Puerto Vallarta: where the Pacific meets the Sierra Madre

Between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Mexican Pacific, Puerto Vallarta preserves a colonial center animated by beaches and vibrant nightlife.

The center, where the Pacific meets the Sierra Madre, can be comfortably visited by taxi or local bus.

The Malecón of Puerto Vallarta, a pedestrian waterfront decorated with contemporary sculptures, animates strolls and venues along the entire bay.

Just steps away, the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with its own crown in European style on the dome, remains the most photographed religious symbol of the city.

Continuing southward you reach Playa de los Muertos, the main beach of the old town, animated by restaurants and bars on the sand.

Toward evening, a boat excursion in Banderas Bay, among Mexico's largest, allows whale observation during the winter season.

Banderas Bay, one of the deepest and largest bays in the Mexican Pacific, becomes a breeding ground every winter for humpback whales that migrate from colder waters to give birth in its warm waters.

Puerto Vallarta became internationally famous after being chosen as the film set for The Night of the Iguana in 1964, an event that transformed the small fishing village into a global tourist destination.