Before the movie John Houston, entitled "The Night of the Iguana," which was performed in 1964, Puerto Vallarta was just a quiet village on the Pacific coast, right where the states join Jalisco and Nayarit. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton lived a truly unique love while they worked in production mentioned and incidentally, they catapulted Puerto Vallarta to the first places of tourism in Mexico.

The area of Puerto Vallarta is ultimately many destinations tourism in one, each with its own charm and attractions. The Cuale River divides the city into north and south. In the southern part is the colorful Zona Romantica, which highlights the Playa de los Muertos, one of the most representative of this tourist destination. It is a place where the golden sand and the many bars that appear there, attracting a crowd of tourists. Further south, you can visit the coastal towns of Boca de Tomatlan and Mismaloya, where the tape was filmed in Houston. North of the Cuale River, Old Town, winding stretches, uphill, arriving Gringo Gulch, along the bay, where the Plaza de Armas (Main Square) and the amphitheater called Los Arcos appears, where every day presents shows without cost, that captivate visitors.

Sightseeing in Puerto Vallarta 's Malecon Puerto Vallarta is deployed from the Romantic Zone until the beginning of the Hotel Zone. On this site we will find a vast collection of bronze sculptures, several of them very striking and beautiful, including the seahorse, which has become an icon of this city Jalisco. North appear the hotel area and the Marina, with plenty of restaurants and hotels. After crossing a large bridge it is passed from the state of Jalisco to Nayarit. It is the space of the Riviera Nayarit, one of the tourism development fastest growing in recent years, with fascinating coastal towns like Sayulita, Bucerías and several resorts of great interest.

A long string of restaurants appears along the beach, many with umbrellas and lounge chairs where you can relax during the day and romantic tables to enjoy dinner by candlelight at night. North of Playa de los Muertos appears Playa Olas Altas. The funny thing is that the former is more alive and the second has an intense wave, but rather gentle and recommended for family enjoyment. You can also practice surfing or boogie board near the Cuale River. Olas Altas begins in where the Daiquiri Dick'sy restaurant reaches the Cuale River and attracts fewer tourists but the Playa de los Muertos, during holidays is filled with life and color.

Beaches in Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta account with over 42 km of beaches, lapped by the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean, the most important are:

Quimixto. It is located 21 km southwest of Puerto Vallarta, at the mouth of River Gate. It is an authentic Mexican villa built by film director John Huston with the clear waters of the sea, excellent for diving.

Conchas Chinas. It is located 3 km southwest from the center of Puerto Vallarta, along Highway. 200. It is a beach with natural pools formed between the rocks, which stops the waves, in an area of 220 by 50 m. The clear waters allow you to see the seabed and some fish.

Playa del Sol or Los Muertos. It is located next to the pier of Puerto Vallarta. It is the busiest and representative from the beaches of Vallarta. It is a busy site for its clear waters and fine arena. Characterized by its length of approximately 2 km. Here you can rent boats for boating and sport fishing; offer parasailing and water skiing.

The Stakes. It is located 3 km from downtown Puerto Vallarta. It has an area of approximately 600 m, where enjoy the fine light gray sand, blue-green water and calm surf. Parasailing, water skiing and boat rental.

Practiced Las Glorias. It is located in Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio s / n, Throughout its 800 m long half enjoy surf, fine sand, light gray, gentle slope and blue-green water. Although it is divided into sections that each hotel company has delineated with rocks, it is a beach where you can go skiing and parasailing and rent boats.

The Twins. They are two sandy beaches light gray, with waves and average slope, of about 100 m each.They are located 9 km southwest of Puerto Vallarta; there you can rent boats for skiing and sailing. The Salado. Located in the development of Marina Vallarta. This beach is approximately 1.5 km long, with restaurants, hotels and golf courses.

The Malecon. Due to the proximity to the city center, this beach is one of the most visited by travelers and residents of Puerto Vallarta.

