Puerto Vallarta Live Cam

Rio Cuale Regional Museum - This museum has more than 1,000 archaeological pieces from the western part of Mexico and also a collection of pre-Hispanic weapons.

Few places in Mexico offer such a wide range of choices for the serious shopper. Being part of the state of Jalisco, home to Mexico's handicraft centers of Tlaquepaque and Tonala, Puerto Vallarta is uniquely positioned to offer visitors a wide range of high quality arts and crafts and folk art.

Vallarta is also a major center of contemporary art, as its number of long-standing art galleries can attest. Since the early 70s, artists have been moving to this tropical paradise, enticed by the spectacular scenery and beautiful light. Many have attained international status.

The Huichol Indians, who live in the more remote regions of the Sierra Madre mountains in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit, are a large presence in Vallarta. They come to the resort exclusively to sell their unique yarn paintings, weavings, beaded masks, beaded wrist cuffs and other ornaments.

Perhaps the most famous locally produced product in Vallarta is resort wear; clothing designed with the tropics in mind. Beginning in the 1960's several small shops began to sell dresses and shirts made from the beautiful woven fabrics of Mexico and hand-embroidered by local women.

Day or sunset cruises offer a great way to see the bay's attractions and admire the landscape from a different perspective. Most cruises hug the coastline, offering a good view of the inviting shore and Los Arcos, the giant boulders rising out of the water at the entrance to Mismaloya.

The day cruises usually include snorkeling. Boats leave every morning for Yelapa, Las Animas, Quimixto and Majahuitas to the south of the bay and for northerly mountain-rimmed beaches.

An aerial view of Vallarta and the bay can be enjoyed in a sunrise or sunset champagne flight in a hot air balloon. The excursions float above the town and surrounding countryside, providing incredible vistas.

Casa Kimberley, a hilltop villa-turned-shrine to the most famous love affair of the 20th century, is open to the public. The love nest that once belonged to Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor has been preserved much as it was when the couple lived here.

The Porfidio Distillery, a state-of-the-art tequila factory recently built in Puerto Vallarta, is open to the public for tours and tequila tasting. Responsible for putting super-premium tequila on the map worldwide, the Porfidio label has won top awards in the World Spirits Championship two years in a row.

A long and narrow five-acre island sits in the middle of Rio Cuale, the river that divides downtown Vallarta. The west end of the island is at the mouth of the river and looks out over the blue Pacific. The east end provides a beautiful vista of the canyons that border the river corridor and the mountains in the background. It has an outdoor marketplace with boutiques, souvenir stands, trendy restaurants and inexpensive cafés. The large patio on the east end often hosts practice sessions of the local ballet folklorico and other cultural events.

El Tecuán - This beautiful place is known for its incredible scenery and is the perfect spot to relax.

Main Square - Located in the center of town, this square was built in 1918 and has a bandstand, a monument to Ignacio Vallarta, a garden and a fountain.

Puerto Vallarta's stellar attraction is its amazing beaches: crescents of golden sand, fringed with palms, along the hotel zone; endless stretches of gloriously unpopulated beaches to the north; and soft sandy beaches on craggy coves to the south.

Playa de los Muertos, the beach on the south side of the Rio Cuale, has long been a budget traveler's domain, though it has some of the more expensive restaurants and shops; it's by far the most popular and most crowded beach in Puerto Vallarta.

Playa Las Animas and Yelapa are secluded fishing villages accesible only by boat. At Yelapa, take a 20-minute hike from the beach into the jungle to see the waterfalls. At Quimixto (another beautiful beach with calm, clear waters to the south of Mismaloya) mount a horse for a 15-minute ride up to a spectacular large clear pool under a waterfall for swimming and a light seafood lunch.

For more secluded beach escapes, most visitors head south, where the shoreline is carved into inviting coves. When in 1963 director John Huston was scouting for a remote coastal jungle setting to film Tennessee Williams' "Night of the Iguana", he chose Playa Mismaloya. The beach, hidden in a cove sheltered by high cliffs, is located about six miles south of town via a scenic winding road.

It will come as no surprise, of course, that grilled fish and seafood dishes are big specialties here. There's also a wide choice of Mexican and international dishes, as well as American-style fast food.

At midday, visitors prefer to stay close to the beach. A local specialty is barbecued fish on a stick sold by beach boys who pluck them fresh from the ocean and cook them on the spot. It's delicious, especially accompanied by a cold drink.

Later in the day, it's customary to dress down and wander over to your favorite bar to watch the sunset -any place along the malecon, in the hills above it.

Evenings are for sampling the better restaurants; in fact many are only open for dinner.

Each November, the Fiestas del Mar are celebrated in Marina Vallarta and other parts of Puerto Vallarta, culminating with an international boat show, fishing competition, gastronomic festival and the Governor's Cup golf tournament. Throughout the winter season, five top art galleries along the boardwalk, or malecon, host monthly events such as Marina Art Night, usually held on the third Friday of the month.

The waters of Puerto Vallarta rank with the best in the world for both deep-sea and small game fishing. There are many fishing boats available, most offering catch-and-release sport fishing trips. An international deep-sea fishing tournament is held each year in November.

Nearby lakes offer the attraction of freshwater catches like black bass. Bass fishing tours to the Cajon de Peņa reservoir, 70 miles south of Vallarta, are available.

The Marina Vallarta Golf Club, a beautiful 18-hole course designed by Joe Finger, opened in the summer. Located at Marina Vallarta, it is close to most major hotels and has excellent facilities. Though open to the public, guests at certain hotels enjoy preferential access.

About eight miles north of the airport is Los Flamingos Golf Club, with an 18-hole course. A handsome stone and stucco clubhouse and pro-shop overlook rolling hills that fade off into the distance toward the ocean. The new Four Seasons hotel at Punta Mita features a Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole course overlooking the ocean.

Horseback riding in the nearby jungle and countryside offer visits to mango orchards, cattle ranches and farms, small rural villages, a river you can swim in and, on Sundays, a typical Mexican rodeo. Rancho El Ojo de Agua, the oldest establishment of its kind in Vallarta, provides quality horses, equipped with either English or Western saddles, experienced guides and personalized attention from the owners.

Excursions include sunset rides and longer five-day trips on horseback to remote sites of interest, such as the old mining town of San Sebastian in the Sierra Madre. A one-day trip to San Sebastian is also available, beginning with a 15-minute flight. Once there, a bilingual horseback tour takes you through the typical mountain town and its haciendas. You can return the same day or overnight.

On the ocean side, a little museum displays a collection of archaeological and Indian artifacts from pre-Hispanic tombs in Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit states. In this same area, there is a small botanical garden and Vallarta's Casa de Cultura, or cultural center.

Manuel Lepe Museum - This two-story house was the home of the Mexican painter Manuel Lepe. It contains many of his paintings, drawings and lithographs.

Rio Cuale Regional Museum - This museum has more than 1,000 archaeological pieces from the western part of Mexico and also a collection of pre-Hispanic weapons.

Vallarta has good snorkeling and scuba diving sites that offer an opportunity to sight giant mantas, dolphins and sea turtles. The most popular destinations are Los Arcos, a natural underwater preserve on the way to Mismaloya, and Quimixto bay, accessible only by boat. Experienced divers prefer Las Marietas, a group of three islands off the coast.

Swimming, sailing, windsurfing and parasailing are popular sports at the beachfront hotels. The newest way to cruise the bay is underwater, aboard the yellow Submarine. The ocean exploration mini-sub, attached to a trimaran carrier, provides an underwater vista usually enjoyed only by scuba divers and fish.