Visitor’s Guide To Puerto Vallarta

Aerial View of Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is one of the popular beach resort areas and plays a huge role as a port of call for those going on cruise ships.  It is situated on the Pacific coast of Mexico, in the state of Jalisco.  It frames Mexico’s biggest natural bay, the Bay of Flags or Bahia de Banderas.

The area surrounding Puerto Vallarta was inhabited by the indigenous group known as the Huicholes.  It was during 1524 that the Spanish first invaded the area.  The legend is that when they landed, they were greeted by a huge number of indigenous people waving flags, hence the name ‘Bay of Flags’.  The area continued with a few residents, until Richard Burton filmed ‘Night of the Iguana’ in the area during 1964, which is when it became famous.

Popular Place For Celebrities

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor bought a villa in the area and this made it an instant attraction for celebrities.  The infrastructure of the town had to be improved to cater for the increased numbers of visitors, however, it still offers tourists natural beauty and rustic charm.

The Bay of Banderas has a horse-shoe shape and covers the coastline from Cabo Correintes to Punta Mita.  This entire region around the bay, known as Vallarta has been divided into two states, Nayarit and Jalisco, which are in different time zones.  Puerto Vallarta is one hour behind Nayarit.

Activities in the area include taking a boat trip to Islas Marietas, shopping for handicrafts made by the locals and going for a stroll along the Malecon, where buskers often entertain those passing by.

Of course, you will be able to enjoy the stunning beaches of Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta Sunset

The area is well organized to cater for visitors, with many different types of accommodation available and several restaurants to satisfy your hunger.

You can reach Puerto Vallarta by air, bus or land.  The airport is a mere six kilometers from the city center.  Traveling to Puerto Vallarta by car is always a good option as it gives you the opportunity to see the surrounding area and extend the area you cover during your holiday period.

Remember to Buy Your Mexican Auto Insurance

If you are planning Puerto Vallarta, you should ensure that you purchase Mexican auto insurance prior to leaving home.  You can buy Mexican auto insurance at the border, but the chances are that it will cost more and you will not have the wide choice that is available online.

It is important that you make sure you purchase Mexican vehicle insurance from a reputable, licensed provider such as MexinsuraceStore.com.  You can purchase your Mexican auto insurance from this Mexinsurancestore link. Although you may purchase from a broker within the US, you should obtain the contact details of the Mexican insurance company covering your policy.  This can be done by printing your policy as all the required contact information should be provided.  You should ensure that you are adequately covered for liability as the different states have different minimum liability cover amounts.

Mexican car insurance is easy to purchase online and you should print at least one copy of the policy.  If you are able to, you should print one copy in English and one in Spanish as this could prevent problems with the authorities who are unable to communicate in English.  A major factor is to retain a copy with you at all times whilst travelling through Mexico.