Ok, I went to Puerto Vallarta (PV) last week for vacation and here are some photos.  Some urban and others not-so-urban.

 

We stayed in the hills overlooking the south part of the city, generally called the "Romantic Zone" or "Old Vallarta" (Strangely, downtown is still older).  It is south of the Rio Cuale which seperates downtown ("Central Zone") and the "Romantic Zone".  This is also the sort of the gay-friendly area with shops, restaurants, etc.  The main public beaches are also here, called Playa de los Muertos.  This is where residents go and a little further south is the gay beach.

 

Then downtown, along the ocean & the Bay of Banderas, is the Malecon - a boardwalk-like promanade - spanning from south of the river to a couple of miles north of the main town square where city hall, an open amphitheatre, and the Our Lady of Guadalupe church are located.  The Malecon is famous for some fairly modern scupltures (Hamilton, Oh take note!)

 

North of downtown is the "Hotel Zone" where the big touristy hotels are, Marina Vallarta where all the cruise ships/boats are, and then further out, Nuevo Vallarta which is where the newer hotels & condos are.  PV and the surrounding area around the bay is approx. 300,000 people.

 

We took a boat ride to the Marietas Islands which are a protected preserve.  We went snorkling but you are not allowed on the islands.  We also did a horse-back ride into one of the river valleys north and east of town from Rancho el Charro in some small village.

 

 

 

 

Our hotel have private balconies.

 

The walk downhill from hotel to the beach . . .

 

 

No chickens in the pic but trust me . . they are around.

 

 

 

 

Ok, so we are walking across Rio Cuale (locals swimming) then down the island in the middle of the river before going downtown.

 

 

 

 

 

So downtown, here is the sqaure with the church . . .

 

 

And then walking down the Malecon . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three pics while horse-back riding . . .

 

 

 

Now off to Marietas Islands . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coming back in . . .

 

 

 

Beautiful!

Gorgeous place! Looks very relaxing.

I am so jealous...........I wish I was there  :cry:

wow, i like it. what a crown on the church.

 

i am relaxed just looking at those pix.

I always love bldg collections such as these......so intriging to imagine how people built those type of structures!

 

you take very nice pictures senior. beautiful, even quaint at times....  it's didn't as 'touristy' as maybe I would have expected? 

 

next time... take me (I will buy you a new ball hat).

My S.O. went there this past Christmas and said it was beautiful - your pics definitely confirm his observations!

MayDay's thread (and your post in it, BHG) reminded me that I never responded to this one.  Very nice!