Puerto Vallarta is a popular beach resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean’s the Bahia de Banderas. It is in the northwest corner of the state of Jalisco and it is known as Mexico’s largest natural bay. Puerto Vallarta is not only one of the most popular beach resort area but an important port of call for cruise ships as well. It is named after Ignacio Vallarta, a former governor of Jalisco. Do not get confused by different naming the place, since some often shorten to “Vallarta”, while English speakers call it P.V. Puerto Vallarta is popular with both international and domestic tourists. Domestic tourists especially like to come to Puerto Vallarta for vacations such as Semana Santa and Christmas. The place boasts about clubs, hotels, shops and bars. But Puerto Vallarta was not always so popular, it own its popularity to the film “Night of the Iguana”, whose plot is taking place in Puerto Vallarta. Thanks to that, Puerto Vallarta soon becomes a gathering place for celebrities and their entourage. Despite the urbanization, town still maintains its charm and the bay its natural beauty. And today it is the lush tropical climate and the white sandy beaches that attract the tourists.
Bahía de Banderas has a horse-shoe shape and covers 60 miles of coastline, from Punta Mita to Cabo Corrientes. The entire area is known as Vallarta, although it is divided between two states, Jalisco and Nayarit. The funny thing is that these two states are in the different time zone. If you ever get the opportunity to come to Puerto Vallarta you should not spend your days only at the beach and in the clubs, there are many activities and day trips that can make your stay here even better. Stroll along the Malecon to see the collection of sculptures by day and in the evenings there are often buskers here entertaining passers-by. Go on a boat trip to the Islas Marietas or shop for handicrafts.
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Basilica de Guadalupe is the most visited religious site in Mexico City. It is at the hill where the virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego. She is the patroness of Mexico and a very important national symbol. The Basilica of Guadalupe is one of the most visited churches in the world and it is considered to be an important Catholic pilgrimage site. The so called ¨New¨Basilica de Guadalupe was build in the second half of the last century on the site of a 16th Century church, also known as «Old Basilica». The huge plaza in front of the basilica has room for 50 000 worshippers and that is the amount of people that gathered there on December 12th when the celebration of the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe is held. When it comes to the architectural features it is worth to say that its construction was inspired from 17th century churches in Mexico. When it was finished, most of the folks did not like the design, however, due to the soft subsoil this was the only type of the construction that could be made. In the basilica the original image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is held and the circular floorplan allows views of the virgin from every spot inside the building. Raising head beneath the central column would have a head-spinning effect since it is 42 meters high and beautifully decorated. Except from the «new» basilica, you can see «old» basilica and visit a museum of religious art.
If you have time for a day trip and if you are ready to leave the Mexico City, go 25 miles northward and visit Teotihuacan. To most of the tourists this name does not say much, but I am sure that you have all heard of Temple of Quetzalcoatl, walk along the Avenue of the Dead, and climb the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. These world wide known attractions are all situated at the already mentioned archaeological site, Teotihuacan. Also known as the ˝city of the gods˝ from 200 BC up to 800 AD was a huge urban center with a population of 200,000, making Teotihuacan one of the largest cities in the world. To the Aztecs Teotihuacan is a sacred site despite the fact that it had been abandoned long before their time. The interesting thing is that no one was able to discover which ethnic group or the language was spoken by the inhabitants of Teotihuacan, so they are called “Teotihuacanos.” Except from the pyramids that are dedicated to the sun and the moon, you can see beautiful murals and carvings as well as few museums where you can explore the city’s amazing history. If you decide to visit this fascinating archaeological site, do not forget to take water, hat and sunscreen and if you are time-limited our advice is to skip the first entrance and start from the second where actually many tour groups begin.
At the corner of Allende in the Colonia Del Carmen Coyoacan area of Mexico City is a Museum Frida Kahlo. It is actually the Casa Azul or Blue House in Coyoacan. It was the family home of the famous artist and wife of painter Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo. This world wide known artist grew up in this house and in her final years she returns here with her husband. Four years after Frida Kahlo’s death, the house was converted into a museum. Here all the fans can take a glimpse into the private life of these artists. Among all, the museum contains Frida’s and Deego’s personal belongings it is decorated with Mexican arts and crafts. Unfortunately, here you can see a really small amount of both artists works, since they are not exhibited here. In order to see some Frida Kahlo’s paintings you should go to the Dolores Olmedo Patiño Museum in Xochimilco or the Modern Art Museum in Chapultepec Park. The thing that no one can ignore is the fact that there is a special atmosphere in this house. Behind tall blue walls is a completely different world made by Frida Kahlo. The creative spirit of the famous Latin-American artist vibrates in the house and that is why this is a place where many artists come in order to find themselves. So, do not miss the opportunity to discover your own creative spirit in the Museo Frida Kahlo.
If you ever come to Mexico City, the visit to the Xochimilco would definitely be a highlight of your trip. Half a century ago this was an agricultural hub, a metropolis of 235,000 inhabitants and today it consists of canals and gardens, which is all that is left of the lake on which Mexico City was built. The name Xochimilco means ‘garden of flowers’ and here you can ride colourful boats along the canals while a mariachi band serenades you and there are always plenty of vendors with food and drink, souvenirs and music. This activity is widely enjoyed by Mexicans, so it’s one of the more authentic tourist experiences available. As you travel you will see city life, restaurants, and greenhouses where flowers and plants are grown. Further beyond the city canals there is a wildlife preserve in which the original character of the chinampas may be seen. Xochimilco is divided into two main parts, traditional area and an echological park. This is a great place for bird watching since the canals and lagoons attract different birds. According to many guidebooks Xochimilco is known as the Venice of Mexico because they are so romantic. The best time for visiting Xochimilco is two weeks before the Easter when the annual Xochimilco Festival is held.