Marietas islands. They are located 41 km north of the Bay of Banderas. It is a group of islands declared Biosphere Reserve, where you will discover amazing caves, canyons and cliffs. A fun full day excursion will take you to this natural sanctuary of over 40 species of migratory birds. The surrounding waters are full of marine life (giant manta rays, turtles and, from November to April, whales), making it an excellent place to practice all kinds of water sports.

Las Animas. It is located 19 km southwest of the city of Puerto Vallarta. Access is only possible by boats and boats known as water taxi. It is a beach with austere accommodation and high sense of adventure. The trimaran Bora Bora makes daily cruises from Vallarta to this beach.

Mismaloya. It is located at km 11 of the road no. 200 to Barra de Navidad. It can be reached by truck leaving Vallarta, Basilio Badillo street. Surrounded by a mountain landscape with forest, this beach is famous for being the setting for the film "The Night of the Iguana", whose buildings have being some ruins. Here you can practice all kinds of water sports and parasailing. Playa de Oro. It is located 4 km north of Puerto Vallarta, 10 minutes from the city center. Throughout its 700 m in length you will find vegetation palm tree on the bank and the opportunity to play sports like surfing, parasailing, skiing and horseback riding.

Relevant information about Puerto Vallarta Vallarta: South may be several more beaches, all worthy to be enjoyed. Playa Conchas Chinas, for example, has a set of rocky coves with crystal clear waters and endless white shells, polished and broken by the waves, which form the sand. Further south we have to Playa Mismaloya, of great natural beauty.

Activities in Puerto Vallarta: A wise suggestion as part of a vacation in Puerto Vallarta is to go further south, down to Boca de Tomatlan, site where organized snorkeling and diving trips, reaching Los Arcos, an impressive rocky conglomerate that attracts the attention of visitors and locals. Not far away is Playa Las Animas, ideal for families with children for its calm waters and peaceful atmosphere.

By Road:

Puerto Vallarta is linked to the rest of the country through the Guadalajara-Compostela-Vallarta road, which goes to Manzanillo and Guadalajara-Autlan road-Vallarta. The distance between Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City is 891 kilometers. There are several bus lines that travel this route every day, with a period of approximately 12 hours. Bus routes Guadalajara Metropolitan Area has public transport service transiting through the five municipalities that comprise: Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque , Tonala and Zapopan Tlajomulco de Zuniga. This service is offered by several companies whose vehicles are different, having:. Buses, minibuses, trolley, luxury buses and Tapatio Tour.

The Central de Autobuses is around 12km north of the city centre. Equipped with a guardería and long-distance telephones, it is served by local buses to and from the centre – buses heading south are usually marked “Olas Altas” or “Centro”, while those in the other direction are “Hoteles”, “Ixtapa” or “Juntas”; be sure to ask the driver if the bus is going to the city centre, just in case.

Most long-distance buses depart from the Central de Autobuses 12km north of downtown. First-class buses serve a long list of destinations including Guadalajara (every 30min; 5hr 30min), Mazatlán (2 daily; 8hr) and Mexico City (9 daily; 13–14hr); there are also frequent buses to Tepic (4hr), where you can change for Mazatlán (M$400). Primera Plus runs first-class services to Barra de Navidad (4 daily; 3hr 30min) and Manzanillo (3 daily; 5hr). They share their offices at Lázaro Cárdenas 268–9 with ETN, who operates super-deluxe services to Guadalajara and Mexico City (1 daily; 13hr). For second-class buses to Manzanillo (5 daily) and Barra de Navidad (6 daily), try Servicios Coordinados at Cárdenas 268.

By Air:

Arriving at the airport, 10km north of the centre on the coastal highway, local and international flights arrives to the International Airport Diaz Ordaz, located north of Puerto Vallarta.

Numerous flights from the airport connect Puerto Vallarta with Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana and Toluca, as well as many destinations in the US and Canada, including Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Montréal, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco and Toronto.

By Sea:

It is also possible to arrive by sea, in one of the prestigious cruise ships and private vessels calling at Vallarta.