Love Lives in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
An Excellent Winter Destination
Puerto Vallarta was an easy decision — Its artsy, inclusive, vibrant, and beautiful. Many a night Danny and I found ourselves strolling along El Malecon Boardwalk, a colorful scene with live music, street performers, bars touting $1 Coronas, and tourist shops. You will never be bored.
Pro tip: The uneven cobblestone streets are no joke. Choose your footwear wisely. We witnessed a woman in espadrilles hit the dirt on our very first night.
Isla del Río Cuale is a small island you can walk to in the middle of downtown PV. The most fun way to get there is taking the hanging pedestrian bridge, which will give you a view of the Romantic Zone, the Cuale River, and a peek at the Pacific Ocean. On the island itself you’ll find rubber trees, stray cats, and a flea market selling hammocks, jewelry, sombreros, purses and the like. There’s also a museum and a couple of nice spots to get lunch or dinner.
Entertainment Abounds
Puerta Vallarta has a super fun night scene dotted with piano bars and clubs, but the star of the show is Act2PV. Back in 2017 we happened upon this theater which was featuring a live production of The Rocky Horror Show. We bought tickets and were blown away by the cast, mostly American and Canadian with a smattering of local actors, atmosphere, and production quality. Act2 hosts disco nights, cabarets, drag shows, musicals, and tribute bands. I can say with full confidence that whatever show you see will be incredible.
A Legendary Love Nest
In 1964, director John Huston chose Puerto Vallarta as the film location for his new Hollywood blockbuster. At the time, it was a sleepy fishing village and hardly a major tourist destination. The Night of the Iguana was to star Richard Burton and Eva Gardner and would be monumental in putting this magical region of Jalisco on the map. Although each married to other people, it was during this time Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, who had met a few years previously on the set of Cleopatra, would embark on a torrid affair. Their storied and scandalous relationship generated a great deal of press and, in turn, so did Puerto Vallarta.
Casa Kimberly is a boutique hotel in the heart of town and is the former home of Liz and Dick. Richard Burton purchased his casita as well as the one across the street for Elizabeth which he gifted to her for her 32nd birthday. He commissioned a bridge, known as the Puente del Amor (Bridge of Love), to connect the two homes and supposedly avoid paparazzi. I like the story but I’m not sure how walking across a bridge (that was painted pink at the time) makes you invisible. The bridge is said to be modeled after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice but a quick google image search proved that it looks a lot more like Venice’s Ponte della Paglia.
The two casitas make up 9 luxurious suites. There’s the Richard Burton suite which was his former sitting room off the pool. The Elizabeth Taylor suite is her actual living quarters and features her original bathtub. Due to a communication error when purchasing the tub, it is not shaped like a Valentine’s heart but like an actual heart, like the kind in your chest. The other 7 suites are named after their movies. We were in The V.I.P.s, which spanned the entire top floor of Liz’s side of the property. The room was stunning and had a spacious patio and wrap around balcony with views of the Sierra Madre Mountains and Banderas Bay.
The hotel’s fabulous contemporary restaurant, The Iguana, is open to the public at dinner. This is the only time that non-guests can visit Casa Kimberly. So if you want to look around, take pics, and check out the nauseating amount of artwork of the couple’s likeness, make yourself a dinner reservation.
If you’re wondering about the namesake, Kimberly was the name of the builder’s daughter.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton married and divorced each other twice but their love for each other and for Puerto Vallarta always remained. Taylor held onto the property for several years after Burton’s death but stopped visiting because the memories were too much to bear. Casa Kimberly maintains the spirit of their legendary love story along with the passion and glamour exuded by the couple.
Where We Like to Eat in Puerto Vallarta
Andales for breakfast - I know what you’re thinking if you saw Vicky Gunvalson whoop it up here on the Real Housewives of Orange County, but come here for breakfast or lunch and it’s a real class act. I love the chilaquiles verdes con huevo.
Cafe des Artistes - I don’t say this lightly, but this is truly our favorite restaurant in the world. This was our fourth time dining here and it lived up to our high expectations. The tasting menu is fine dining at its best. Sit outside and take in the jungle atmosphere and the musical stylings of a live harpist.
La Palapa - Enjoy an array of fresh ceviches and seafood tacos right on the beach.
El Campanario - This solid local’s spot serves a delicious and extremely inexpensive breakfast located in the shadows of the beautiful church de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.
Panchos Takos - The best tacos al pastor on the spit.
Casa Tradicional - We ate here twice on this trip and enjoyed whole fried snapper, table-side guacamole and salsa, and a warm and friendly staff.
