Olé! Today we arrived at the port featured on my all time favorite childhood show, the Love Boat. This port always seemed so exotic and exciting to me as a kid, so I was pretty thrilled to see it on our itinerary when we booked the cruise. Puerto Vallarta did not disappoint! The vibe was a little bit Italy’s Cinque Terre (with beautiful haciendas built into the surrounding Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains and hilltops overlooking beaches), and a lot tropical beach, with it’s own cool, uniquely Mexican touches. I loved it. It was crazy hot, but had a strong ocean breeze that kept us from dying. Here are our first views of PV from the ship:

Port Market and Santa Spotting

Well, well, well… as soon as we got off the ship, we solved a mystery, right away! There was a big shopping area including a craft market, a mall, Walmart and a Costco right by the port dock. Guess who we spotted sneaking into the market!?! SANTA from our ship (via the North Pole, naturally). Obviously he was there to get a head start on all of his Christmas purchases for the good boys and girls of the world. I mean, he would never overwork the elves and expect them to make everything! I hope the vendors gave him a good deal!

Los Muertos Beach and Pier

Those of you with some knowledge of Spanish read that right… we spent a lovely morning at the “Beach of the Dead.” It was absolutely gorgeous and had a very cool pier built out into the water. There were a ton of boats around it and some beautiful pelicans and magnificent frigate birds.

Zona Romántica

From the beach we wandered up through the “Zona Romántica” (Romantic Zone), which is the “Bohemian heart” of Old Town, Puerto Vallarta. The streets are cobblestone lined, the buildings are colorful and eclectic, and we enjoyed strolling past shops and market stalls and restaurants that smelled amazing. We stopped and had a craft beer flight at Los Muertos Brewing and then, just to keep ourselves in balance, we visited the little church of Santa Cruz. 😂

Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Malecón

The last part of our stroll took us to the large, beautiful church at the center of Old Town, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and down part of the mile-long esplanade along the beach, the Malecón. It was a beautiful walk that I’d love to repeat and expand on in cooler weather! PV is split by the Cuale River, and the little island in the middle of this river that you can walk to via the bridge has pretty, shaded streets with bougainvillea and cute little shops. This area was also where 1960s U.S. movie actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor filmed “Night of the Iguana” and built homes high in the hills with an adjoining bridge and (supposed) secret tunnels to each other’s homes. There is a bridge and a statue to commemorate their time here, as well as a hotel on the grounds of their former homes.

Back on Board

We arrived back on the ship in time for a late lunch/linner and spent the afternoon watching the boats sail around us, watching our own ship depart the port, and swimming in the pool. We saw a comedy show tonight we thought was pretty good (Al Ducharme), and we continued our shipboard spying by making sure we checked out tonight’s shoes on the Pesta Pora singer.

Shine the Night

Tonight our ship had a dance party on the deck called Shine the Night. Passengers were asked to wear their shiniest clothes and come dance under the stars with the cruise activities staff and the ship singers and dancers. It was an absolute blast! We had a cool wind off the ocean, tons of stars, and glow sticks that were given out to everyone who came. It was the kind of night that makes cruising so special, and lives on in your cruise memories.

And if you want to see your favorite captain-wanna-be letting loose…

Tomorrow we arrive in Mazatlan, Mexico, where we have a beach excursion planned, so stay tuned for more fun. Thanks for adventuring with us!