Puerto Vallarta has transformed itself from a sleepy seaside village into a major resort town that maintains the look of Old Mexico.
Along its cobblestone streets, white-stucco buildings — with red roofs and bright flowers spilling from balconies — overlook golden Pacific Coast beaches and blue-green waves.
Malecón, Puerto Vallarta’s broad waterfront, features a boardwalk lined with restaurants, outdoor cafés, and places that scoop scrumptious ice cream. Savor a cone while you browse the area’s fine array of shops.
Plaza Malecón offers the best selection. Look for easy, breezy cotton-gauze resort wear at María de Guadalajara. At Sierra Madre, choose from ecologically themed gifts, clothing, and art work.
Handmade Arts and Crafts in Puerto Vallarta
The indoor/outdoor Mercado Municipal, Vallarta’s largest craft market, encompasses a city block alongside the Cuale River. Expect to find a wide selection of pottery, lacquerware, embroidered clothing, masks, mirrors, wood carvings, and hand-dyed rugs there.Since many creative people live in Puerto Vallarta, shoppers are also likely to encounter one-of-a-kind items around the city.
Well-known artist and sculptor Sergio Bustamante, for example, who works in bronze, ceramic, and papier mâché fashioning large, fanciful animals, shows his original creations at the Paseo Díaz Ordaz and Juárez galleries in Puerto Vallara.
