プエルト・バジャルタ初訪問：この街には本当に驚かされました

プエルト・バジャルタ初訪問：この街には本当に驚かされました

Good morning from Puerto Vallarta. Now this is a coastal city that I thought we’d only stay in for a couple of days but it’s off-season, it’s so quiet, it’s so beautiful, we’ve decided to stay for a month. We’re still new here so I thought the first thing that I should do is take a free walking tour because everyone talks about the beaches, the margaritas, the tacos, but there’s got to be more to that. I know there’s history here. Learning so much already, Moises just told us that Puerto Vallarta actually had three different names over the years to reflect the different stages or eras and the last one, Vallarta, is actually named after the statue here. It is named after Ignacio Vallarta who was a Supreme Court judge and also the governor of Jalisco. He helped shape modern Mexico as we know it today for a couple of very important reasons. He really pushed to separate church and state but also free education for children. Now that is official history. You can get that anywhere, you can look that up, you don’t need a guide for that but Moises also has some interesting stories that are probably not written in a lot of places and one of them is about my neighborhood, Zona Romantica, which is one of the most popular places to stay. It is known for its bars, its restaurants, it’s just it’s close to everything so for us it’s so far been very very convenient. A lot of people think that Zona Romantica is because it was named after Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor who had their famous affair here and so they see it as the place that they would stroll along the beach but he said that’s not actually the truth. If you go back even before that, Zona Romantica was a place where there were sailors, there were cantinas and there were sex workers and so that’s where people went to get romance and that name stuck to this day although people might be massaging the history a little bit. Of course if you’re coming to Puerto Vallarta you are going to be going here which is La Parroquia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe and this is the community church and it’s really fascinating. It was built between 1903-1969 and over those 60 years the church asked people to help not only with building materials but also with labor so when you see the front of the church you’ll see different stones and it has a lot of different influences so you’ll see Mexican Baroque, you’ll see Neoclassical and I think also Renaissance or Gothic. I’m not always so sure with my architecture but it’s a really great place to check out it’s free and also I will say this to go in the main entrance the stairs are pretty steep it’s pretty brutal if you have mobility issues but just to the left where I am right now there’s a ramp and a side entrance with a ramp just to go down one small step it is much easier. Not a lot of people know about it as you can see I’m here by myself. One of the things that I love here is that the architecture in Puerto Vallarta is so different from everywhere else and that is because it is a very new city comparatively you’re not going to see the same kind of colonial architecture that you saw before so a very small village for many years but it kind of had two booms where you will see architecture one was in the 40s and then one was in the 60s after Night of the Iguana came out and that brought so much international tourism which meant that tourism really started in this city it not only affected Puerto Vallarta but also the entire area as people were looking for you know those secluded places that they saw in the movie and wanted to know where Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were going. I love that they have all of these little steps going up the stairs so you can avoid the streets but also the houses on both sides they really take care of these areas with so many different kinds of trees keeping it very cool it is very humid though my glasses are already starting to fog up but it’s really beautiful if you’re willing to walk some stairs I mean it’s a free gym you know up the hill these places are so beautiful. So Moises was just explaining that and I did know this from my time in Oaxaca that to get vegetarian or vegan food in Mexico is actually not as hard as people think and that is because Mexican food was originally vegetarian it was actually based on corn it wasn’t until the Spanish introducing pork or pig that into Latin America that the diet changed but in Puerto Vallarta two people in our group actually have vegan or vegetarian partners in a group of six and so he said actually one of the best places to go is this spot Planeta Vegetariano where they do a buffet and so it’s not just any kind of buffet if you are feeling like you want to try Mexican food traditional Mexican food they do all of it but they do it plant -based so instead of like a traditional pork pozole they will do one with mushrooms Now we’re heading up to one of the most popular spots most famous spots in Puerto Vallarta and it really put Puerto Vallarta on the map internationally and that is because in 1960 Richard Burton came to the area to film Night of the Iguana now Elizabeth Taylor was not in the movie but she came anyway under the guise of Ava Gardner not wanting to come here and be alone and so actually what happened was they were having an affair it wasn’t well known but it became known and so it attracted a lot of international attention to this day their home or their homes exist and what’s interesting about it is he had a home across the street from her but there was also a bridge in between so that they could cross without any paparazzi seeing them that’s what the story is but to be honest looking at this bridge it would be pretty easy to see if someone was crossing now if you do want to visit these homes you can come up on the street and see them or you can also go to Richard Burton’s home which is now called Casa Kimberly one of the most expensive restaurants in the city and the only one with a dress code a formal dress code no beachwear allowed and that’s very unusual in a beach city because there are very formal restaurants here but actually you can probably wear your swimsuit in and a lot of people won’t say anything but not here if you want to come here there’s a dress code and just one quick thing if you are going to do these tours but if you spend any amount of time in Puerto Vallarta you will know this bring sneakers so there are a lot of cobblestone roads where not all the rocks are there there are lots of sidewalks where the whole sidewalk isn’t there and there’s a lot of construction during off-season so wear sneakers because you’re going to be looking up probably not looking down and you might trip. We made it to Isla Cuale and I’m excited because I found this a couple days ago making the video of the wrap -up of Puebla 30 days in Puebla and it is so different than the rest of Puerto Vallarta it is like this lush jungle right in the middle of the city but also Moises told me that it’s also a place that locals love and there’s a cultural center here and on weekends there’s an artisanal market so I’m definitely coming back to it he also showed me something I mean I love fruits around the world right here which is there are these little small coconuts of a palm tree that in this area they actually used to harvest and they use the coconut oil for things like cosmetics so interesting place love learning things and this is a spot you definitely want to check out but also he said next up we’re going to the market and it’s supposed to be right by where we’re staying so I’m very interested in that. We’re at Mercado Emiliano Zapata now you might recognize his name because he was a Mexican revolutionary fought for land rights and the rights of everyday people so very important very common for places for the community to be named after him this is a market that locals go to and it has pretty much everything you know you have your fruit they’ve got several butchers they’ve got fish here also a tortilleria where they make tortillas fresh they also have a little bit of like gourmet places inside where I am right now I had tuba on the outside because when I got here I was so thirsty so it might be cloudy out or was but it’s also very humid here because we’re right on the water and I saw tuba it was only 20 pesos tuba is a fermented coconut sap drink it is actually not Mexican it’s from the Philippines came over during colonization but is very well known here you’ll see people on the malecon and they are serving it almost in these jugs it is so good cold sometimes they mix it with different things you might see it with coconut cream or milk but I like it plain and then usually they add some nuts on top which they did in mine and then also some apples so I just felt like it’s like a good fermented drink it can be alcoholic but in Puerto Vallarta I’ve heard that it’s mostly just the fresh stuff so it hasn’t fermented to the point of alcohol yet for 20 pesos I’m pretty sure that was the fresh stuff but I’m still thirsty so I came inside the market to this fruit place and they serve juice for a liter for 20 40 a liter for 40 so I got ciruela which is a plum I think it’s called hog plum and I’m just really thirsty so I thought let’s get some juice oh that is good I thought what does it taste like it kind of tastes fresh like a pear mixed with a plum like well it’s a hog plum so it does taste like plum but very fresh and it’s just a water they didn’t put too much sugar in it so I love it I have a feeling I’m going to be here a lot because this juice was so good I can also see oh they’ve also got like a coffee shop they’ve got a whole lot of stuff going on here but I will say this it’s like 99.9 percent Mexican so this is a good market this is a place where people go and get their stuff and then also on the outside there are also other vendors as well so this is I think two or three blocks from where we’re staying overall fantastic Moises gave us a little bit of time because I think he knew that we all wanted to go get a drink but I’m going to end the video here I’m not going to show you everything that we did on the tour because he has a degree in history so he had so much to share too much for one video but I really did enjoy the tour it’s a free walking tour he works for tips so when you tip be generous remembering that he’s not getting paid you know a lot of these tour guides they have a lot of experience a lot of knowledge they’re sharing it with us they’re spending their time answering all your questions for three hours I had a lot of them because I’m in this neighborhood and I just think it’s great so tip well have a good day and I will see you in the next video from Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is loved for the beaches, margaritas and tacos but there’s so much more.

