When I thought of Puerto Vallarta, I thought of a typical resort town in Mexico, complete with huge hotels and nice beaches. I wasn’t wrong, but there was so much more soul to this city than I realized.
That’s the beauty of travel, seeing the unique qualities of a place, that you might have missed from a simple Google search. This town was full of quirks and interesting surprises, which quickly made it one of my favorite cities in Mexico!
Here is a list of cool things you should see!
El Malecon Boardwalk and the Art District
Puerto Vallarta is very artsy. The main boardwalk, El Malecon, is lined with beautiful statues. I was surprised at how unique and sometimes quirky they were! It beat my stereotype of what you would typically expect from a Mexican resort town.
If you want to learn more about the statues, check out my post on them here!
The city also has many art galleries and pretty displays of street art wherever you go!
Casa Kimberly and the Bridge of Love
Fun fact, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton spent a lot of time in Puerto Vallarta! Before they arrived, it was known as a sleepy town. That all changed in the sixties, when they met on the set of Cleopatra and Elizabeth followed Richard to Puerto Vallarta for his next movie, The Night of the Iguana.
Elizabeth stayed at Casa Kimberly, a villa directly across the street from Richard’s villa. They even had a bridge built to connect the two, in order to have secret rendezvous-vous and to avoid paparazzi!
Casa Kimberly is now a hotel and the original bridge still stands. There is even a bronze statue of the star-crossed couple at the entrance of Casa Kimberly’s renowned restaurant, The Iguana Restaurant. So definitely check this place out if you want a witness a piece of Hollywood history.
Zona Romantica
If you’re looking for a trendy area where most of the expats live, definitely check out Zona Romántica. Despite being one of Puerto Vallarta’s oldest areas, it’s also the most progressive. It is known for its thriving LGBT community and themed bars. Not to mention, it’s just very pretty. It is filled with cobble stone streets and beautiful flowers; you also get a great mountain view, since it’s more inland.
Thunderstorms
This isn’t a specific location, but Puerto Vallarta is known for having intense thunderstorms. Especially between the months of July and October, when it’s local hurricane season. Watching a thunderstorm here can be a mesmerizing experience. If you find yourself close to the water or on a rooftop during one of the thunderstorms, consider yourself lucky! You will have an amazing view of a free light show, and might even see some cool streaks of lightening.
Isla Cuale
What you might not know, is that there is a tiny island within Puerto Vallarta itself! You have to cross a bridge to get there. With its hanging bridges, it feels as if you’re traversing a tropical jungle. This island is like a little flea market. It’s filled with mini art galleries, street vendors, and beautiful murals.