Puerto Vallarta at Night

I’m off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico again shortly.  It’s amazing how many travelers never really spend time getting to know the city.  They go down for their one or two week “all inclusive” stay on the beach and never leave the resort.

That’s a great relaxing holiday when a person only has a couple of weeks off.  But for a person who is retired it’s one of the safest cities around to walk in after dark.  My favorite time is Sunday night.  The Malecon (boardwalk) is alive with music and vendors and food stalls.  Families, consisting of grandparents down to babies, are out visiting and taking in the party atmosphere.  There is often traditional dancing happening at the main square in front of the cathedral and anyone can join in.  Or head down along the beach walk to the Romantic Zone for more exercise.

With 2 feet of snow on the ground right now in Canada, we hide out in the winter at night.  I remember when I had the boys from Mexico staying with me to learn English.  One of the first comments they had was “Where is everyone at night?”  They weren’t used to being indoors, even when the temperature dropped down to freezing in their home town.  Mexican lifestyle is about socializing.

If we were walking in the evening in our own town and a group of young guys approached us, our first thought would probably be “troublemakers!”  Down in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico it’s a normal part of the evening activity.  They will make eye contact, smile at you, and say good evening.

The entertainment can vary on the weekends.  In November there was a Volkswagen meet and cars came from all over Mexico and lined up along the street.  Then there were dancing horses with bands supplying the music.  The nightclubs are open 7 evenings a week so there’s no shortage of music for any age. And there’s always entertainment in the pit in front of the arches on the Malecon on the weekend.

Starting December 1 every year is the procession of businesses and villages celebrating the Virgin de Guadalupe. Each evening for 12 nights, a parade consisting of traditional dancers entertain the hundreds of people sitting on the curbs.  Often the dancers are in bare feet, which are all cut up by the time the reach the cathedral.

Every type of traditional food is available in the square.  It’s so neat to see parents introducing their little children to the tastes of their own childhood.

Don’t be afraid to enjoy the streets and the sounds after dark in Puerto Vallarta!  It’s part of a wonderful vacation.