Puerto Vallarta | |
|---|---|
City andmunicipality | |
 Above, from left to right: Panoramic view of Villa del Palmar,Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, theSea Horse Sculpture,the pier, view of the hotel zone from the boardwalk,Marina Vallarta and downtown. | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Nicknames: P.V., Vallarta | |
 Location of the municipality within the state of Jalisco | |
   | |
| Coordinates:20°38′45″N105°13′20″W / 20.64583°N 105.22222°W /20.64583; -105.22222 | |
| Country |  Mexico |
| State |  Jalisco |
| Founded | December 12, 1851 |
| Founded as | Las Peñas |
| Named after | Ignacio Vallarta |
| Government | |
| • Municipal president | Luis Ernesto Munguía González [es][1] (.svg) PVEM) |
| Area | |
• Total | 49.11 km2 (18.96 sq mi) |
| • Municipality | 680.9 km2 (262.9 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 1,452 km2 (561 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 7.0 m (23 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 224,166 |
| • Rank | 6th in Jalisco |
| • Density | 4,565/km2 (11,820/sq mi) |
| • Municipality | 291,839 |
| • Metro | 479,471 |
| Demonym | Vallartense |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CentralCentral Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (Central Standard Time) |
| Postal code | 48300 |
| Area code | +52 322 |
| Website | puertovallarta |
Puerto Vallarta (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈpweɾtoβaˈʎaɾta] or simplyVallarta) is a Mexicanresort city near theBahía de Banderas on the Pacific coast of theMexican state ofJalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largesturban agglomeration in the state after theGuadalajara Metropolitan Area. The city of Puerto Vallarta is the government seat of the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, which comprises the city as well as population centers outside of the city, extending fromBoca de Tomatlán to theNayarit border (theAmeca River). The city is located at20°40′N105°16′W / 20.667°N 105.267°W /20.667; -105.267. The municipality has an area of 681 square kilometres (262.9 sq mi). To the north, it borders the southwest of the state ofNayarit. To the east, it borders the municipality of Mascota andSan Sebastián del Oeste, and to the south, it borders the municipalities of Talpa de Allende and Cabo Corrientes.[5]
Puerto Vallarta is named afterIgnacio Vallarta, a formergovernor of Jalisco. In Spanish,Puerto Vallarta is frequently shortened to "Vallarta", while English speakers call the cityP.V. for short. In Internet shorthand, the city is often referred to as PV, after theInternational Air Transport Association airport code for itsGustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport.
Pirates were known to sack villages and attack ships along thePacific Coast of Mexico early in the 16th century. As early as 1510, rogue conquistadores and their slaves turned to piracy shortly after establishing the village ofSanta María la Antigua del Darién, now in Panama. Just 50 miles west, they discovered thePacific Ocean.[6] To escape growing Spanish control in Darién, a contingent relocated toAcla. In 1518, they used the Pacific'sPanama Bay as a base for pirating operations.[7] Native tribes later attackedDarién and briefly retook control in 1524. Just two years earlier, a new group of rogue conquistadors established pirating operations onTerarequi Island in theGulf of Panama and laterSanto Domingo, Nicaragua.
