Introduction

Culture, cuisine and ecotourism are the big attractions in Puerto Vallarta. The quaintest town on the Mexican Pacific has become much more than just a beach. It is more than just a village, too, having grown to a point where it is something like half a dozen destinations rolled into one. You have Old Vallarta and New Vallarta, in between there’s Marina Vallarta. You have the South of Town Hotel Zone and the North of Town Hotel Zone and, now, Riviera Nayarit.

The town sits on Bahia de Banderas, the largest natural bay in Mexico, with 100 miles of coastline ringed by mountains. You find long stretches of beach to the north of town, and delightful coves to the south.

With the increase in tourism, a large hotel zone developed above town, a lesser one below town. Marina Vallarta is now home to a Marriott, Westin and half a dozen other luxury hotels. Two more piers are being added to the existing one to handle the increase in cruise ship traffic, and a 250,000 sq. ft. convention center is expected to attract a new travel sector: the meetings, conventions and incentive travel market.

Beaches to the south and especially the north are booming with new developments, so much so that the name “Riviera Nayarit” is being used to refer to the coast as far north as Punta Mita and beyond. On the northern edge of vast Banderas Bay, Punta Mita is home to Mexico’s second Four Seasons Hotel, its first St. Regis, and a Jack Nicklaus golf course.

Perhaps the best newest development in Vallarta is the resurrection of the Playa los Muertos area, dubbed the “Zona Romantica.” The downtown stretch of the malecon, or seafront promenade, remains a rival, but appeals to a younger crowd. Streets leading down to Los Muertos, particularly Basilio Badillo and Olas Altas, have become the address of some of the best dining spots in Vallarta, once known for its mediocre cuisine.

Now Puerto Vallarta kicks the tourist season into high gear each November by flexing some serious gastronomic muscle. Its annual International Gourmet Festival is a culinary tour de force featuring award-winning local chefs and more than 20 guest chefs from around the world who showcase their skills at venues around town, plus cooking classes, and wine, tequila and beer tasting. A film festival has taken off as well.