If you are interested in the Mesoamerican artifacts you should definitely pay a visit to the National Anthropology museum, which is located in the Chapultepec Park. Here you would be able to examine the most impressive collection of Mesoamerican artifacts in the world. To each cultural region a hall is dedicated and some rooms have ethnological exhibitions as well. There is so much to see, so you should dedicate the whole day to this amazing museum. The real must is the Aztec exhibit with the famous Sun Stone or “Aztec Calendar.” Also, you should not leave without seeing the Recreation of Pakal’s tomb in Maya exhibit room and Jade mask of the Zapotec Bat God in Oaxaca. Something that really makes the visit to the National Museum of Anthropology special is that the exhibitions in the rooms are organized in the chronological order, so if you start on the right and make your way around counter-clockwise you will get the feeling for how the culture changed over time. On the other hand, if you go to the left on the entrance you will come to the halls that are devoted to the development of other areas of Mexico. Something that also could impress you is the rooms where the archeological scenes are recreated which give the chance to see the pieces in the context in which they were found. This magnificent museum is built around a large courtyard, so take your time to see as many as possible and at the end take a break in a beautiful courtyard.
Palacio de Bellas Artes is another impressive building that was planned to commemorate the centenary of Mexico’s independence from Spain. But due to the Revolution that broke out in 1910, this magnificent theater was not finished till 1934. Many of the Diego Rivera’s murals are displayed here, as well as José Clemente Orozco’s, David Alfaro Siqueiros’ and Rufino Tamayo’s. This massive building contains a large theatre, concert hall, museum of popular arts, and halls and galleries for paintings and other works of art. The marble Beaux-Arts with Art Nouveau elements decorate the building from the outside and the inside architecture actually represents Mexican plant and animal life and masks recalling pre-Hispanic traditions. What makes this building so glamorous is the Tiffany stained glass stage curtain portraying a panoramic view of the Valley of Mexico with its two volcanoes and the already mentioned murals. Here you can find not only a theater but the Palace museum as well as the National Museum of Architecture. Fine Arts Palace is opened every day for different types of visits and you should not miss the opportunity to visit the excellent gift shop in the lobby where you would be able to buy small replicas of famous piece of arts. Today, Palacio de Bellas Artes is primarily used as opera-house or concert hall, but that should not miss lead you, you should definitely pay a visit to this Mexico City’s attraction.
Not far from the National Palace, the main temple of the Aztecs is situated known as Templo Mayor. In the previous century, electric company workers came across a large round stone depicting the Aztec moon goddess Coyolxauqui and that is how the excavation of the great temple began. All the items found on the site; interesting scale model of the city in the ancient times, ruins from the sidewalk, together with the stone sculpture of the moon goddess are displayed in the Templo Mayor. This temple is only a part of a larger sacred center of the famous city of Tenochititan that contained up to 78 buildings. This specific temple is believed to be dedicated to Tlaloc, the rain god, and Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. Like all the important buildings in the Mexico City, the Templo Mayor also went through several phases of construction and every phase made the building bigger. It is a large stone pyramid with the familiar wide staircases and temples seen throughout Mexico. Two snake heads guard the foot of the main staircase and appear elsewhere in the temple. Templo Mayor was a symbolic recreation of Coatepec, “the Hill of the Serpent,” a mythical sacred place. The Aztecs referred to Templo Mayor as Coatepec. By paying the admission fee you will have the opportunity to see all the artifacts found on the site and study it by yourselves.
On the East side of the Zocalo there is the government building that houses the federal treasure and national archives. This site has been a palace for the ruling class of Mexico since the Aztec empire, and much of the current palace’s building materials is from the original one that belonged to Moctezuma II and that is why many claim that it has been built on the grounds where Moctezuma’s palace had stood. Here, the main attraction is Diego Rivera’s murals. These murals, painted between 1929 and 1952, depict thousands of years of Mexican history, precisely from prehispanic times to the workers movement that took place in 1930s. The admission to the building is free so everyone could see these master pieces. The National Palace is very important during the Independence Day Celebration. In other words, on September 15th at midnight when the Mexican independence is celebrated, the president of Mexico appears at the central balcony, rings a bell and shouts: “Viva Mexico!” and the crowd gathered in the Zocalo respond: “Viva!” From the Palacio Nacional the best way to continue the Mexican City walking tour is to turn right on the exiting from the National Palace and cross the street to the petite plaza, called the Plaza del Seminarioand crossing the plaza you will come across an archaeological site known as the Templo Mayor.
Cathedral Metropolitana is the large cathedral on the North side of the Plaza de la Constitución. It took almost 3 centuries to construct and decorate this beautiful cathedral which is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. As a result of being built over such a long period of time, the cathedral is host of a diversity of architectal styles. It has four facades which contain portals flanked with columns and statues, two bell towers that hold 25 bells. There are sixteen chapels and fourteen of them are open to the public. Unfortunately, like many buildings in Mexico City, Cathedral Metropolitana is gradually sinking into the ground as well. This is contributed by the city’s soft clay subsoil, the weight of the cathedral and the uneven foundations. In order to stabilize the building, the restoration works begun in the 1990s. However, the gold has not been reached; the only thing that could be done was to correct the tilting towers and ensured that the cathedral will now sink uniformly. When it comes to the interior of the cathedral, it is as astonishing as its exterior, filled with important historical items. If you are interested in seeing many other historical buildings, when exiting the Cathedral turn right and go to Francisko Madero Street, originally called San Francisco Street due to a Franciscan church and monastery.