In 1524, the nephew of Mexico's most famous Spanish conquistador,Hernán Cortés, led the first official Spanish exploration into the Tintoque region (nowValle de Banderas) on foot with a troop of soldiers. Upon entering the village,Francisco Cortés of San Buenaventura and his soldiers were surrounded by an angry mob of indigenous warriors carrying weapons. According to local legend, pirates had already been anchoring in this bay, pillaging local villagers, and burying treasure in the hills. These attacks instilled a fear of outsiders by local villagers. A Catholic friar accompanying the Spanish troops began praying to the Lord for help. The warriors immediately lowered their weapons, allowing the explorers to pass peacefully. According to reports, the warriors were mesmerized by the flags (banderas) the soldiers carried. The encounter with villagers is believed to be how the bay was named. In the following years, Bahía de Banderas became a major port and safe harbor for ships traveling theManila galleon.[8][9]
In 1531, conquistadorHernán Cortés set out to explore the Pacific coast of Mexico and establish asafe harbor for cargo ships sailing the plannedManila Galleon Trade Route. He used the earlier established port ofAcapulco to resupply his ships. While anchored in Acapulco,Cortés sent two of his ships North to explore the coastline without him. Just several hundred miles North, his ships located the large bay his nephew had discovered earlier. One of his ships wrecked in what is now known as Bahía de Banderas, and all but three men were reportedly killed. It is believed that the corpses of the lost sailors washed ashore. Native villagers encountered numerous corpses on the beach for days after the wreck. The encounters with the dead crew are believed to be how the beach was named.[10]
Few details are known about the history of the area prior to the 19th century. There is archaeological evidence to suggest continuous human habitation from 580 BC, and similar evidence (from sites near Ixtapa and in Col. Lázaro Cárdenas)[11] that the area belonged to theAztlán culture which dominatedJalisco,Nayarit andMichoacán fromc. 900–1200. The limited evidence in occidental Mexican archeology have limited the current knowledge about pre-historic life in the area.[12]
The official founding story of Las Peñas and thus of Puerto Vallarta is that it was founded by Guadalupe Sánchez Torres, his wife Ambrosia Carrillo and some friends such as Cenobio Joya, Apolonio de Robles, Cleofas Peña and Martín Andrade, among others, on December 12, 1851, and was given the name of Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe since it was the day dedicated to the virgin of Guadalupe. Although the purchase record of the property by Guadalupe Sanchez is dated 1859, his family lived there prior to the purchase year.[13][14]
There is however no doubt the development of Las Peñas into a self-sustaining village of any significant size happened in the 1860s as the mouth of the Cuale area was exploited to support the operations of the newly enfranchised Union en Cuale company. As such 1859 marks the beginning of Puerto Vallarta as a village. Twenty years later, by 1885, the village comprised about 250 homes and about 800 residents.[15]
The Mexican government invested significantly in transportation improvements, making Puerto Vallarta an easy travel destination. To make Puerto Vallarta accessible by jet aircraft the government developed the city'sinternational airport. Ground transportation significantly improved. Government invested heavily in the development of highway and utility infrastructure. Another vital improvement for the city was the El Salado wharf (where the current cruise terminal is), inaugurated on June 1, 1970, making Puerto Vallarta Jalisco's first harbor town.[16]
During the mid-1980s, Puerto Vallarta experienced a rapid expansion of impromptu communities poorly served by even basic public services. This very low standard of living leveled out Puerto Vallarta's resort boom. In the late 1980s Puerto Vallarta's government worked to alleviate the situation by developing housing and infrastructure. But the legacy of the 1980s boom remains, as the outlying areas of Puerto Vallarta suffer from poor provision of basic services (i.e. water, sewage, roads).[17]
Puerto Vallarta lies on a narrow coastal plain at the foot of the Sierras Cuale and San Sebastián, parts of theSierra Madre Occidental. The plain widens to the north, reaching its widest point along the Ameca river. Three rivers flow from the Sierra through the area. From south to north they are the Cuale, the Pitillal, and the Ameca. A number of arroyos also run from the Sierra to the coastal plain. Many of the valleys of these rivers and arroyos are inhabited. Also development has to some extent spread up the hillsides from the coastal plain.
The city proper comprises four main areas: the hotel zone along the shore to the north, Olas Altas – Colonia Emiliano Zapata to the south of the Cuale river (recently namedZona Romántica in some tourist brochures), theCentro along the shore between these two areas, and a number of residential areas to the east of the hotel zone. The oldest section of the town is the area of Col. Centro near the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, especially Hidalgo street.
Puerto Vallarta, like much of the west coast of North America, is prone to earthquakes, though Puerto Vallarta tends to experience only peripheral effects of earthquakes centered farther south. On 9 October 1995, anearthquake located off theColima coast shook the crown from the top of the Roman Catholic Church.[18][19]
Puerto Vallarta has aTropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classificationAw), with dry winters and rainy summers.[20] The average daily high temperature is 86 °F (30 °C); average daily low temperature is 70 °F (21 °C); average daily humidity is 75%. The rainy season extends from mid June through mid October, with most of the rain between July and September. August is the city's wettest month, with an average of 14 days with significant precipitation. Even during the rainy season precipitation tends to be concentrated in large rainstorms. Occasional tropical storms will bring thunderstorms to the city in November, though the month is typically dry. There is a marked dry season in the winter. February, March and April are the months with the least cloud cover.[21]
Hurricanes seldom strike Puerto Vallarta. In 2002,Hurricane Kenna, a category 5 hurricane, made landfall about 160 km (100 mi) northwest of Puerto Vallarta, and the city suffered some damage from the resulting storm surge. In 1971,Hurricane Lily, a category 1 hurricane, caused serious flooding on theIsla Cuale, prompting the city to relocate all of its residents to the new Colonia Palo Seco.
