Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
(literally, "Port Vallarta") is a city in the state of Jalisco,
México. It is located at 20°40′N
105°16′W.
The
city fronts the Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific Ocean. The
city is important primarily as a tourist destination. Shipping traffic
consists of cruise ships, arriving almost daily, and occasional visits
by U.S. Navy frigates. The Mexican Navy maintains a base at the port.
In 2003. Puerto Vallarta reported an estimated population of 165,800
and about 5 million overnight stays by tourists. It is also a popular
spring break hotspot.
History
Unlike
Cancún (another leading Mexican tourist destination),
Puerto Vallarta was a traditional village before gaining worldwide
recognition as a travel destination.
The
village was originally founded on December 12, 1851 by Don
Guadalupe Sánchez Torres, who named it "Las Peñas
de Santa María de Guadalupe" ("the rocks of Saint Mary of
Guadalupe"). The name was eventually truncated to "Puerto Las
Peñas" ("Port Las Peñas") meaning "Port the
Rocks." The original reason for the port was to enable the
transshipment of silver from nearby mines.
In
1918, the village was elevated to municipality status and renamed
after former state governor Ignacio L. Vallarta. In 1963, it became
famous worldwide after director John Huston decided to make a movie
version of Tennessee Williams's play The Night of the Iguana in what
was then a quiet fishing village.
During
the filming, the paparazzi had a field day covering Elizabeth
Taylor's scandalous affair with Richard Burton, as well as the constant
tension between Huston and the film's four stars. The subsequent
publicity helped to attract foreign investors in the 1970s, which
resulted in the massive expansion of Puerto Vallarta to its current
size.
Today,
there is a statue of Huston in the park on Isla La Cuale in the
center of the city. A nearby plaque dedicated on the 25th anniversary
of the film's release honors Huston's contribution to the city's fame.
Puerto
Vallarta is also the location where the movie Predator (starring
California governor and former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger) was filmed.
Airport
Puerto
Vallarta is also the site of an international airport with connections
to: Phoenix, Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Dallas, Texas among
other locations. On American Airlines, America West, Alaska Airlines,
and Mexicana, among others.
Gallery
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to:
Puerto
Vallarta
Wikipedia
contributors, "Puerto Vallarta," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Puerto_Vallarta
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