“JUS’ THE FACTS, MA’AM.”

 

Welcome to VALLARTA!

Now that you are here in our little paradise, we thought you might like a little information on the region.

Puerto Vallarta is located on the west coast of Mexico, right in the middle of the Bay of Banderas, the largest bay in Mexico, a formation of the Pacific Ocean coastline that includs parts of the states of Nayarit to the north and of Jalisco to the south.

Because of the town’s sheltered location and the topographical protection offered by the Sierra Madre mountains that surround the Bay, none of the hurricanes spawned in the Pacific have entered the Bay since the beginning of regional record-keeping. Hurricane Kenna did come close, but made landfall in the State of Nayarit north of here. PV - as it is affectionately called by the locals - is situated on the same parallel as the Hawaiian Islands, thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations.

AREA
1,300 square kilometers

POPULATION
Approximately 300,000 inhabitants

CLIMATE
Tropical, humid, with an average of 300 sunny days per year. The temperature averages 28oC (82oF) and the rainy season extends from late June to early October.

FLORA & FAUNA
Regional flora is mainly tropical forest: palms, rubber trees and other tropical species. Nearby Sierra Vallejo hosts a great variety of animal species such as iguana, guacamaya, deer, raccoon, etc.

SANCTUARIES
Bahía de Banderas encloses two Marine National Parks, “Los Arcos” and the Marieta Islands, where diving is allowed under certain circumstances but fishing of any kind is prohibited.

Every year, the Bay receives the visit of the humpback whales, dolphins and manta rays in the winter. During the summer, sea turtles, a protected species, arrive to its shores to lay their eggs.

ECONOMY
Local economy is based on tourism, construction and to a lesser degree, on agriculture, mainly tropical fruit such as mango, papaya, watermelon, pineapple, guanabana, cantaloupe and bananas.

MEANS OF
COMMUNICATION
Vallarta can be reached by land through Federal Highway 200, by sea or by air.
CURRENCY
The Mexican Peso is the legal currency in Mexico although Canadian and American dollars are widely accepted.

CITY TRANSPORTATION
In Puerto Vallarta, there is a system of urban buses with different routes. Current fare is $5 Pesos per ticket and passengers must purchase a new ticket every time they board another bus. There are no “transfers”.

There are two kinds of taxi cabs: those at the airport and the maritime port are usually vans that can only be boarded at the airport or harbor. They have pre-fixed rates per passenger. City cabs are mostly Nissan yellow cars and they charge by the ride, not by passenger. It is a good practice to always agree on the price of the ride before boarding the cab.

TIME ZONE
The State of Jalisco is on Central Time, but the neighboring State of Nayarit (Nuevo Vallarta, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Bucerías, Punta Mita, etc.) is on Mountain Time. Nevertheless, most hotels and restaurants there function on Central Time to accommodate tourists to the Bay of Banderas as a whole.

CELLULAR PHONES
Most cellular phones from the U.S. and Canada may be programmed for local use, through Telcel and IUSAcell, the local carriers. To dial a cellular phone from a land line or another cell, use the prefix 044-322, then the seven digit number of the person you’re calling.

LOCAL CUSTOMS
Tipping is usually 10%-15% of the bill at restaurants and bars. Tip bellboys, taxis, waiters, maids, etc. depending on the service. Taking a siesta is a Mexican tradition.

Some businesses and offices close from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., reopening until 7 p.m. or later. In restaurants, it is considered poor manners to present the check before it is requested, so when you’re ready to leave, ask “La cuenta, por favor” and your bill will be delivered to you.•