| Climate data for Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.0 (95.0) | 35.0 (95.0) | 36.0 (96.8) | 36.0 (96.8) | 43.5 (110.3) | 45.0 (113.0) | 45.0 (113.0) | 39.0 (102.2) | 38.0 (100.4) | 39.0 (102.2) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.0 (96.8) | 45.0 (113.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 29.4 (84.9) | 31.7 (89.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.7 (89.1) | 30.0 (86.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 29.6 (85.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.7 (71.1) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.6 (74.5) | 25.6 (78.1) | 28.3 (82.9) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.3 (82.9) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.8 (82.0) | 25.3 (77.5) | 22.8 (73.0) | 25.4 (77.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 17.2 (63.0) | 18.9 (66.0) | 21.7 (71.1) | 25.0 (77.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 23.9 (75.0) | 20.6 (69.1) | 17.8 (64.0) | 21.0 (69.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 11 (52) | 8 (46) | 12 (54) | 11 (52) | 11 (52) | 17 (63) | 21 (70) | 21 (70) | 18 (64) | 16 (61) | 13 (55) | 7 (45) | 7 (45) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 33.8 (1.33) | 5.3 (0.21) | 2.0 (0.08) | 1.5 (0.06) | 15.4 (0.61) | 187.6 (7.39) | 328.1 (12.92) | 312.4 (12.30) | 370.0 (14.57) | 93.8 (3.69) | 19.8 (0.78) | 22.5 (0.89) | 1,392.2 (54.83) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 10.8 | 16.4 | 15.2 | 15.6 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 71.1 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 67 | 65 | 65 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 68 | 68 |
| Source 1: World Meteorological Organization.[22] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weatherbase[23] | |||||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 °C (75 °F) | 24 °C (75 °F) | 24 °C (75 °F) | 25 °C (77 °F) | 27 °C (81 °F) | 28 °C (82 °F) | 29 °C (84 °F) | 30 °C (86 °F) | 30 °C (86 °F) | 30 °C (86 °F) | 28 °C (82 °F) | 25 °C (77 °F) |
Hurricane Patricia, a Category 5 storm, became the most powerfulcyclone ever measured in theWestern Hemisphere with sustained wind speeds up to 200 mph (320 km/h). Hurricane Patricia was forecast to make landfall at Puerto Vallarta on the evening of October 23, 2015, with catastrophic damage predicted for the town and surrounding areas and the potential for mud slides. The storm changed from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in just 24 hours, thus catching some vacationers off guard and leaving many trapped in the town. The Jalisco state government put together 30 buses to evacuate tourists from the coast toGuadalajara, a 5-hour ride inland.Manzanillo, Colima was also near the forecast catastrophic damage zone. Ultimately, Patricia weakened and made landfall south of Puerto Vallarta, sparing the city from any significant damage.[25][26]
Nearly 80% of the workforce is employed in tourist related industries: hotels, restaurants, personal services, and transportation.[27]
Tourism in Puerto Vallarta has increased steadily over the years and makes up 80% of the city's economic activity in 2020.[27] The high season for international tourism in Puerto Vallarta is from late November through March (or later, depending on the timing of the collegespring break period in the U.S.) The city is especially popular with U.S. residents from the southern and western U.S. because of the number of direct flights between Puerto Vallarta andAtlanta,Los Angeles,San Francisco,Seattle,Denver,Phoenix,Dallas/Fort Worth,Houston,Minneapolis/St Paul andChicago.[28]
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Puerto Vallarta has become a popular retirement destination for U.S. and Canadian retirees. This has created a number of neighborhoods within the Puerto Vallarta region that cater primarily to real estate tourism, such as the Hotel Zone, which stretches from downtown Vallarta to the airport andMarina Vallarta (near the airport), and Amapas andConchas Chinas, which are built into the mountain slightly south and behind Puerto Vallarta, and overlook the city and bay. Most recently the downtown area, especially inEmiliano Zapata (also known as theRomantic Zone), has seen a somewhat controversial trend of traditional homes being razed for the construction of condominium buildings. This region in recent years has been the most popular for Vallarta real estate tourism, with nearly 25% of all real estate sales for the region taking place there in 2019.[29]
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The Puerto Vallarta real estate tourism market is made up of both full-time retirees and second-home owners, primarily from the United States. On average about 40% of buyers are American, with 30% consisting of Mexican nationals, and Canadians and other foreign buyers making up the remaining 20%. Mexicans favor destinations such as Puerto Vallarta,Los Cabos andCancún not just for the sun and beach, but also as real estate investments, as real estate in these regions is priced in USD, rather than in pesos like the rest of the country.[29]
