The Romantic and the Dead in Puerto Vallarta
"The original church crown was installed in 1963. It was made of concrete, and is said to be a replica of a crown worn by Carlota, mistress of the Emperor Maximilian in the 1860s." - Virtual Vallarta
With buildings styles that are similar to those in a “typical Mexican pueblo” - with red tile roofs and heartbreaking bugambillias covering parts of them, the streets of Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone are paved with cobble stones and couldn’t be more romantic, and these all lead eventually to the Playa de los Muertos – literaly “the Beach of the Dead.”
And while there are plenty of places on the internet to find out all about Puerto Vallarta and its wonderful architecture – which ranges from the classical – to the modern and experimental – I always like to try to describe the place a little more impressionistically. For a quick rundown of things to do broken down more or less by neighborhood, see PuertoVallarta.net.
For the authoritative longer articles I actually prefer Virtual Vallarta. Our Lady of Guadalupe whose tower is a replica of the crown of Empress Carlota used in the 1860s. (see illustration below)
The church is considered a true expression of popular art, rather than a sophisticated creation, combining several architectural styles with ingenuity. The main building is considered to be neoclassic, while the crown reminds us of baroque Austrian temples. The lateral towers, due to their late completion, have an elegant, Renaissance feel. In fact, under the direction of the different parish priests, construction workers, carpenters and artisans simply did their best to integrate their craft’s traditional methods with the conservative visual and religious values of the Vallartenses of that period.
Max & Carlas stay in Mexico ended less promisingly than yours will. The full story is at Casa Imperial de Mexico. (click the image to visit)
Read the full history at Virtual Vallarta. Surprisingly enough maybe, the church is not that old.
Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone is also known for its numerous restaurants and bars, offering any imaginable cuisine, going from simple Mexican dishes, such as quesadillas and tacos, to a few of those hamburger places (mostly for kids – you really don’t want to miss out on those yummy Mexican dishes), and of course – the elegant places for oldsters and those not too concerned about money! The Vallarta Online listing includes 55 places (at this writing) in the romantic zone. My own personal favorite has been El Palomar de Los González where I’ve returned a few times for seafood that is out of this world.
El Nido, Rodrigo Cifuentes, Available from Galeria Omar Alonso, Puerto Vallarta
This is a beach town – so some of the art-on-hand can be profoundly hideous. Don’t be fooled though. Puerto Vallarta is also beloved by some truly sophisticated people from all over the world – so the good stuff is out there. Some of it will be at Galeria Pacifico – whose website only half-works – which is understandable. My own belief is that a gallery should concentrate on art and artists and not necessarily on a flashy website. Pacifico’s Gary Thompson is leading the Public Sculpture Walking Tour this coming winter.
The other really good gallery in town is the Galeria Omar Alonso which offers a truly stellar line-up of talented Mexican and International Artists – stuff more to the taste of people who Don’t Always Want What’s Expected.
With shops overflowing hand made crafts and more traditional works there is good stuff for every budget, and for the truly tight-fisted the museum scene enriches you for just a few pesos. See About Puerto Vallarta for their list of local museums. As I’ve been hosting international guests in Puerto Vallarta for a few years now – I can tell you – a trip to one of the museums really lets you feel like you got the most out of even a short trip.
So let me lastly mention Los Muertos beach which has maybe more stories than any other place that I’ve mentioned. There is a story that the name comes from the time when gold and silver was dragged across the beach here from the Cuale mines. The tribes native to this area (from whom the Huichole people eventually descended) ambushed the workers of the mines and left them lifeless on the beach – quite impressive. Another version says that a pirate attack left so many people dead that the name simply stuck. The theory backed by some archeologists – if not most of them – is that the beach was considered a sacred cemetery for the natives and that they buried their dead here or nearby. Interesting enough!
This is mostly a resale-home area as it is fully developed – though I am showing some of the only new condos available in this – the very heart of Puerto Vallarta. Visiting to see these condominiums is easily supplemented by the other great activities that are but moments away. That’s what you get in the Romantic Zone.
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