Take a self-guided walking tour of downtown Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta's cobblestone streets are lined with tiny shops decorated with wrought iron and terracotta-tiled roofs. Start your walk along the malecón. The beach here is known as Playa los Muertos (Beach of the Dead), named for a long-ago bloody battle between pirates and local Indian.
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| seahorse statue in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
Don’t-miss:
●the municipal building on the main square (next to the tourism office), which has a stairwell with a largeManuel Lepe mural.
Follow nearby Independencia street to the picturesque
●Parish of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church
(Hidalgo 370, (322) 222-1326. M-Sat 7:30am-8:30pm, Sun 6:30am-8:30pm. English Mass on Sat at 4pm, bilingual Sun at 10am. No shorts or sleeveless shirts allowed.) This picturesque church is topped with a lovely crown held in place by angels. Though the facts are in dispute, it is often described as a replica of the crown worn in Mexico by Empress Carlota, Emperor Maximilian's wife.
Vendors sell religious mementos on the church steps, and across the narrow street are stalls dispensing native herbs for common ailments.
Three blocks south of the church, head east on Libertad, a street lined with small shops, to
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| Parish of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
Vendors sell religious mementos on the church steps, and across the narrow street are stalls dispensing native herbs for common ailments.
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| candy vendor in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
Three blocks south of the church, head east on Libertad, a street lined with small shops, to
●Río Cuale Mercado/municipal market
By the river. After, cross the bridge to the island in the river—painters are often working here—and walk down the island’s center toward the sea, until you come to tiny
●Museo Río Cuale
Paseo Isla Cuale, no phone. Tu-Sat 9am-2pm & 3pm-6pm. Free. It has a small but impressive permanent exhibit of pottery, grinding stones, and pre-Columbian figurines.
Retrace your steps to the market and Libertad, and walk along Calle Miramar to the brightly colored steps up to Zaragoza. There you’ll find a splendid view over rooftops to the sea, plus perhaps a cafe offering a snack break.
This area is known as "Gringo Gulch," because many Americans have homes here. Continue up steep cobblestoned Zaragoza (you might want to take a taxi). To the right one block is the famous
Casa Kimberley
(Zaragoza 445), which was given by actor Richard Burton to actress Elizabeth Taylor during their torrid affair in the 1960s.
After they married, they bought the house across the street and linked the two homes via a curved pink bridge above the street.
After being run as a B&B for many years and hosting tours, Casa Kimberley is now being converted into condominiums. However,
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| Casa Kimberley in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
After they married, they bought the house across the street and linked the two homes via a curved pink bridge above the street.
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| bridge at Casa Kimberley in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
After being run as a B&B for many years and hosting tours, Casa Kimberley is now being converted into condominiums. However,
Casa Tabachín,
is available to rent. This is the gorgeous retreat, built in 1957, that director John Huston rented after vacating Casa Kimberley for Ms. Taylor. The Hollywood royalty were in town to film “Night of the Iguana.”
More things to do in Puerto Vallarta.
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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
I didn't go to Puerto Vallarta during my trip to Mexico and I really wish I did. It is not the first time I have seen great reviews of it.
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