Quick Facts about Puerto Vallarta: Location:
Pacific coast of Mexico along Banderas Bay, Mexico's largest natural bay, in the northwest corner of the state of Jalisco.
Climate:
November to April Average high 85F/low 63F - May to October: Average high 92F/low 70F -
Rainy Season: Mid-June through September, mainly afternoon and evening showers.
Airport:
Located four miles from downtown, has over 450 weekly flights, ground transportation available.
Currency:
Pesos, money exchange houses located in the airport, on nearly every street corner and at banks throughout the city. Credit cards are widely accepted.
Electricity:
110 volt 60-current, same as the U.S.A., no adapters needed.
Population:
350,000 of which 6,500 are expatriates. 2 million visitors annually.
Economy:
Mainly tourist related. Agriculture, tobacco, cattle ranching and tequila production
Local Time:
Puerto Vallarta is in the Central Time Zone (the same as Texas), which is two hours ahead of California and one hour behind New York.
Restaurants:
There are more than 250 in town!
Beaches:
Vallarta has been named the best beach in Latin America by Travel and Leisure Magazine Readers Survey, all 25 miles of it.
The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe:
It took 33 years to build from 1918 to 1955; the trade mark crown was damaged in the 1995 earthquake and has now being repaired.
Nayarit:
Jalisco's neighboring state, just eight miles north of town is in another time zone, one hour earlier.
Taxis:
With more than 1,000 taxis in town, there is no problem hailing one. Taxi fares are set in PV; the average fare is around $30 pesos or $3 USD. A trip across town-from the Marina to Los Muertos Beach-will run about $60 pesos or $6.00 USD. Fares are posted in each taxi, the daily newspaper and most major hotels. Asking about the fare before you get in may save you a few pesos.
Tequila:
Only tequila that is made in Tequila, Jalisco can bear the name of 'tequila.'
Mariachi:
Jalisco is the home of this traditional Mexican music.
Wildlife:
Humpback whales winter in the Bay every year. Dolphins, giant mantas, sea turtles, and over 100 species of birds also live here.
Casa Kimberly:
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's love nest was built in 1963 for $5,000 USD and sold years later for $450,000.
Golf:
Marina Vallarta Golf Club Located in Marina Vallarta, since most of the fairways are lined with palm trees and guarded by water, a premium is placed on accuracy.
Flamingos Golf Club Located in Nuevo Vallarta, this traditional-style course enjoys the reputation of being the easiest to play because of its wide-open fairways. Phone:
Punta Mita Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Located 40 minutes to the north, there are two 18-hole courses. Pacífico eight picturesque holes bordering the ocean. Hole #3b, called the “Tail of the Whale,” is a 194-yard, par 3 that plays across the ocean to a rocky island green. Bahía has seven oceanfront holes and is a little more challenging than
Mayan Palace Golf Club Located in Nuevo Vallarta, this is a fun course, though bunkers and water hazards are everywhere. The #14 signature hole is a beautiful 166-yard, par 3 with the ocean on the left and a lake on the right.
El Tigre Golf Club Located in Nuevo Vallarta, this is a lengthy course protected by traps and water throughout. The mammoth finishing hole is the par 5, 621-yard “Tiger.” Most golfers find it untamable because water runs all the way down the left side and the multi-tiered green is surrounded by sand.
Vista Vallarta This is actually two spectacular golf courses at one location, just 10 minutes east of the airport. The Nicklaus course has garnered worldwide recognition since hosting the 2002 EMC World Cup Championship.
Other Activities:
Paradise may be considered a state of mind, but when visiting Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, one definitely experiences a real life paradise. For those who