Puerto Vallarta can be classified as a medium-ranged real estate market with a market consisting mostly of condominiums with an average price around US$320,000 in 2019.[29] Any foreigner wishing to buy real estate in Puerto Vallarta (or anywhere along the coast of Mexico), can't own real estate there outright, but needs to establish afideicommissum or beneficial trust which is held with a Mexican bank on the owner's behalf. It is not the same as holding the title. The trust is good for 50 years and can be renewed for another 50-year period.[30]
Puerto Vallarta has developed into Mexico's premierresort town as a sort of satellite gay space for the larger state capital, Guadalajara, much asFire Island is toNew York City andPalm Springs is toLos Angeles.[31] It is now considered the most welcoming andgay-friendly destination in the country, dubbed the "San Francisco of Mexico."[32] Previously quite conservative, the municipal government has become increasingly supportive in recognising and accepting the LGBTQ tourism segment and supporting LGBTQ events such as Vallarta gay pride celebrations, which launched in 2013 and are now held annually to coincide with U.S. Memorial Day weekend.[33] It has a gay scene, centered in the city's south-sideZona Romántica, consisting ofhotels andresorts as well as manybars,nightclubs and a gay beach on the main shore.[32] Puerto Vallarta has been cited as the number one gay beach destination inLatin America,[34] with city officials claiming a 5% tourism increase in 2013.[35]
The majorsuburb isBahia de Banderas in Nayarit across state lines, in whichNuevo Vallarta andSayulita are localities. Ixtapa is a locality in PV, not to be confused with the municipality ofIxtapa inGuerrero state.
| 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015[36] | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locality | 93,503 | 121,844 | 151,432 | 177,830 | 203,342 | 221,200 | 224,166 | ||||
| Municipality[37][38][3] | 10,801 | 15,462 | 35,911 | 57,028 | 111,457 | 184,728 | 255,725 | 275,640 | 291,839 |
Poverty remains a problem, fueled by the constant influx of persons seeking employment. Many areas of the city are still poorly served by roads and sewers. For example, Colonia Ramblases is served by roads in generally poor condition only 10% of which are paved, and Ramblases has been a populated neighborhood since the 1940s.[39] The Municipality of Puerto Vallarta comprises about 45,000 regular dwellings. Of those, 10% do not have a potable water supply (carrying their water from a public tap), 8% do not have connections to a sewer system or septic system (using instead crude septic pits or dumping sewage directly into waterways), and 4% do not have electricity.[40] There have been improvements in 2005 to 2007, such as newIMSS facilities inCol. Versalles, improvements to several recreation facilities, improved communal beach access policies, etc. Still efforts seem to aim more at quick and visible infrastructure improvements than at solving the more pressing and enduring problem of insufficient infrastructure for basic services.[41]
One positive result of recent growth has been that in relative terms a smaller percentage of the population lives in older and poorly served neighborhoods. A growing number of residents live in housing projects and low-income housing developments which provide at least adequate basic services.[42]
TheLicenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport comprises a commercial international section and a general aviation section.[43]
Puerto Vallarta currently has no passenger rail service. Historically, buses connected with nearbyTepic, where there was a passenger rail service on the main north–south trunk ofFerromex. Heading north, trains continued toNogales, opposite its namesake inArizona. A spur headed northwest toMexicali, oppositeCalexico,California. Service to the east went toGuadalajara and then toMexico City.[44]
As of June 2017,Uber began operating in Puerto Vallarta.[45] Their arrival has not been without conflict, as there have been confrontations between them and taxi drivers due to their much lower rates.[46]
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Puerto Vallarta comprises numerous neighborhoods (colonias). Notable neighborhoods include (from South to North)
The city also includes numerousfraccionamientos, densely built residential blocks that provide affordable housing for the city's workforce.
Additionally the municipality of Puerto Vallarta comprises a few other significant population centers (from South to North):
Highland Park,Illinois, United States[56]Santa Barbara,California, United States[57]McAllen,Texas, United States[58]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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