Category: News

  • Disney Cruise Ship Returns to Puerto Vallarta at the End of 2021

    The Disney Cruise Line company confirmed that the Disney Wonder cruise ship will return to the Mexican Pacific in October. Coming from San Diego, California, this cruise ship will arrive at our destination in November, on a 14-day route through the Panama Canal. As part of the itinerary, this ship will also visit Los Cabos, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.

    As a preventive measure, Disney Cruise Line announced that all passengers over the age of 12 must be fully vaccinated to board, a measure that took effect on September 3rd, 2021.

    In addition, passengers under the age of 12 can not be vaccinated should take a pre-trip rapid PCR test or laboratory PCR test for COVID-19, as well as a rapid COVID-19 test upon boarding.

    This spectacular cruise line has capacity for 2,713 passengers, a length of 984 feet and its weight is 83,300 tons. In addition, it has helped position our port among the leading cruise destinations in the Pacific coast.

    Photo by Matt Stroshane.

  • Hurricane Nora Leaves Some Damage in Vallarta · Nayarit

    After making a sweep past the Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit area, Hurricane Nora is churning northward up Mexico’s Pacific Coast toward the Gulf of California.

    Nora made landfall Saturday night at our destination, with Puerto Vallarta being the entity with more mishaps.

    Nora had maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h, with tropical storm force winds extending out 165 kilometers. It was centered about 85 km north-northwest of Banderas Bay and is now heading to the north at 26 km/h.

    The Mexican National Weather Service said this hurricane is likely to keep dragging along the coast and gradually weaken to a tropical storm, before entering the Gulf of California.

    Even so, authorities still warning about the imminent effects generated by these floods, as well as mudslides and strong waves.

    The following are some of the main damages caused by Hurricane Nora in Vallarta · Nayarit:
    · Landslides on Highway 200 South
    · The collapse of the Cuale River bridge
    · The collapse of buildings and restaurants in the riverbed of the Cuale River
    · The overflow of the Cuale River and its general effects on the El Centro streets
    · Infrastructure damages in the Municipal Market
    · The landslide on the road to Paso Ancho neighborhood
    · The overflow of the Ameca River
    · Landslides of houses near rivers
    · Fallen trees in Bucerías and main avenues of Nuevo Vallarta
    · Lack of light in different Vallarta · Nayarit neighborhoods

    If anyone needs help, the editorial team of Vallarta Lifestyles can spread the word through the social platforms.

  • PCR/Antigen Testing Module Opens in Marina Vallarta

    The Asociación de Residentes de Marina Vallarta has finally completed the installation of a COVID PCR/antigen testing module. Although designed originally for visitors, it is also available for workers in the area.

    This project had been in plans for several months and has materialized at long last. The module is located at the end of Popa street.

    Antonio García, administrator of the Asociación de Residentes de Marina, explained this project was consolidated with the support of the Puerto Vallarta City Hall through the Tourism Department.

    This testing module opens from Monday to Saturday from 8:00am to 8:00pm and it will be working throughout the month of September. Right now, there is a 10% discount for residents and employees of Marina Vallarta-based firms.

    People just need to arrive in, register and get the test right away. Depending on the test, results are ready in one hour, but if the case is urgent and people must travel, time can be shorter.

    The antigen test has a cost of 650 pesos and results will be ready in one hour.
    PCR tests are 2,499 pesos and they are ready in 24 hours.
    The testing module is taking cash and credit card payments.

    For more information call (322) 170-3802.

  • Gradual Reactivation of Cruises in Puerto Vallarta Begins

    Coming from Long Beach, California, the Carnival Panorama cruise ship arrived in Puerto Vallarta’s Administración Portuaria Integral this morning, which represents a great advance in the gradual reactivation of this industry in our destination.

    Its seven-day travel itinerary includes Puerto Vallarta as the first Mexican destination this ship visits since it set sail from California last Saturday, August 21st, 2021. Later, it will continue its journey to Mazatlán, Sinaloa.

    This cruise ship has a capacity for 3,500 people, but due to official regulations its capacity was reduced to 70 percent (2,450 people).

    According to the shipping company information, 98 percent of passengers are vaccinated against COVID-19, the rest being minors. As a strict health protocols, people should have presented a proof of vaccination, as well as negative PCR tests prior to boarding.

    During the health emergency, the Government of Jalisco, in coordination with the three levels of government, provided support to the cruise segment to repatriate passengers and crew through humanitarian bridges in Puerto Vallarta.

  • Costalegre Airport Announced

    More than 60 million pesos will be invested in the construction of the Chalacatepec airport, located in the Tomatlán, Jalisco municipality, within the tourism region known as Costalegre, which is located south of Puerto Vallarta. During the coming weeks, the first stage of this project will begin, which is considered fundamental for that area, said Enrique Alfaro, governor of Jalisco.

    “The idea is to build a comprehensive project whose initial investment is going to be 27.7 million pesos. Any kind of plane will be able to land on this runway,” added Alfaro.

    In the same way, the governor of Jalisco pointed out that this work will be key to promoting the region’s tourist offer, as well as the urbanization projects and the development of different international hotel chains that are already or are planning to build here.

    The Costalegre airport was announced during the presentation of the Costalegre Regional Strategic Plan, where businessmen and the government plan to promote this Jalisco region to make it one of the most outstanding tourism developments in the Mexican Pacific.

