Puerto Vallarta Living

Charley Wished He'd Never Visited Puerto Vallarta! Nestled in the Sierra Madre foothills along the shore of the 25 mile diameter Banderas Bay on the Pacific Ocean, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the beautiful vacation resort destination and retirement haven in the center of the Mexican Riviera boasts of having some of the finest deep sea fishing waters in the world; those found in the deep bay, an extension of a large canyon... Read More

Mexican Stocks, Silver, and Real Estate--A Ten Year Review The Consumer Price Indexes (CPI) program of the US Department of Labor produces monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services in the United States. Tracking the CPI data began in 1913 and by 1983, inflation had reached 100%. Therefore, today most all data is calculated using a 1983 base of 100. For example, a CPI of 215.3 in 2009 indicates 115.3% inflation since 1983... Read More

Live in Mexico Without Spanish? After living in Houston for 25 years, we discovered that Mexico was only two hours away and that it had some very intriguing qualities to offer. In 1984 we bought a condo in Mismaloya, south of Puerto Vallarta, and made semi-annual visits to Vallarta for 13 years before buying a villa in the foothills of the Sierra Madres, overlooking Banderas Bay and El Centro, the downtown area of PV. When we moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, known as PV or Vallarta by the locals, ten years ago... Read More

Don't Drink the Water? Years ago, the rule throughout Mexico was, don’t drink the water. We moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 1997 and one of the selling features of our beautiful new villa was an in-house water purification system. It had dual cartridges, one charcoal, the other chemically treated paper, and dual ultra violet lamps for additional treatment. We also had filtration units below the kitchen sink as well as in the refrigerator... Read More

The Facts Concerning Violent Crimes Committed Against US Tourists in Mexico. Since shocking and misleading headlines such as "Mexico the Most Dangerous Country for Americans" are designed to be attention grabbing, tourists that read such nonsense might want to do their homework before considering vacation destinations in Mexico; they must understand the facts and not be frightened by ridiculous fear tactics put forth by those with ulterior motives... Read More

Escape From America Without Leaving America. As we all know, Christopher Columbus, while searching for China, first discovered the Americas when he arrived in San Salvador in 1492. On his second voyage, he landed in the Caribbean Islands, and on his last voyage in 1498, he arrived in the area of Venezuela. In 1497, the Italian sailor Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), exploring on behalf of England, landed in Labrador and Newfoundland... Read More

Christmas in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Five centuries ago, Christmas was virtually nonexistent in Mexico; in fact, Christianity had not even been introduced to the New World. The native Aztec Indians weren't even aware of the concept of Christianity until 1524, when Twelve Franciscans (Twelve Apostles of New Spain) came to Mexico; about a decade later, the Dominicans followed... Read More

How Do You Get to Paradise? Paradise, as defined by some dictionaries and religions, is heaven or any environment that is ultimately pleasurable. We can’t help you get to heaven; however we can give you some good tips on getting to a place that’s almost ultimately pleasurable! It’s difficult to imagine that one of the routes to such a place is through central Mexico, a drive that we first made in the late 70´s... Read More

The Three Eyed Iguanas of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The word "iguana" is the Spanish derivation of the Carib (Amerindian) word, "iwana"; a name given to a family of lizards that are found throughout the Americas. Iguanas are one of the five generally recognized infraorders of the lacertilian suborder of reptiles which includes all lizards. The Iguanidae family is only one of about 17 families of the lacertilian suborder; it includes the subfamilies of iguana iguanas (green) and spiny-tailed (black) iguanas which are abundant in the Puerto Vallarta, Mexico area. This entire order of reptiles has been traced back to Tianyusaurus who roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous Period, 65-100 million years ago... Read More

The Magnificent Sand Sculptures of Puerto Vallarta. Do you remember your first few vacations to the beach as a child with your parents when you had your little shovel and bucket and could let your imagination run wild as you built sand castles with moats around them? Obviously, we were not the first to mold sand. Sand sculpting as an art form has been around for thousands of years; it is conjectured that the ancient Egyptians made sand models of the pyramids... Read More

The Fountain of Youth Rediscovered in Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta, the sleepy little Mexican fishing village that's no longer sleepy or little is located at the same latitude as Maui, Hawaii. Being at that latitude, Vallarta experiences the same perfect daily temperatures as Maui from November through May averaging about 73°F. However Vallarta is much more hospitable for vacationing or retirement during those months because it experiences an average monthly rainfall of less than 0.4 inches, whereas Maui receives anywhere from 1.7 to 2.6 inches of rain per month depending upon your location on the island... Read More

The World’s Only Natural Island Green in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Some historians trace the sport of golf back to the Roman game of paganica, in which participants used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball; however, according to the most widely accepted account, the modern game originated in Scotland around the 12th century with shepherds knocking stones into rabbit holes on the current site of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews... Read More

