I first travelled to Puerto Vallalta, a Mexican resort town. On a cold winter night, when I was turning my channel over in my Manhattan apartment, I came across a “Night of Iguana” show in Turner's classic film.
This 1964 adaptation of Tennessee Williams Play, directed by John Houston and starring Richard Burton and Ava Gardner, was not exactly a film classic. The story was overheated. More acting. But when it unfolded on my TV screen, I didn't pay much attention to the plot.
Located in the province of Jalisco, Mexico, the coastal town embraced by the gorgeous Bajia de Banderas to the west and the Sierra Madre mountain ranges that clean up eastwards, is a hot spot for tourists from the 1960s to the early 70s. It was a spot. Some of the Hollywood crowds flocked there after Huston and others came back and raved about it to their friends. After that, international airports became more accessible and booming tourism.
For many years, however, Puerto Vallarta was covered in surfing destinations a few miles above the Pacific Coast, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Tulum and even Seurita. Although undeniably beautiful, with access to the fantastic beaches, those locations felt bland to me. I wanted a little more “real” because I'm a little less predictable and lacking a better term.
Furthermore, I was intrigued by the role played by Puerto Vallarta, a scandalous event between Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, often referred to as 20th century romance. The two stars met on the set of “Cleopatra” transformed Puerto Vallarta into a romantic hideaway during the early days of secret relationships.
They later returned again and again. Especially when there is a rough patch to your marriage. Burton was particularly fascinated by it. As he wrote in his 1971 travel article for Vogue, “The streets we live in are bewitching, invented by taste and charming geniuses. A horse rides a horse and sleeps on a horse. I could sit here forever as long as someone occasionally feeds me and steals my drink from the hills I came across.”
If that was enough for Liz and Dick, that was enough for me.
“I dream of these tacos.”
Since then, I have returned to Puerto Vallarta five times since my first trip in 2022, but until my third visit I finally found my way to Pepe. I've had a lot on my previous visits – from a freshly grilled Merlin Tacon at Tacon de Merlin (something like the intersection between an oversized taco and a burrito) to Gustavo Diaz Aldaz Airport While waiting for the Uber pickup, I grabbed it and ended up with a huge order I devoured El Barracuda and picked up some burnt white meat as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean.
However, some people said they had to travel to Pepe's tacos in a neighborhood called 5 de diciembre, as they had promised it was the best tacos in Puerto Vallarta. As my travelling companions and I walked along the dusty sidewalks off the coast of Mexico, a long line snakes us. As we waited patiently, we heard the English speaking local position behind us talking about this being the first time in Pepe. “I dream of these tacos at night,” he said. He said the restaurant remained open until 4am and he and his friends frequently finished the night there.
A few minutes later (the line moved quickly), we devoured two orders of Tacos Al's pastor. The smoky flavor of the tataki pork is balanced with the sweetness of the grilled pineapple. Bottles of Icy Pacifico Beer (Total Bill: under 300 PES, or about $15). I don't think we spoke the words in the next few minutes. The thoughts of the conversation were quickly sacrificed to the food in front of us.
Margaritas and people watching
When I returned to Puerto Vallarta over the past few years, I began to realize that the town was completely unimmunized by the kind of resortization that spread among the other coastal cities of Mexico. However, these high-end chain hotels are primarily located north of town and in the coastal communities of Nayarit and Punta Mita. Cruise ships are also held in the town. And there are day trippers at many tourist shops selling everything from tequila to silver gems. It also houses many retired retirees, depicted by the temperate climate, relatively inexpensive living expenses, and the ubiquitous presence of English-speaking merchants and taxi drivers. The town is also a major winter destination for LGBTQ travelers, and is kind of southern Provincetown, with dozens of centrally located gay bars during peak tourist season (almost early December to early May). I'm doing business.
But everything appears to be absorbed almost seamlessly in this seaside resort. Large families gather on the sidewalk for dinner, often cooked on open frame grills, and most people, locals and tourists seem to spend a portion of it, just like the brave of Bahia de Banderas A day to swim in the ocean.
For me, the trip to Puerto Vallarta is based in Zona Romantica despite the dissonance of various languages on the busy streets. The grilled shrimp feel as if you were transported back in time immediately. Take one of many narrow cobblestone streets randomly to the left or right, and you will soon come across a town that was very similar to the one that first attracted Burton and Taylor.
Furthermore, after some research, I discovered that the house that Burton bought in the late 1970s as a present for his third wife, Susie Miller, was expanded to become a hotel called Hacienda San Angel. I did. A beautifully restored multi-level villa located on a hill overlooking the old town. Approximately a dozen suites, three pools, a gorgeous rooftop restaurant, lush, meticulously maintained gardens serve as a hub for my first trip and become a place. I will return to subsequent visits, even if I start renting Airbnbs for a longer stay.
Most tourists gather at Malecon, a seaside promenade, but I would like to start a trip to Puerto Varalta by walking through the urban artery Basilio Badillo. Then grab a frozen mango margarita with the Blondise. There, sidewalk stools provide a great place to take part in the surrounding scene.
When it's time to catch the sunset, you can do worse than booking a beachfront table in El Dorado. Eldorado offers accompaniment perfect for the short accompaniment with the red snapper Ceviche and the catch of the mesquite grill of the day, the fiery orange sun. A display of fireworks that usually lasts.
The final detour
Last March, on the last night of the month at Puerto Vallarta, I went to Basilio Badillo's cabaret, where the singer performed the incredible recreation of Linda Ronstadt's “Cancion de Mi Padre” album. I saw it. (I decided to skip the show featuring “Tina Turner” and “Bet Midler.”) Then I raid over some of Zona Romantica's busy clubs, each of which knocked down a Pacifico bottle and then drank a drink. Avoid crowds, flag taxis around 1am and head out the sidewalk before giving drivers an Airbnb address.
But as we got home, I suddenly craved.
“Señor,” I said. I leaned over to the seat in front of me.
