What is the culture of Puerto Vallarta?

One of the nicest things about Puerto Vallarta is that, in the past, it wasn’t a tourist place. The first people who lived here were the Huicholes, which are native Indians. What makes Puerto Vallarta different from other resort towns is that it had a history before it became a tourist town. The Huicholes lived here then the Spaniards came and colonized the city and then it became a fishing town with silver being run through.

 

Then Elizabeth Taylor...

One of the nicest things about Puerto Vallarta is that, in the past, it wasn’t a tourist place. The first people who lived here were the Huicholes, which are native Indians. What makes Puerto Vallarta different from other resort towns is that it had a history before it became a tourist town. The Huicholes lived here then the Spaniards came and colonized the city and then it became a fishing town with silver being run through.

 

Then Elizabeth Taylor came in the 1960s and filmed Night of the Iguana, which is when Puerto Vallarta became a tourist town. Puerto Vallarta is a working town as opposed to just for tourism. It is full of culture and I don’t think there is anything like Puerto Vallarta. Maybe La Paz would be the only one but Cancun and Cabo are not like Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta has the second biggest expat community, which is what makes it even more attractive for expats.

 

Some people say Puerto Vallarta is one of the best culinary spots in the country of Mexico. There is a lot of food and it carries the true Mexican culture. In Puerto Vallarta, we have a microcosm of what you see in Mexico City. When you go to Cabo or Cancun, I don’t know if you would get a good feel of the Mexican culture, but here in Puerto Vallarta, you’d definitely do.

 

(Attendees of Vallarta Food Tours, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

One of the nicest things about Puerto Vallarta is that, in the past, it wasn’t a tourist place. The first people who lived here were the Huicholes, which are native Indians. What makes Puerto Vallarta different from other resort towns is that it had a history before it became a tourist town. The Huicholes lived here then the Spaniards came and colonized the city and then it became a fishing town with silver being run through.

 

Then Elizabeth Taylor...

One of the nicest things about Puerto Vallarta is that, in the past, it wasn’t a tourist place. The first people who lived here were the Huicholes, which are native Indians. What makes Puerto Vallarta different from other resort towns is that it had a history before it became a tourist town. The Huicholes lived here then the Spaniards came and colonized the city and then it became a fishing town with silver being run through.

 

Then Elizabeth Taylor came in the 1960s and filmed Night of the Iguana, which is when Puerto Vallarta became a tourist town. Puerto Vallarta is a working town as opposed to just for tourism. It is full of culture and I don’t think there is anything like Puerto Vallarta. Maybe La Paz would be the only one but Cancun and Cabo are not like Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta has the second biggest expat community, which is what makes it even more attractive for expats.

 

Some people say Puerto Vallarta is one of the best culinary spots in the country of Mexico. There is a lot of food and it carries the true Mexican culture. In Puerto Vallarta, we have a microcosm of what you see in Mexico City. When you go to Cabo or Cancun, I don’t know if you would get a good feel of the Mexican culture, but here in Puerto Vallarta, you’d definitely do.

 

(Attendees of Vallarta Food Tours, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

Though Mexico is principally a Catholic country, culturally, you don't see issues here with other religions and other lifestyles. We have very few issues with the different cultures and lifestyles. The polarization of the population is not like how it is now in the US. The culture is much more European than it is American or Canadian. I think this puts everybody on a level playing field. 

 

In Old Town, Puerto Vallarta, you've got a huge gay...

Though Mexico is principally a Catholic country, culturally, you don't see issues here with other religions and other lifestyles. We have very few issues with the different cultures and lifestyles. The polarization of the population is not like how it is now in the US. The culture is much more European than it is American or Canadian. I think this puts everybody on a level playing field. 

 

In Old Town, Puerto Vallarta, you've got a huge gay population. Old Town is a big LGBT destination that's well promoted here by all the different business associations. This brings in a tremendous amount of income to the area. 

 

You've also got the retirees in Puerto Vallarta. There is a big number of Canadians who have been coming down for years to Puerto Vallarta to get out of the cold. Summer used to be very slow here. Now, we're seeing people coming in the summertime as well to vacation with children. There's diversity in the population and there's no off season.

 

 

 

Visitors are very happy about being here in Puerto Vallarta. They're all here because they want to be here, not because they were sent to Puerto Vallarta to work by their company or brought by relatives to live here.  

 

( Boca de Tomatlan on the river and the beach, near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)