I spent the morning with Luna Tours & Hiking. Moises, the guide, explains that the city carried three different names through its life. The final one, Vallarta, honors Ignacio Vallarta, who once served as a Supreme Court judge and the governor of Jalisco. He helped shape modern Mexico by pushing for separation of church and state and free education for children. Those are the official big-picture facts anyone can find

Zona Romántica’s Real Story

Moises also shares the kind of stories you won’t find in guidebooks. Zona Romántica is packed with bars and restaurants today. Many visitors think it’s “romantic” because of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s famous affair. Moises says the real origin goes further back. Long before Hollywood showed up, the area was full of sailors, cantinas, and sex workers. People went there for “romance,” and the name stuck, even if the history gets smoothed over today.

La Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
The community church, built slowly between 1903 and 1969 with local labor and donated materials. The front façade mixes stone styles and shows traces of Mexican Baroque, Neoclassical, and even Gothic or Renaissance touches. The main stairs are steep, but a side ramp offers easier access. The narrator notes how different Puerto Vallarta’s architecture feels when compared to older colonial cities because it grew in two major bursts—first in the 1940s and then in the 1960s after Night of the Iguana brought global attention.

Moises explains that vegetarian and vegan food isn’t as hard to find in Mexico as people assume. Traditional Mexican food started out plant-based before the Spanish introduced pork. He recommends Planeta Vegetariano, a buffet that serves classic dishes like pozole but replaces the meat with mushrooms and other plant-based ingredients.

Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Birth of Modern Tourism
The tour heads to the homes linked to Burton and Taylor. Burton filmed Night of the Iguana here in the 1960s. Taylor wasn’t in the movie but came anyway, using a flimsy excuse that Ava Gardner didn’t want to be alone. Their affair eventually became public, and the attention boosted Puerto Vallarta’s fame. Their homes still stand today, linked by a bridge that supposedly hid them from paparazzi. One of the homes now operates as Casa Kimberly, a very expensive restaurant with the city’s only formal dress code.

Isla Cuale is a lush green pocket in the middle of the city that feels different from the rest of Puerto Vallarta. Locals love it because it has a cultural center and a lively weekend artisan market. Moises points out small coconuts from local palm trees that were once used for coconut oil in cosmetics. The narrator plans to return soon.

Mercado Emiliano Zapata
The tour ends at this local market named after the Mexican revolutionary known for fighting for land and community rights. Inside, locals shop for fruit, meat, fish, tortillas, coffee, and more. The narrator cools off with tuba, a fresh fermented coconut sap drink that originally came from the Philippines during colonization. It’s sold along the malecón and often topped with nuts and apples.

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00:00 Puerto Vallarta
00:35 Ignacio Vallarta’s Legacy
01:12 How Zona Romantica Was Named
01:53 La Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
04:55 Richard Burton Elizabeth Taylor
07:44 Isla Cuale
08:48 Mercado Emiliano Zapata

#puertovallarta #jalisco #mexico