Welcome to Puerto Vallarta

We strolled the El Malecon and took pictures of the Public Art along the way.

The El Malecon, an oceanfront promenade,was remodeled in 2011 and is now exclusive for pedestrians. Many beautiful sculptures from local and national artists line the boardwalk. Each has a name and meaning.

Origin and Destiny by Pedro Tell – This is one of five sculptures. A chimera symbolizes humanity's unity with reptiles, birds, and marine animals.

Nostalgia by Mexican artist Ramiz Barquet – shows a loving couple sitting side by side on a bench.

The Dancing Dolphins by James "Bud" Bottoms, a Californian sculptor and environmentalist that lives in Santa Barbara and Octavio González Gutiérrez.

The Subtle Rock Eater by Jonas Gutierrez

Search for Reason by Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante – Pillow headed figures and a ladder which they are climbing, searching for an answer farther and above the normal limits of humanity.

The Roundabout of the Sea by Alejandro Colunga - Surrealism Statues

The Boy on the Horse by Rafael Zamarripa's – Little Seahorse statue has become one of the two-man symbols of Puerto Vallarta. The other being Guadalupe Parish.

Huichol Indians are Aztec descendants.

A sculpture of Ignacio L. Vallarta is in the Plaza de Armas main square.

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a beautiful church topped with a crown.

There was a wedding going on – it was a beautiful ceremony filled with family, friends, and many tourists.

We walked the Gringo Gulch district, filled with picturesque colonial architecture winding cobblestone streets lined with white stucco with red roofs and colorful flowers.

We searched for Casa Kimberley one of the most famous landmarks in Mexico.

During the filming of the movie, Night of the Iguana, Richard Burton purchased Casa Kimberley, a nine-bedroom villa, for Elizabeth Taylor, on Zaragoza Street as her 32nd birthday's present, a few months before they married. As a gift to himself, he purchased the house across the street.

The home was open to the public for a time, but it has been sold and will, sadly, be torn down to make way for condominiums. The bridge connecting the two houses are still there and a crumbling plaque with the house name.

I found a few photos of what it looked like in 1964 – the bridge was painted pink.
(Photo by Rafal Komieroski).

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in a local bar in Puerto Vallarta in 1964, weeks before they married. Photo by Daily Mail Co. UK

Isla Cuale is a natural island on the Cuale River. A Cable suspension bridges connect the Island to Zona Romantic.

The island has some restaurants, a museum, an art gallery, a statue of John Huston, and a beautiful fountain... but most people know it for its shops and stands.