Discover Vallarta's (Not So) Hidden Gems
One of my favorite places to return again and again as a traveler is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is consistently recognized as a popular vacation destination famous for its miles of pristine beaches ready to walk and dip your toes in the water. It's also a port city full of colorful open-air markets to shop local wares, lunch on street tacos, and patiently wait for another glorious sunset each evening!
You may have already seen the towering and familiar, well-known artworks showing themselves openly throughout the city. As residents, visitors, and even day-trippers, we get used to seeing them, maybe even taking them for granted. But have you ever taken time to explore and find the almost hidden gems in plain sight? Well, get ready to discover five you could easily pass without notice from tucked-away neighborhoods, along the flowing Rio Cuale, and in the nearby countryside.
FRANCINE PETERS
I start with this painter, a beloved permanent fixture of Puerto Vallarta's art scene, who was as vibrant as her work. She used heavily loaded brushstrokes of bold acrylic colors and applied them whimsically in her city scenes and landscapes, including the area's beach life. Relocating to Puerto Vallarta from Canada's West Coast in 2012, Francine Peters continued the career she started as a self-taught artist in 1996. She found personal rejuvenation throughout her remarkable work and shared it with the world. Her consistent painting style became her prominent trademark. While I'm not yet fortunate to own and display one of these gems, I hope to one day. Her works are joyful, playful, inspiring, and almost kaleidoscopic, using surfaces from smooth canvas to rough brick exterior walls of older buildings in the Zona Romantica to paint on. She knew how to capture this dynamic city's movement and vitality!
MOSAICS THROUGHOUT THE PARKS
Grab a coffee and homemade cinnamon roll on Saturday morning at the weekly Lazaro Cardenas Old Town outdoor market. Then, choose to sit on one of the many colorful mosaic-covered cement benches. Combine this with great people-watching, looking at the surrounding sights, and listening to live music. As with the other creative designs, this bright flamingo layout was executed entirely by volunteers painstakingly setting each piece of glass and ceramic by hand! The creator of this public installation, local artisan Natasha Moraga, has brought this once dark and gray city park to light, contributing her vision, skill, business savviness, and leadership here and around Puerto Vallarta. High season brings participants choosing to make personal history or give a legacy to honor loved ones by covering just a part of or the whole bench. You'll find many streets lined with these gleaming gems, which can withstand the many changing weather elements. Grab your moment, take your rest, and feel the love from the heart of Vallarta!
ART UNDER BRIDGES
Walking the beautiful long Malecon boardwalk one balmy ocean breeze-filled evening, I was captivated by a mural tucked under the Rio Cuale Pedestrian Bridge. This attention-grabbing gem showcases famous Mexican film actress and singer Maria Felix using small rectangles of grey, black, and white shades. I learned the admired PV urban resident artist Tony Collantez produced it. The monochromatic tones he painted fuse his inspired design with the end work reflected as 3-D computer pixels. He produces emotionally provoking gems around the city to remind us of Mexico's historical past while preserving its present, sharing his vision for the future. Who knows what you'll discover when you look under Puerto Vallarta's bridges!
LADY OF THE GARDEN CHAPEL
In the natural paradise Vallarta Botanical Gardens, take one of the many walking paths in this lush tropical mountain setting to discover this not-so-hidden gem gleaming from a sloping hill: The Lady of the Garden Chapel. Step inside to find yourself in awe of this quiet respite recently refurbished using a magnificent custom-made wall covering. Commissioned artists David Allen Burns and Austin Young of Fallen Fruit from Los Angeles took hundreds of photos, including colorful orchids, hummingbirds, flora, and fauna during different seasons in the gardens, then incorporated them into their one-of-a-kind design. The images flow in a pattern comprising deep pigment colors of the sky, sun, and earth, circling the entire interior. This permanent colorful installation provides a spiritual experience for visitors while still being connected to the natural environment.
PV VW BEETLES
Finally, we could debate this over a margarita or two, but some of my favorite upbeat gems around town are the souped-up versions of the original Volkswagen Bug. There aren't many old-timer Volkswagens in Puerto Vallarta, so your eyes will be automatically diverted as they command attention parked or sputtering down the streets! Whenever I come across one, I instantly smile, experiencing nostalgia and admiration. And, by being painted in such vibrant colors, you won't miss them. They still rumble along, making the same noise as before added modification, but the 'new' shape, or lack of, puts them into a category all by themselves. I plan to ask an owner to let me ride shotgun and take a spin on the cobblestone streets one of these days!
So, in essence, finding the not-so-hidden-gems is easy inside Vallarta if you keep your eyes and mind open. Take the opportunity to discover these and more treasures in unexpected places. Each time you come across something unique, it will be like receiving a gift from this incredibly welcoming sun-kissed city!
Connect with me if you would like to know more regarding this or any of my blogs. I'm happy to answer your questions.
