Welcome Home
Wow it feels like coming home. Welcome to vibrant and friendly Puerto Vallarta! I don’t reside here, however I have spent many months on this coast and specifically in this city. There is something magical about PV that continues to draw me back into her embrace.
It’s still Christmas?
One of my very favourite things to do in this city is walk the Malecon. The malecon is a long stretch, a beach esplanade if you will, about 2 kilometres long. It starts at the old Rosita Hotel and continues right into the romantic zone. If you have reached this point and want to keep going, you can walk down Los Muertos Beach to the cliff at the end. There is a path through the cliff to explore other beaches, which I will cover in another post.
When I wandered onto the malecon on my first full day in town, I was greeted with most of the Christmas displays still decorating the strip. While it is strange to see Christmas decorations this late into January, it makes sense when you realize that for many Mexicans, the biggest Christmas celebration took place this year, on January 6th. Three Kings day or Epiphany is the thirteenth day after Christmas Day. This day the three wise men first met baby Jesus and gave him their gifts.
Each year the Christmas display changes on the Malecon. Last year it was the traditional large Christmas tree with life size holiday decorated rocking horses that you could hop on and ride. This year, the tree is even bigger, and there is an enormous nativity scene, complete with the three wise men, a camel and an elephant!! Magnificent!
Malecon
When you visit Puerto Vallarta, one of the places I urge you to see is the Malecon. Any time of day, this wide beach boardwalk is going to offer something unique and wonderful. I love to start my day early in the morning, with a walk or run down and back. In the winter, the air is nice and cool, there are very few people about and you can exercise in peace with a million dollar view.
By about 10am, the crowds have started to fill the wide space, but it is still quite a pleasant walk, albeit at a slower pace. There are stalls set up along the route with handicrafts and all of the board walk eateries are open for business. Once you have reached old town, or the romantic zone, there are many places that have seating right in the sand. Having a delicious breakfast with your toes in the sand, while the waves crash and the city wakes up is a truly special way to begin any day.
The evenings on the Malecon are a sight in themselves, especially Sunday evenings. Sundays are family days in Mexico. It’s the day of the week, that most extended families will spend time together, eating, enjoying a day at the beach and strolling the board walk in the evening.
The malecon comes alive for this evening celebration! Strings of lights wind up the palm trunks and over head. Booths selling all types of Mexican snack foods line the water side of the Malecon. There are wandering vendors selling cotton candy, balloons, toys and bags of fried snacks. It is an excellent place to come for dessert, for there are several tables set up with an array of delectable treats. The malecon really has a carnival atmosphere, especially on the Sunday evening, but you will find this festivity every evening.
I hope when you are next able to visit this amazing, friendly and vibrant city, that you will walk the beach and malecon, morning and night.