History of Sport Resulting in Sudden Death Near Puerto Vallarta. Synthetic rubber, plastics, rayon, nylon and other synthetic materials were first developed from hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas, and coal in the late 19th century but not really commercialized until during the 1900‘s. It’s hard to imagine, but most all of today’s “modern” materials have only gained popularity during the past 100 years. In fact, most of us retired geezers can clearly remember the days (before computers and televisions!) when very few items were made of plastic, synthetic fibers, or films.... Read More

The Last of the Obsidian Artifacts in Puerto Vallarta. More than 30 years ago during one of our first visits to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, while browsing through a small souvenir shop, we noticed a handful of small black objects high on a back corner shelf. They were covered with dust and obviously hadn’t been touched for years. We asked the owner of the tienda what they were and he indicated that they were obsidian artifacts; insinuating that they were very old and that obsidian was quite rare and virtually approaching extinction. Since this was the first time we had ever seen obsidian and being quite naïve... Read More

World Class Fire Opals Mined Near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We all know that Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is a world famous resort destination and retirement haven. We also know that just about all of the Mexican Riviera cruise ships make Vallarta a normal port of entry providing the visitors with numerous fun and exciting things to do, sights to be seen, side tours to be taken, beautiful beaches to enjoy, etc., but few tourists ever really get to know the area, customs, and local history... Read More

Puerto Vallarta & Lake Tahoe--The Best of Both Worlds. Vallarta, located on the Mexican Riviera and only two to four hours from most major cities in the US, offers all of the modern day conveniences, numerous activities for retirees, fine dining and social life, and perfect weather for almost eight months of the year, from October through May. During those months, the average daily temperature is 73*F with an average monthly rainfall of less than 0.4 inches of rain; in other words, more than 97% of the days are absolutely ideal for golfing, tennis, fishing, or what ever outdoor activity interests you... Read More

Ready to Live in Luxury?James Whitcomb Riley’s poems depicted the comforts of a prosperous home life, while those using the term “living large” are referring to living with an extravagant or self indulgent lifestyle; able to pay for and enjoy a very wealthy lifestyle or as they say south of the border, able to enjoy the sweet life, “la dolce vida”. If you are now ready to live in luxury, you’ve got only one small hurdle to jump; that is affordability! Herein lies the solution to your problem... Read More

The Influence of Mariachi on Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. Mariachi music, quite obviously the heart and soul of Mexico to anyone that has traveled south of the border, frequently permeates the Puerto Vallarta evening air. Mariachis can be heard serenading women at weddings, special occasions such as quinceaneras (girls’ fifteenth birthday celebrations) and baptisms, Mother’s Day fiestas, and at private parties. The mariachis are also often seen and heard in many of the restaurants and cantinas... Read More

Want to Find Treasure in the Sierra Madres? Now, we ask, where exactly are the Sierra Madres? Well, there are actually three mountain ranges in Mexico, all referred to as the Sierra Madres. The first is the Sierra Madre Oriental range that runs about 700 miles from north to the south on the eastern side of Mexico. On the western side of Mexico, the Sierra Madre Occidental range runs about 700 miles from the US border south to an area just north of Puerto Vallarta. The Sierra Madre Del Sur begins close to where the Occidental range ends and continues south to Guatemala... Read More

Live in Mexico—Cheap, Huh? Mexico on $5 a day? Sure, not a problem if you can survive on four cervezas during the day and sleep in a tent pitched somewhere in the woods during the night. Of course, if you live on the Mexican Riviera, you’ll only be able to afford a couple cervezas a day but you will be able to sleep on the beach! In 1997, we moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, known as Vallarta or PV by the locals, and inevitably, when meeting folks in the States, we’re asked why in the world we would live there. Most assume it’s due to the low cost of living in Mexico and that one can do just fine on Social Security... Read More

What Makes Banderas Bay So Special? Some say that Banderas Bay was formed from a volcano; that it is so deep that no instruments have ever been able to accurately detect its depth. Others claim it to be two miles deep. They are all incorrect as it’s merely an extension of a canyon running from the Banderas Valley or Ameca Valley with its deepest point near Cabo Corrientes, measured at 900 meters or approximately 3,000 feet. Many of the local residents and many of the previously written articles about the Puerto Vallarta area will tell you that Banderas Bay is the largest bay in Mexico and the second largest bay in North America... Read More

Have You Seen Puerto Vallarta's Green Flashes? Perhaps you're among those fortunate enough to have witnessed a green flash at the instant the sun sets; however for most, they've only heard of the phenomenon. One such area for viewing the green flashes is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where, during the "high season" of November through May when the average daily temperature is 73°F with virtually no chance of rain, thousands of people religiously watch for this rare instantaneous event every evening... Read More

