Puerto Vallarta is another tourist destination a bit farther up on the beautiful western coast of Mexico. Tom and I decided on a private taxi tour, and so we hired Arturo to show us the best of Puerto Vallarta. He provided a running and interesting commentary as we wound our way through the narrow and very crowded streets.

 

Puerto Vallarta was established as a tourist destination with the hope of the same type of success that Cancun was experiencing. It didn’t take off quite as fast, but it is becoming more popular.

Currently the population of the main city is only about 15,000 with another 30,000 people living in the surrounding areas.  Most of those are working in some capacity with the tourism industry.

 

 

 

That industry got a major boost when Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton began frequenting it as a get away from the masses of adoring fans. Then in 1964 it became the location for the filming of Night of the Iguana staring Richard Burton and Ava Gardner.

 

 

 

 

Arturo took us to the restaurant where some scenes of the movie were filmed, which was kind of cool and also gave us an amazing view of the city and the bay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From here we headed out of town and into the jungle to the tiny village of Nagalito where we walked through another restaurant and wandered a bit through their lush grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From here we headed back to the ship.

Thank you, Arturo, it was a lovely outing which we greatly enjoyed.