  • Carnival Panorama: First Cruise Ship to Arrive in Puerto Vallarta in 2021

    Operated by the Carnival Cruise Line company, the first international cruise ship to arrive in Mexican Riviera route (conformed by Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Los Cabos) will be Carnival Panorama.

    This cruise ship with American passengers is contemplated to arrive in the week of August 23 to 27, 2021.

    With capacity for 4,800 passengers and 1,450 crew members, the Carnival Panorama is the current flagship of the Carnival Cruise Line company. 

    Reactivation of the Cruise Ship Industry in the Region

    Last week, the Administración Portuaria Integral (API) confirmed the arrival of this cruise ship, which implies the gradual reactivation of the activities of this industry in the region. In addition, API pointed out that both adult passengers and the complete staff will be vaccinated against COVID-19, which guarantees the bio sanitary safety of the international cruise ship.

    “The Administración Portuaria Integral is committed to providing specialized attention to all our clients, improving the operation of the port and strengthening the infrastructure with the implementation of all protocols and sanitary measures,” commented the Puerto Vallarta API in a press release.

    Finally, it was announced that the arrival of the Noordam and Westerdam cruise ships, which are operated by the Holland American Line company, is also planned in August 2021. Both ships will arrive in without any passengers-visitors to the maritime terminal, where they will receive port services only.

  • Historic Summer in Visitors’ Arrival to Puerto Vallarta

    Recognized as one of the main beach destinations in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta started the summer season with the largest arrival of visitors in the history.

    According to a recent report prepared by the Grupo Empresarial Estrategia, this is largely due to the fact that Mexico continues taking advantage of its condition as a nearby and open place without any restrictions for visitors coming from United States.

    Last July, the Puerto Vallarta International Airport attended a total of 457,000 passengers, which represents five times more visitors than in 2020 and, according to the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), it has been the best summer season start in the destination’s recent history.

    Most of the visitors who arrive by plane to our bay come from the United States, where the authorities continue requesting a negative test of COVID-19 contagion to all those who wants to visit that country.

    Meanwhile, on July 5th, 2021, Canada reopened its international flights for people who are vaccinated and who meet certain conditions issued by their government.

    Finally, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) pointed out that by 2025 it expects the number of passengers transported to Mexico to be at least 10 percent higher than the register made in 2019.

  • New Flights to Vallarta · Nayarit are Confirmed by Air Canada

    Recently, Air Canada’s vacation affiliate shared the progress of the flights scheduled for the next winter season to the Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit region, which includes direct operations from Vancouver (5 weekly frequencies), Toronto (4 weekly frequencies), Calgary (2 weekly frequencies) and Montreal (2 weekly frequencies); all of them starting at November 2021.

    With these new routes, Puerto Vallarta will receive 13 flights per week and the potentially arrival of more than 2,000 passengers at the international airport, which is gradually resuming its international activities.

    After the start of the pandemic, Canada has kept restrictions on leisure travel and, for this reason, Mexico seeks to recover its second most important international market.

    Until the beginning of 2020, the Puerto Vallarta International Airport was the best connected to Canada in Latin America, with a total of 16 cities with direct flights, and the second in Mexico receiving Canadian visitors.

    Partners and travel advisers are positive both for the advance of vaccination in Canada, as well as the results presented by Expedia, where this company announced that Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit are in the first places of the Canadians’ search preferences.

     

  • New COVID-19 Protocols are Enacted in Puerto Vallarta

    Puerto Vallarta continues to welcome travelers from the United States as local vaccination efforts steadily increase. Approximately two-thirds of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccination to-date, including approximately 90 percent of hotel workers.

    To ensure students in Puerto Vallarta return to school on time, the following health and safety protocols were announced, effective last Friday, July 30th, 2021:

    • Hotels remain open at 80 percent capacity, with 50 percent capacity in common areas.
    • Restaurants will operate at 50 percent capacity and must close by midnight.
    • Tours, theaters and cinemas remain at 75 percent capacity.
    • Indoor events may have no more than 150 attendees, and outdoor events may have no more than 300 attendees.
    • Masks are mandatory in public spaces.

    As of August 1st, 2021, bars and nightclubs will be closed for the month.

    Cleaning, sanitizing, and disease prevention measures remain in place at Puerto Vallarta International Airport, the cruise port, on public transportation, in supermarkets and in government offices. Local authorities are working closely with the travel sector to keep and implement updated protocols.

    As of January 26, 2021, all passengers on international flights bound for the United States, including those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine, are required by the Centers for Disease Control to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR or rapid antigen) prior to boarding. These tests must be conducted no more than 72 hours prior to departure. To facilitate this process, Public Trust for the Promotion and Tourism Advertising of Puerto Vallarta is offering North American passengers COVID-19 tests at affordable prices in convenient locations across the destination including the airport, medical facilities and select hotels. It is recommended to schedule an appointment in advance. Any additional requirements, costs and the status of same day results should also be confirmed directly with the testing provider.

    Travelers who test positive for COVID-19 but exhibit no major symptoms will be required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine which can be completed in their hotel on a designated floor (if available) or room. Each hotel applies different policies, with some offering steeply discounted rates. Specifics should be confirmed with individual hotels directly. More information and a real-time list of all testing options in Puerto Vallarta can be accessed at visitpuertovallarta.com/covid-19.

    To help facilitate stress-free travel to and from Puerto Vallarta, travelers from the United States should complete the new health questionnaire upon arrival/departure, as well as the individual airline requirements and procedures. For more information click here.