Whenever I visit Puerto Vallarta and I have friends who are first time visitors, I take them on what I call “The Nickel Tour” as it gets them acclimated to the area, points out a few highlights, and costs them nothing. I also recommend this tour to friends who are visiting via cruise ship for the day. (Lunch is optional.)
We’ll begin this tour at the Rosita Hotel which is where the Malecon begins.
Stroll slowly along the Malecon with the ocean and its breezes on your right and all the shops and restaurants on the left across the street. Take in all the sculptures along the way. And don’t miss the sand sculptures on the beach as well.
When you get to the “Boy on a Seahorse” sculpture, you’ll see a 30 meter (97 foot) pole where the Papantla Flyers perform their ancient ritual to the rain god. Four flyers are suspended by a rope on one leg as they descend the pole in thirteen revolutions. (4 X 13 = 52, the number of weeks in the year.) It’s very symbolic and has been performed for hundreds of years. I start this tour at 9:30 in the morning as the Flyers usually put on the show everyday in high season at 10 A.M.
Continue on to the Guadalupe Church which will be across the street on your left. Notice the crown on the very top. It is modeled after a crown Empress Carlota wore during the reign of her husband, Emperor Maximilian. The original crown was made of concrete which was destroyed in a hurricane a few years ago.
Next along the Malecon, as we near its end, is the town square where you will find the Municipal Building (City Hall). There is a large mural by Manuel Lepe on the stairwell which is worth a peek.
Most of the guides will tell you to climb Calle Zaragoza from the square to get to our next stop, the former home sites of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Instead of taking Zaragoza, head over in the same direction of the Malecon one more street to Calle Guerrero and make a left. Walk up Guerrero until you come to number 414, Villa Leonarda.
This villa dates back to 1880 and is one of the oldest in this area known as Gringo Gulch. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it is here that film director John Huston used to play his favorite game of poker on the patio overlooking the Rio Cuale during breaks from filming “The Night of the Iguana.” In its heyday, many Hollywood luminaries would frequent this villa and its lavish parties. Stars, in addition to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, included the likes of Rock Hudson, Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster and many others. Today, the villa is a rental, but if you are lucky and the double doors are wide open you may get a glimpse of the interior. If you see a staff member, you can always ask to take a peek (as a potential renter). However, if they are rented, the doors won't be open and a peek won't be allowed.
About 50 yards further up Guerrero, as it turns (and becomes another named street), is, at the first left, the intersection of Zaragoza. Climb the dozen or so steps on the right and you will have a full view of The Lover’s Arch (modeled after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy). The bridge separates the former homes of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Liz’s home is on the right and was called Casa Kimberley. Recently it was torn down and is to be replaced by a condominium complex. Still, they kept the stone first floor entrance facade, and of course, the bridge, which still makes this worth a visit. Burton’s house is still intact. Notice there is no entrance from the street; he entered this villa from the bridge from Casa Kimberley.
After your photo shoot, walk back down to Guerrero. Take a left for maybe 30 yards and you’ll have a great panoramic shot of the hills of Alta Vista and the Rio Cuale. Head on back to Villa Leonarda, down Guerrero, and take the first left on Miramar. This will take you to the bridge over the river on Insurgentes. Prior to the bridge is a café with its faux marble statue of Liz and Dick. In the middle of the bridge, you can descend a few stairs on the left to catch a glimpse of a statue of John Huston outside the Bistro restaurant. Back to the bridge and we’ll cross the very busy street to the other side.
Take the steps down on the Isla Cuale where you will find many merchant stalls selling all kinds of souvenirs. (If you have kids with you, look for the two bridges over the river which are suspended and shake, rattle and roll as you cross. Do a round-trip as we want to stay on the island.) Continue down the island as you pass the shops and restaurants. Eventually, you’ll get to Oscar’s restaurant. Across from Oscars is a museum featuring some pre-Columbian artifacts which are worth a look.
Afterwards, climb the easy steps, and you’re facing the Pacific Ocean. You’re actually on an extension of the Malecon. If you head to the right that will take you all the way back to where we began. Instead, let’s take a left and walk beyond the new Molino di Agua condominiums until we see a sign on a beachfront restaurant that proclaims “We Dare You To Come In.” You’ll be at Los Burros Bar and Restaurant. Grab a table on the sand, making sure your thatched roof umbrella shades you from the sun. You’re only 25 feet from the crashing ocean surf; take off your shoes, relax, have a margarita and a bite to eat. Stay as long as you want, there is never a rush or hustle. (If you take this tour in the latter part of the day, this is a great place to watch the sun set.)
Afterwards, you can exit Los Burros, make a left, and walk to where we began, or if you exit and go right, there is a taxi stand just to your right.
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