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Puerto Vallarta 160 year Anniversary

2012

2011

2010

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. On December 12, 2011 it will be the 160th anniversary of the official founding of Puerto Vallarta a very historical day. On that day in 1851 Don Guadalupe Sanchez Torres brought his family to live here and name the town Las Peñas de Santa Maria de Guadalupe after our Lady of Guadalupe who’s saints day is December 12.

Very soon other families came to live and it developed into a small village.

In reality there were some settlers earlier, as Spanish sailors first landed in the Bay of Banderas as a safe haven from weather, and pirates. This large bay which is exceptionally deep was a perfect shelter and place to make repairs, and restock on water, food and firewood. A shipyard was built in Mismaloya bay. With the nearby mining towns of San Sebastian it was a perfect location.

In 1889 the village and port was decreed a municipality and the name was changed to Puerto Vallarta to honor the late Governor of Jalisco, Ignacio L. Vallarta.

In the beginning of 1911, Las Peñas’ finally got a post office and later that same year a telegraph was installed. The area was known for fishing and Fruit growing in the nearby state of Nayarit but had no status as a tourist destination until the late 1930’s. Even back then the people who came to visit loved Puerto Vallarta and returned and told the world about this amazing place. By the 1950’s Puerto Vallarta was an internationally known destination. The icing on the cake of future fame Puerto Vallarta was John Huston’s decision to use Puerto Vallarta as the setting for filming the movie the Night of the Iguana in 1963. The Hollywood set started to flock to Puerto Vallarta and the global interest in the love lives of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton made it one of the best known little villages.

You can still see the homes of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and the famous pink bridge connecting the 2 villas, they lived for many years in Puerto Vallarta and their history was a special part of the town for more interesting details about this romantic time check out this link

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burtons years in Puerto Vallarta There were also many other famous Hollywood film stars who purchased homes and lived in Vallarta. The parties and the famous poker games were well known. John Huston remained in the area through his retirement.

To this day the phenominum of visitors coming and falling in love with Puerto Vallarta is well known, there are American and Canadian visitors who have come every winter for up to 25 years. Many renting the same vacation rental property each year, there are some well known private villas which have been renting for over 20 years. The well known Quinta Laura, one of the most famous private villas was the site of a quite meeting between Richard Nixon the then President of the United States and the President of Mexico at that time Gustavo Díaz Ordaz for treaty negotiations. Until recently there was a bronze plaque on the villa telling about this famous meeting. Another very famous visitor to Puerto Vallarta was Queen Elizabeth of England and Prince Phillip in the spring of 1983. These days there is the new royals that is the Kardashian Family from the well known reality TV show Keeping up with the Kardashians. The family, from Chris, Kourtney, Kim and the rest have been to visti several times in the last few years, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Aniston, and many more. Elton John played for a private birthday party many years ago.