Puerto Vallarta

A resort city on Banderas Bay in Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta preserves a historic downtown core — the Zona Romántica — of cobblestone streets, white-washed walls with flower-draped balconies, and the iconic Malecón seafront promenade with its series of contemporary sculptures. The city gained international exposure in the 1960s through the filming of Night of the Iguana and subsequent visits by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Mountains rise steeply directly behind the city, and accessible jungle hikes begin within minutes of the historic center.