Puerto Vallarta

Hearty appetites and hefty wallets come in handy in Puerto Vallarta, the dining and shopping capital of the Pacific Coast. Chefs, artists and entrepreneurs are lured and captured by the city's natural beauty and tend to stick around. Their creativity bursts forth as if stimulated by the competition, giving visitors abundant temptations. The restaurants are fabulous, the folk art selection may be the best in the country, and the fine art scene is always intriguing.

PV (as locals say) looks like something out of a travel poster. Whitewashed stucco homes with terracotta-tiled roofs seem to tumble down forested hills toward Banderas Bay. The broad flat beaches north of downtown are lined with hotels, condos and marinas. To the south, the highway twists through hillsides above pristine coves. The combination of jungle, mountains and the sea gives Puerto Vallarta bragging rights as the most picturesque beach resort in Mexico.

Puerto Vallarta has a faithful following. Many of its North American and European visitors have second homes here and winter in villas, condos and timeshare hotels. Independent, artsy travellers stick to the small downtown hotels while families and beach lovers find all the right amenities at resorts along the beach. Celebrities love PV and are especially fond of the hidden hotels and stunning villas in the Costalegre south of PV.

Puerto Vallarta is on the edge of Banderas Bay beneath the Sierra Madre, in the state of Jalisco, on the west coast of Mexico. The downtown area is 6.5km (4 miles) south of the airport, which is located near Marina Vallarta.

Vallarta Viejo and the Zona Romántica straddle the Río Cuale, which runs right through downtown.

Puerto Vallarta's malecón runs along the downtown section of the bay and is lined with restaurants, cafes, hotels and a delightful array of sculptures. Playa Los Muertos south of the Río Cuale is the place for sunbathing and swimming with crowds of happy locals and travellers. Hotels supply all manner of water toys at the beaches along the tourism zone north of downtown. For serene swimming and snorkelling take a launch from Playa los Muertos to Yelapa, Playa las Animas and Majahuitas south of town.

Even non-shoppers are entranced by Vallarta Viejo and the Zona Romántica. The action begins at the malecón, where sculptors build sandcastles on the beach and street artists entertain the strolling crowds. Locals gather at the Plaza de Armas (Calles Zaragoza and Juárez) and the open-air amphitheatre by the beach for dances, and concerts. Puerto Vallarta's landmark Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe rises above the plaza, its filigreed crown serving as a landmark from atop the bell tower. South of the plaza stairways lead beneath bridges to a shady island in the middle of the Río Cuale, a good place to examine the wares of souvenir vendors.

Booze cruises to Mismaloya (where Night of the Iguana was filmed) are popular, as are sunset sailings and snorkelling trips.

Outside the kids' clubs and watersports activities at the hotels, children enjoy a trip to Chico's Paradise (Carretera 200, Km 20) to explore the jungle, swim in the river rushing down from the mountains and perhaps zoom along the zipline above the river and restaurant.

Puerto Vallarta's shops and galleries are superb. In the Zona Romántica, look for sculptures, sportswear, Talavera tiles and jewellery in galleries and boutiques on Calle Basilio Badillo, home to several fine restaurants as well. Several intriguing galleries and folk art shops line Calle Leona Vicario and Calle Morelos in Vallarta Viejo, and vendors display crafts along the malecón and on Playa los Muertos. Mercado de Artesanias (Avenidas Libertad and Miramar, near the Río Cuale) sells a large selection of silver, hand-embroidered dresses and tops, trinkets and souvenirs. Look for collector-quality beaded masks and figurines made by Huichol artists in remote mountain villages.

Salsa, merengue, jazz and rock groups vie for attention at clubs throughout downtown, while some hotels in the hotel zone and Marina Vallarta feature flashy discos. The gay nightlife scene is particularly vibrant, and an international clientele preens at clubs in the Zona Romántica. Members of the wildly popular Latin band Maná were behind the creation of de Santos (Calle Morelos 771), downtown's most sophisticated club, where DJs spin disco, house and progressive beats.

Puerto Vallarta's culinary scene is so exciting that foodies from around the world congregate here for the annual eight-day Festival Gourmet International in November (website: www.festivalgourmet.com). Dozens of fine restaurants line the beaches and streets of downtown. Fanciful cafes serve regional Mexican dishes and while nouveau Mediterranean creations are artfully presented at elegant terraces and dining rooms. Leisurely Sunday brunch at the many fine establishments along Playa los Muertos is a PV must-do.

You can easily walk around the downtown PV area, using the malecón as a shortcut between various neighbourhoods. Public buses run through downtown and along the coastline to most hotel areas and Marina Vallarta. Hire carts are unnecessary except for outings to beach towns and the jungle. Taxis are plentiful and fares reasonable.

Vallarta Adventures (website: www.vallarta-adventures.com) offers plane tours to San Sebastian del Oeste, a 17th-century mining town high in the Sierras and to indigenous Huichol Indian settlements in remote areas. On the ground, a drive north along the coast takes you to the rapidly growing beach towns of Bucerías, San Francisco and Sayulita. Surfers and laid-back expats spend months in these small towns where a few hotels and yoga retreats provide ecape.

If you're visiting between October and April, don your best sundress and sip wine at the many galleries participating in the Wednesday night Art Walk. Puerto Vallarta's painters, sculptors and collectors turn out in full force and cheerfully chat up potential buyers. Dine fashionably late at the Cocina de Autor, chef Thierry Blouet's private dining room at Café des Artistes (Calle Guadalupe Sánchez 740), or in the restaurant's sleek Constantini Wine Bar.

Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR)