| Rentals
& Lodging
Vallarta Condos Vallarta Villas Gay Travel
Guide
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I note here some tips
and advice for the gay and lesbian traveler to Puerto Vallarta. Some of
these topics are covered in greater detail on other pages, such as Tourist
Info and Services, so I simply summarize
or else refer you to them.
Auto Rentals - Go to this page for the information Business Hours - Most stores in town are open from 9am or 10am until 8pm to 10pm, but some of them do close for an hour or two between 2pm-4pm for lunch. Some public offices work continuously from 9am-5pm and close after that. The stores at the shopping malls such as at Plaza Caracol, Plaza Marina and Plaza Genovesa generally stay open continuously from 9am-10pm. Climate - Close enough to be considered a tropical paradise, with moderate temperatures throughout much of the year. The average high temperatures in Puerto Vallarta are 80-85 degrees in the winter and 85-92 degrees in summer. November to May is the dry season, with very little rain. Click for info on the weather that includes a chart of monthly high and low temperatures and precipitation. Consulates - Trouble in paradise? American Consulate: Kelly Trainor, Consular Agent. Vallarta Plaza Building, 160 Zaragoza, 2am floor. Tel: 222-0069; fax: 223-0074. Office hours, 10am-2pm. Canadian Consulate: Lyne Benoit, Consular Agent. Obelisco Building, Local 100, 1951 Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio in the Las Glorias Hotel Zone. Tel: 222-5398; fax: 222-3517; emergency: 01-800-706-2900. Office hours, 9am-3pm. Electricity - 110 volts, 60 cycles, same as in the U.S. and Canada, although many places will not have three prong electrical outlets. So bring along an adapter if you need one for your appliances. Family Life - Mexican life centers around the family. You'll find Mexicans more devoted to their families than people are in America. Parents and elders are treated with respect and children are generally well loved and cared for. Many Mexican men will not be out to their families, as this is a catholic and rather conservative country. Children will often live with their parents until they marry or leave the hometown to live in a larger city. |
Forums and Message Boards
There are a number of Puerto Vallarta
forums and message/bulletin boards that I am aware of though I admit I
haven't done an extensive search: one at PuertoVallarta.net
also has an Alternative
Lifestyles forum; the two at All
Vallarta and Vallarta
Scene can be quite lively.
Further Interest - For ideas on where to go and what to do and see, check out the Special Events on the gay calendar page, Further Interest on the more Activities page, and this Yahoo travel page, Things to Do in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I would recommend considering such things as: the gay cruise; the Marietas Islands or whale watching with Oscar Frey; a getaway to Yelapa or Sayulita village; a Mexican Folklore and Tequila Tour; going sightseeing downtown taking in the Cathedral and the malecon with its many statues, lovely ambience and nearby restaurants, galleries and stores.
Geography - Located along Mexico's Pacific coast, about halfway between the US border and Guatemala, Puerto Vallarta is a few short hours by plane from West Coast cities and the Southwestern states. Here for a map of Mexico
Going Out - Do be generous if you go out with a Mexican national or have a date. It's commonly expected that the person of higher social wealth will pick up the tab and show generosity in other ways. Generally speaking that would be you, dude. So don't expect to go out Dutch unless it's already established or the other guy is of a equal or higher economic status, meaning Mexican upper middle class or above.
The Malecon - The malecon is the seawall walkway or promenade that stretches the length of downtown Vallarta from the New Malecon which begins at the pedestrian bridge over the Cuale River on the South Side all the way to the Hotel Rosita on the north end. Near the south end of the main stretch of the downtown malecon is the large outdoor amphitheater and Los Arcos, the Arches, where many open air activities occur, such as folklore dancing, live music, cultural events and the ever popular clown shows. There are a good number of interesting statues on the mile and a half long walkway. The malecon is popular from sunset up until around 11pm-midnight. Half the town dresses up and turns out to stroll on weekends, especially Sunday evenings. Puerto Vallarta's malecon can also be a good location to make friends, so check it out.
Money, Banks, ATMs - The national currency is the peso. Dollars are readily exchanged at the banks, hotels and any casa de cambio/money exchange house. Most businesses will accept dollars. The current exchange rate fluctuates around 13.1-13.6 pesos per US dollar at the banks and this rate changes daily. Here for more info on money.
Passport and Tourist Visa - Questions about your visa or passport?
Phone - Ask at your hotel room or condo building before making any long distance calls, as the calls can be rather expensive, up to several dollars per minute.
Population - Estimates vary but most sources I have read say that Vallarta has somewhere around 200-300,000 residents. Wikipedia puts the city population in 2005 as 178,000 inhabitants, while 220,000 people live in the greater Vallarta municipality, which I assume includes such population centers as Pitillal, Aramara, Las Juntas, Coapinoli, and Bobadilla.
Taxis and Buses - Jump in a cab, step on the gas and go! Cabs are cheap and readily available here, and will cost around 30-80 pesos ($3-$8 US) to go to most places in town. Buses run all over town every few minutes until near midnight and currently (2008) cost 5.5 pesos, about 50 cents. Here for further info
Time Zone - Puerto Vallarta is in the Central Time Zone, same local time as Houston and Chicago. We are one hour behind New York and Miami (Eastern Time), one hour ahead of Denver (Mountain Time) and two hours ahead of California and British Columbia (Pacific Time).
Tipping - Tipping is the same as in the US and Canada, 12-20% for good to excellent service at restaurants. I encourage tipping for the maid at your hotel or condo or for the staff if you are staying in a villa.
