South of the Border, Mar 16-21
On our first trip to Mexico, we stayed in the tiny west coast village of Mismaloya, near the most typically Mexican of all Mexican beach resorts, Puerto Vallarta. In the state of Jalisco, birthplace of the Mariachi and home to the blue agave fields that provide the sole ingredient for the manufacture of Tequila, Puerto Vallarta is situated right in the middle of Banderas Bay, the largest bay in Mexico, and has a tropical climate similar to that in Hawaii, on the same parallel.
The sun sets behind a sandbar at Mismaloya Beach, one of Puerto Vallarta's most famous and most visited beaches, where in 1963 John Huston filmed 'The Night of the Iguana', starring Richard Burton and Ava Gardner.
Looking back across Mismaloya Bay to the thatched-roof restaurants on the beach, flanked by tropical forests. (Try to imagine it without the eyesore of the all-inclusive resort hotel!)
A whole red snapper for Mike's first meal in Mexico - and stuffed shrimp for me.
The view from our balcony at the Casa Iguana Hotel in Mismaloya.
Exploring the Old Town in Puerto Vallarta.
Quirky sculptures line the Malecón (the mile-long oceanfront boardwalk).
Breakfast, my favourite part of the day.
The picturesque bay next to the fishing village of Boca de Tomatlán.
South of here the villages are accessible only by boat.
Standing amidst the ruins of the movie set for 'The Night of the Iguana', which put Puerto Vallarta on the tourist map more than 40 years ago - or was it Richard Burton's headline-grabbing affair with Elizabeth Taylor during filming?
Views north and south from the 'Hill of the Iguana', the location of the movie set. Los Arcos Maritime Nature Reserve can be seen through the palm trees (top).
Locals paddling in the Rio Mismaloya.
A cowboy leading his horses along the river.
Another sunset, this one viewed from the pier at Playa de Los Muertos.
A good choice of bars and restaurants lined Olas Altas in the Romantic Zone. ¡Salud!
A stroll through Mismaloya, the jungle-covered mountains
of the Sierra Madre in the distance.
Back in Old Vallarta, we visited Casa Kimberley which Richard Burton bought for Elizabeth Taylor in 1963 while he was filming 'The Night of the Iguana'. After the pair married, they purchased the house directly across the street and joined the two homes by a pink bridge.
Cascading bougainvillea brightens the charming Gringo Gulch neighbourhood, the area where the first foreigners settled.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The cupola is an enormous replica of the crown worn by Empress Carlotta in 1860.
On the way to the Marieta Islands (a marine bird sanctuary), where snorkeling, scuba-diving and kayaking were on the menu, we watched the Humpback whales which visit the Bay each winter.
Le Kliff restaurant, what a beautiful place to spend our last evening.
One of the local cowboys taking a break from leading horseback
expeditions to El Eden, the location of the 'Predator' movie.
Changing buses in PV to get to the airport.
