Memories from Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, in Jalisco state. It is known for its beaches, water sports and nightlife scene. The Old Vallarta cobblestone center is home to the ornate Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church, boutique shops and a range of restaurants and bars. El Malecón is a beachside promenade with contemporary sculptures, as well as bars, lounges and nightclubs.
Six influences in the 1960s and 1970s launched Puerto Vallarta into becoming a major resort destination:
♦ The Mexican federal government resolved century-old property disputes of land that had communal status
♦ American director John Huston filmed his 1964 movie “The Night of the Iguana” in Mismaloya, a small town just south of Puerto Vallarta. During the filming, the US media gave extensive coverage to Elizabeth Taylor’s extramarital affair with Richard Burton
♦ The Mexican government invested significantly in transportation improvements making Puerto Vallarta an easy travel destination
♦ In 1968 the Puerto Vallarta municipality was elevated to City status. The elevation in status reflected interest by Mexican federal and state governments in developing the Puerto Vallarta as an international resort destination
♦ In August 1970, U.S. President Richard Nixon met with Mexican then-President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz in Puerto Vallarta for treaty negotiations
♦ Resort hotel development in Puerto Vallarta boomed in the 1970s. Prior to 1973 hotels in Puerto Vallarta tended to be modest, mid-priced establishments. Only two large sized luxury hotels existed (the Real and the Posada Vallarta)
Puerto Vallarta’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) is the city icon. It dominates Vallarta’s downtown skyline and is one of the favorite symbols and landmarks of the city, not only in photos but also shirts, logos and postcards.
It is one of the most important city monuments and the spiritual center of the Catholics in this town.
That was all from Puerto Vallarta. Thank you for watching!