January 16, 2023 – Puerto Vallarta

This morning we entered an enormous bay, unlike the last two ports.  The Bay Of Banderas is the 7th largest bay in the world.  Welcome to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  

In 1525, Cortez and his army marched through the mountainous area along the Pacific coastline and stumbled into this giant bay.  The Spanish sailors used the bay for ship repairs, but it was largely unsettled for the next 300 years.  The town began to prosper in 1851 when the port was used for trading salts and minerals.  However, Hollywood made it famous when director John Huston filmed ‘The Night Of The Iguana’ (1964) in and around the area.  Soon Huston and star Richard Burton purchased homes here and many others from around the world followed.  

This morning we booked a walking tour.  Our guide took us to the Malecon.  It’s a modern ocean side promenade, with views of the ocean, the city and Sierra Madre mountains in the background.  We strolled the Malecon (very wide with beautiful stoned pathways) and noticed pretty cobblestone streets, many sculptures, churches, restaurants, Christmas Tree and nativity, shops and restaurants.  We then walked to the Guadalupe Church.  The church is flanked by two towers and topped by a beautiful crown, believed to be a replica of the tiara worn by Carlota, the wife of Maximilian.  After leaving the church, we walked up many steps, decorated with beautiful tiles.  We were now in the area they refer to as Gringo Gulch.  Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor lived in a gorgeous mansion, right in the middle of a residential area (or maybe it wasn’t built up until they lived there).  We caught a glimpse through the door into a courtyard.  We could also see a bronze statue of them and a beautiful chandelier overhead.  Believe this is now an exclusive hotel and restaurant.  A white, arched bridge goes overhead to another house they owned (guide said it was an easy escape if they were not getting along).  The guide spoke very kindly of Elizabeth Taylor and what she had done for this area.  

One thing that stood out to me at the beach was, thousands of cobblestones on the sand.  Big waves would churn these stones and make this really interesting sound.  I remember hearing that same sound in Nova Scotia, but these stones were much bigger.

We had a very enjoyable day in Puerto Vallarta.  Great walking tour.  We went back to the ship and relaxed on our balcony until it was time to depart.  We went up to deck 15 and watched as we pulled away.  Beautiful, ocean front mansions, yachts, mountains and my favorite….a whale, just as we were leaving the bay.  I read later that from December to April, dolphins and humpback whales use the Bay of Banderas as a breeding ground so it’s very common to see them.

Adios Puerto Vallarta!