Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Riviera Nayarit properties, real estate, vacation rentals, and activities

Puerto Vallarta is located on the same latitude as Hawaii. The city covers 670 square miles and has a population of over 300,000. At the center of the coastline of Banderas Bay, the second largest bay in the Americas, it boasts 25 miles of sheltered beaches. It is bordered by the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains to the south and east and by the fertile Valle de Banderas (Valley of Flags) to the north. To the west is Banderas Bay and the popular malecon where residents and visitors stroll day and night.Just north of downtown are most of the hotels, the marina with slips for 550 boats of all sizes, the Maritime Terminal and the airport. Just down the coast to the south are villas, hotels, more beaches and the settlement of Mismaloya, where Night of the Iguana and Predator were filmed.

Puerto Vallarta, with its cobblestone streets winding lazily around mountainsides, its traditional white shops with red tile roofs and its sunny beaches with beautiful blue waters, where whales come to mate and give birth and dolphins frolic all year, has come to be the sixth most popular travel destination in the world. (It is becoming increasingly popular for weddings and honeymoons as well.) The downtown area is focused around the town plaza and the landmark Church of Guadalupe with its filigree crown. The area teems with shops, art galleries, restaurants and cantinas and local businesses as well as residences. Unlike several resort destinations in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta was not created for tourism, but has a history as a real town. It never really was the "sleepy little fishing village" described in some travel brochures. The United States and Canada maintain consular offices in Vallarta to assist visitors. There are ATMs that accept major credit and debit cards and pharmacies stock just about everything you could need and have many medications at discounted prices.

The spectacular natural beauty of Puerto Vallarta has become a focus for several ecological groups interested in preserving the many natural ecosystems found here: rainforests, tropical jungle, mountain forest, coral reefs and the diverse marine life found in the protected waters of the bay. In particular, the University of Guadalajara's Puerto Vallarta campus (Centro Universitario de la Costa) and private foundations are working to advance Mexico's studies and protection of marine mammals.

Americans for Medicare in Mexico is organizing a Town Hall Meeting, scheduled for 2 to 4 pm on Friday, November 20, at which News Hour reporters will interview attendees on relevant healthcare topics, including opinions about the effort to bring Medicare coverage to eligible beneficiaries living in Mexico

240pounds... caught off Corveteña by Andrew and Jessica from Texas. It took them approx. 1.5 hour and to land. Tackle 30 shimano tiagra and kal star. A Sailfish and many Dorado too!

Captain Elme Aguayo Lopez and the “Y-KNOT” Super Panga crew.
Email: elme@gofishpuntamita.com
Mexico 045-322-135-1204 or 01-329-298-4295
U.S.A telephone number (303)-482-2704

Happenings

Phil's Fishing Report - August

This week the fish are getting bigger and better. The Totoaba went on a 6 hour trip and managed to catch a 400 lb Black Marlin. They were back on the dock by 1 pm. This might seem almost impossible, but with a fast boat and a good captain, catching 400 lb. Black Marlin in a six hour trip is just another day on the Bay of Banderas. The Totoaba fished just passed the island of El Morro on the edge of the canyon. This is a great place to catch marlin and sail fish, I have had a lot of luck there. Caught the Black Marlin on bait and a lure, a tied goggleye with a hoochie on the nose. When the water is over 90 degrees it is very hard on the fish and although we want to catch and release so our grandchildren can enjoy these majestic fish for many years to come. Congratulations, this Black Marlin will make a great mounted trophy and will look great on Marcus Garcia's wall.

Banco
The bigger tuna, one's over 100 pounds have started arriving this week. Tuna tubes for bait will be your best luck. There have been schools of bonito off of Punta Mita, so make sure to catch some of them before you head out to banco. Captain Juan reports that he has had 2 to 4 tuna and marlin hits per day. He has also been seeing some Pargos up to 70 lbs and a few Sailfish. He has been finding big Dorado 2 to 8 miles from banco on the way out and on the way in to the marina.

La Corpitanea
Its good fishing out there, 10 to 50 lbs tuna are jumping with a couple bigger ones mixed in with the group. Marlin are teasing the boat captains and driving them crazy. The boats that are using kites are having good luck catching tunas. Hopefully new bait should be coming anytime and when it does, things should pick up considerably. When the water is hot, up to 90 degrees, a downrigger at 70 to 80 feet might save the day of fishing to provide bait where the water is cool enough for the fish to feed.

The 2009 Readers'Choice Restaurant Award winners are in.

Long considered one of the top gastronomic destinations in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit is home to a vast array of restaurants serving a wide variety of cuisines to suit every taste and budget. But with so many great places to dine around Banderas Bay, it can be difficult to single out "the best of the best" so, every year, Readers' Choice Awards give residents and visitors alike an easy way to acknowledge their favorite restaurants. Votes were cast online on VirtualVallarta.com from the beginning of December 2008 to June 15, 2009 and tabulated electronically to ensure accuracy.

Best Overall: Trio
Runners Up: Daiquiri Dickís, Café des Artistes and Banana Cantina
Best Gourmet: Café des Artistes
Runners Up: Trio, La Palapa and Daiquiri Dickís
Best Moderate: Banana Cantina
Runners Up: Vitea, Archieís Wok and Barcelona
Best Budget: El Brujo Runners Up: Café de Olla, Banana Cantina and Joe Jackís

San Sebastian and The Curse of the Sunken Mine

A mere 70-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta. Nestled within the lush, mountain region of the Sierra Madres exists one of Mexico's most tranquil, magical hideaways and takes the traveller four centuries back in time, deep into Mexico's colourful colonial past. In the folds of mist-wreathed mountains, the former gold and silver mining town is a living museum of the 16th-century invasion by the Spanish conquistadors who uprooted an ancient Indian civilization.

Founded in 1605, San Sebastian del Oeste was one of the gold and silver mining centers of Mexico. At 4,500 ft. with pine trees, the air is crisp and clear and at night it can be quite cold. In the surrounding valley you'll find cattle, corn and coffee plantations. This local coffee is excellent and you can sample and purchase it in town. At one time a provincial capital of 40,000 people, you will find it strangely deserted with only about 600 people living there now. It's a simple enough matter to hire a guide and a mule in this town and go riding off in search of buried treasure in the caves of the Sierra Madre mountains - but you had better beware of The Curse of the Sunken Mine.

In the last week, my life in Puerto Vallarta became even more surreal than usual when I started seeing people wearing surgical masks at Costco, while lounging at rooftop pools and strolling along the beach. I marveled as the government began shutting down schools-not just in Mexico City, but locally too; and then bars, clubs and restaurants followed. I was beyond baffled when airlines from Canada cancelled all incoming flights and all cruise lines were diverted from Mexico. How is it possible that none of these people own a map? Witnessing firsthand the effects of hysterical, uninformed media coverage, my sympathies went out immediately to my neighbors and other Vallartenses (citizens of Puerto Vallarta) who would needlessly suffer because of irresponsible journalism and hyperbolic statements from US government officials.