One of the most popular destinations in Mexico continues to be Puerto Vallarta. You might have heard of the city but how much do you know about it? Rectify this problem right now by learning a little about this city.
General Information:
Puerto Vallarta is a city located in Mexico in the state of Jalisco. It is the fifth largest city in the state with a population of over 178,000. It was named after Ignacio Vallarta who was a former governor of the state of Jalisco. The city is often referred to as simply Vallart pronounced “vie-arta”.
Climate:
Puerto Vallarta has a tropical climate with intense heat and humidity during the hot summer months of July through September. It has an average high temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit and an average low temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a definite wet and dry season with monsoon like rains occurring in the Rainy season of July through September. The rains mainly occur in the evening however with pleasant daytime weather, a plus for anyone who loves rainstorms but wants to have fun in the sun during the day.
Economy:
Puerto Vallarta is definitely a tourist town with over 50 percent of the work force being employed in the tourist trade. This dependence on tourism insures that the majority of the city is very tourist friendly. Tourism employment includes things like transportation, hotels, entertainment, restaurants, etc. Besides tourism other major industries include agriculture, livestock and a thriving construction trade which must exist to support the cities massive growth.
Tourism History:
There are many different factors which made Puerto Vallarta a major tourist destination. First there was the filming of the movie The Night Of The Iguana in 1963. This gave the city some press and made it known to the American public. Realizing the potential of Puerto Vallarta, the Mexican government would then invest money to improve the cities public transportation system. They built roads, highways and a major airport. Most of the early tourist boom was attributed to Mexican tourism who now found the city easily accessible by land. After Nixon visited the city in 1970 to sign a treaty it became clear that the city was easily accessible and it became visible as a legitimate travel destination. American and foreign tourism began coming into the city and once the Peso became devalued in the 1980′s it became a major vacation deal. This would lead to rapid growth. The population of Puerto Vallarta would go from 15,000 in 1960 to 35,000 in 1970 to 57,000 in 1980 and all the way to 185,000 in the year 2000. Quite a large increase in a short time.
Transportation:
Most of the tourism into Puerto Vallarta comes in through Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport. It is named after President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. The airport handled over 2.8 million travelers in 2006 and in the busy season will see over 300,000 in one month alone. Some of the airlines flyin out of the airport include Aerocalifornia, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Continental, Northwest Airlines, Mexicana and US Airways.
Besides the airport the city is served by national bus lines connecting it to Guadalajara, Mazatlan, Manzanillo and many other destinations. It is also served by a large network of taxis. The taxi rates are set by an agreement between the taxi union and the city. Rates are based on set fees per zone instead of by meters.