What is the Most Popular Fruit in the World? To the astonishment of most North Americans, mangoes are consumed worldwide by a factor of three to one over bananas and ten to one over apples. Although mangoes are still considered to be exotic fruits in America, ranking as number 24 of the top 25 fruits consumed in the US, they are considered to be staples in India, South Asia, China, and Latin America; often being referred to as "the king of the fruits". Evidently, those in the many far corners of the world have learned something that has yet to be discovered in North America... Read More

Puerto Vallarta Deep Sea Fishing: Picture this; it’s a 75*F day in November, the sky is blue, and you’re with your best fishing buddy, 20 miles out in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in the center of the Mexican Riviera. As you peer across the water, you see thousands of birds feeding on millions of small bait fish as they are driven to the water’s surface by larger fish from below. With acres of bait fish breaking the surface, the entire area, as far as you can see, has an oily sheen and the smell of a fish factory. As thousands of dolphins are playfully flipping and twisting while feeding in this orgy and larger game fish are joining the birds in this feeding frenzy... Read More

Puerto Vallarta Golf: Are you tired of shoveling snow, scraping windshields, and wading through slush throughout the winter? Would you prefer having the ability to play golf everyday this winter? If so, you should consider Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, otherwise known as Vallarta or PV by the locals. Being the same latitude as Hawaii and located on the Mexican Riviera, Vallarta has an average daily temperature of 73°F for seven months from November through May. The average high during those months is 82°F while the average low is 64°F. During those months, there is an average of one wet day per month with .6 inch of rain... Read More

Puerto Vallarta's Tecomeae Tribe Takes Center Stage in the Springtime: During the months of March and April, a couple species of the Tecomeae tribe come out in their full regalia in Puerto Vallarta. The Tecomeae tribe, included in the Bignoniaceae family, has numerous genuses including the Tabebuia genus. The Tabebuia genus has more than 100 species of which the Vallarta area is proud to host the Tabebuia Impetiginosa and the Tabebuia Donnell-Smithii species ... Read More

What Makes Banderas Bay So Special? Some say that Banderas Bay was formed from a volcano; that it is so deep that no instruments have ever been able to accurately detect its depth. Others claim it to be two miles deep. They are all incorrect as it’s merely an extension of a canyon running from the Banderas Valley or Ameca Valley with its deepest point near Cabo Corrientes, measured at 900 meters or approximately 3,000 feet. Many of the local residents and many of the previously written articles about the Puerto Vallarta area will tell you that Banderas Bay is the largest bay in Mexico... Read More

Just Hanging; Around Puerto Vallarta. During the hustle and bustle of today's life, many of us never have the time or take the time to stop and smell the flowers, let alone closely observe the wildlife around us. However, for those of us retired geezers fortunate enough to be living in Paradise, where the tropical flora and fauna abound, the beautiful flowers and birds are literally everywhere; so conspicuous that you'd have to be blind to miss them... Read More

Want to Learn Something in Your Spare Time? Back in early 1960‘s, Puerto Vallarta was just that, a sleepy little Mexican fishing village, as portrayed in “The Night of the Iguana”. Well, things have changed south of the border; Vallarta is now home to 350,000 inhabitants and growing daily. Of the 350,000 people, we can only estimate that 50,000 are North Americans. With tens of thousands of successful retirees in Vallarta, so too is an abundance of knowledge on just about every subject imaginable... Read More

Why Are All Of Puerto Vallarta's Bougainvillea Flowers White? Bougainvilleas are rapid growing plants that produce white flowers year round in sunny warm climates and Vallarta perfectly meets their requirements by providing approximately 320 sunny days per year with an average annual temperature of 78°F. Being deciduous, they do fine without much watering during the seven month dry season in Vallarta from November through May, when there is virtually no rain. As thorny vines, they seem content growing up, horizontal or even hanging down and can reach out or up almost 40 feet... Read More

What Makes Puerto Vallarta Quaint? Some will say that Puerto Vallarta is a quaint or picturesque city due to the thousands of whitewashed villas, condos, and other buildings nestled among the Sierra Madre hillsides surrounding Banderas Bay along the Pacific Ocean coastline. Others might attribute the quaintness of Vallarta to the many nearby inlets and coves where the old fishing pangas are docked with their resident pelicans waiting for dinner or perhaps to the beach vendors selling their colorful blankets, sculptures, and artwork... Read More

Where Exactly is Margaritaville? Before deciding whether or not we want to retire to Margaritaville, we must ask, where in the world is Margaritaville? Where exactly was Jimmy Buffett when he got wasted away, searchin’ for his lost shaker of salt? He was probably in Mexico because he picked up a new tattoo; a real cutie, a Mexican beauty! It must have been a pretty nice place in Mexico because even though he didn’t know the reason, he stayed there all season... Read More