the governor of Jalisco, Ignacio L. Vallarta.In 1930 the first tourists came to Puerto Vallarta. In 1960 Puerto Vallarta experienced a boom, when the city discovered the film industry. They rolled, for example, Jon Hustons film "The Night of the Iguana." In addition, Marlon Brando and Arnold Schwarzenegger bought homes in Puerto Vallarta.

Religion
Most of the population, (90%) is Catholic. The rest is divided between Protestants, Jews and other religions.

Events
The local festivals in Puerto Vallarta are:
- The “flower and garden festival” which occurs during the last week of February.
-The “May festival” which occurs during the last week of May and the first week of June.
- “Dia de Muertos” (Day of the dead) occurs on the 2nd November.
-“Los Posadas” occurs on the 20th December
-The “Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe” which lasts from the 1st December until the 12th December.

Culinary Specialities
The local cuisine in Puerto Vallarta is “Huachinango Sarandeado” which is a grilled dish consisting of red snapper marinated in a “birra” paste. Another specialty usually served by the beach or at taco stands consists of skewered and cooked meat served with hot sauce and lime. There are many other culinary specialties which can be tasted in Puerto Vallarta.

Lifestyle / Sights
Due to its location in the Bay of Banderas, Puerto Vallarta is ideal for a holiday with your family or for example to enjoy some time playing golf with your friends.There are many possibilities to go shopping. There are also many galleries, where you can admire important Mexican work. There are also many possibilities to do water sports. Amongst other things, from relaxing on the beach and sun tanning, you can also take excursions in boats, swim with dolphins, watch the whales, or go to the zoo and go fishing.The most popular beach in Puerto Vallarta is the “Playa de los Muertos”.You can take a trip to areas surrounding Puerto Vallarta, for example, you can take a boat to “Yelapa” beach, which is very close where you can enjoy the nature and meet the friendly people of the country.Nuevo Vallarta is just north of Puerto Vallarta and is a popular tourist destination. It has white sand beaches and some top quality hotels. In addition, there are golf courses with sea views to Nuevo Vallarta.