Note that these photos were taken with a film camera so all images were scanned from slides or printed photos.
In February of 2003 we decided to escape a few weeks of the Michigan winter and head to Puerto Vallarta. Located on the Bay of Banderas on Mexico's Pacific coast, Puerto Vallarta is a resort town in the Jalisco state.
I first traveled to Mexico with my family when I was a teen — flying to Acapulco and then driving to Mexico City via Taxco. Thirty years later, I suggested we visit Puerto Vallarta. We had friends who lived there and Peter had never been to Mexico.
We booked a room at the Westin Resort using some of our many frequent traveler "points" and had a lovely room overlooking the ocean. At night, we left our balcony door open and listened to the crashing waves as we went to sleep.
Puerto Vallarta's cobblestone center is home to the ornate Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church, boutique shops and a range of restaurants and bars. El Malecón, the beachside promenade, is lined with contemporary sculptures, as well as bars, lounges and nightclubs.
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View of the beach by our hotel
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Lots of activity on the beach
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Yachts in the harbor
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Along the El Malecón beachside promenade
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Street vendors in town
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Enjoying dinner at a beach front restaurant
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View along a hillside residential street
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Another view from a residential courtyard
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This grotesque "city on the water" surprised us as it went by
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Like many towns that are near the sea, Puerto Vallarta has a seaside promenade — El Malecón —to take advantage of the views, sounds, and fresh air along the water. This beachside promenade also has lots of contemporary sculptures, as well as restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Puerto Vallarta’s Malecón, known as the “boardwalk” by city residents, has been repeatedly chosen as the best thing to do and enjoy while in the town. We enjoying strolling along the mile-long promenade with a fantastic view of Banderas Bay and the surrounding mountains. There was always lots of street entertainers and live music.
Postscript. We enjoyed the vibrancy of this resort town when we visited in 2003. However, since 2012, Puerto Vallarta has become a base for the Jalisco Cartel according to the U.S. State Department. In October 2022, the Bureau of Consular Affairs has urged Americans to reconsider travel to the state of Jalisco due to crime and kidnapping. It is alleged that the Jalisco Cartel is using the resort town of Puerto Vallarta to process drug cash through nightclubs, bars and restaurants.
