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 Puerto Vallarta (PV) is a Pacific Ocean seaside town, nestled at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains on the beautiful shores of Banderas Bay. The bay is surrounded by these mountains and is approximately 60 miles (100 km) in diameter. This bay and surrounding geographic features combine to contribute to one of the best climates in North America and also make hurricanes a rarity in PV. Puerto Vallarta's climate is typical with a marked dry season in the winter. The average daily high temperature is 86 °F (30 °C); average daily low temperature is 70 °F (21 °C); average daily humidity is 75%. The rainy season extends from mid June through mid October, with most of the rain between July and September. August is the city's wettest month, with an average of 14 days with significant precipitation. Even during the rainy season precipitation tends to be concentrated in large rainstorms and usually the rains are at night. Occasional tropical storms will bring thunderstorms to the city in November, though the month is typically dry. February, March and April are the months with the least cloud cover. Puerto Vallarta is in the same time zone as the US Central Standard Time, making it the same time as Chicago and Dallas for most of the year.
Archeological evidence suggests continual human habitation of the area for almost 3,000 years. In the 16th through 19th centuries, Banderas Bay was a busy seaport, complete with pirates and smugglers. In the 18th century, the now sleepy sierra towns in the mountains above Puerto Vallarta grew relatively large and wealthy with gold and silver mining and these mountain village residents were apparently the first tourists to the beaches of Banderas bay.
During the 20th century, the Puerto Vallarta area emerged as its current popular resort destination. American director John Huston filmed his 1963 film The Night of the Iguana in Mismaloya, a small town on the southern edge of Puerto Vallarta. During the filming, the US media gave extensive coverage to Elizabeth Taylor's extramarital affair with Richard Burton. The subsequent publicity helped put Puerto Vallarta on the map for US tourists. It has since grown into one of the most popular and important tourist zones for the nation of Mexico.
These days, the bay is busy with sailors, sport-fishers and snorkel / scuba dive boats. Each winter, the bay is a migration destination for the fabulous Humpback Whales and it is easy to sit in a beachfront restaurant and catch them at play in the water near shore. There are five marinas in the bay, regularly accommodating yachts up to 250 feet in length. There is a large expat population living aboard sailboats and motoryachts in the bay. Many people have found the peace, mobility, relative economy and the magical allure of the sounds and sensations of living in the water to be an attractive alternative to a bayfront condo or villa. Be assured, there’s a lifestyle here for every taste and every budget.
Because of the protected and bio-rich waters, the bay is a magnet for sailboat regattas and deep sea fishing tournaments. Owing to the relatively low cost of boat ownership and the year-around boating season, many North Americans split their time between their northern home in the summers and their PV-based boats in the winter.
The larger community of the Puerto Vallarta area spans 2 Mexican states and runs for many miles along the bay coast. From quaint little Mexican villages along the southern coast that can only be reached by boat, to the busy seaside downtown with its markets and restaurants, to the tourist hotel zones to the many small traditional Mexican fishing villages, it is a very colorful and friendly area. North of the bay, the local charm extends through many small traditional seaside villages that are home to fabulous beaches, surfers, freestyle expats and rich, traditional culture.
The prevalence of tourists and expats from the US, Canada, Australia and Europe has created a cultural melting pot. You can find all kinds of cultural influence here. There are restaurants featuring many regional cuisines, including Japanese, Italian, French, Spanish, American, Mexican and incredible fresh, local seafood restaurants. English is the second language and most Mexicans who regularly interface with tourists speak at least some English and in many cases, excellent English. Still, for most ex-patriots who spend at least part of the year in Mexico it is common to learn at least enough Spanish to get around and experience the richness of the Mexican people and culture.
Active lifestyle options and social networking opportunities abound in the area. Certainly, there is no shortage of fabulous lifestyle activities on an exquisite stretch of beach, in a bay full of snorkeling and scuba venues, world-class sportfishing, whale watching, surfing, kite-surfing, and sailing. There are many more things to do here as well, including visiting the many beautiful quaint colonial towns, horseback riding in the mountains and along the beach, canopy tours of the jungle, bicycling, tennis, exploring the mountains on ATVs, trying your hand panning for silver up in the mountains, playing golf on the many beautiful and challenging golf courses and many other fun activities. There are also many ways that you can make a contribution to the community and many expats get involved in championing and supporting charitable and environmental causes. Life is waiting here to be rediscovered or reinvented by you with no compromise. There’s no time like the present and there’s no promises for any of us, so give us a call or register for the next all-inclusive PV Discovery Week so that you can explore your options and start living a life in paradise on your own terms.
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