Category: News

Puerto Vallarta is positioned among the best options to carry out destination weddings outside the United States. This was revealed by a survey conducted by the Travel Leaders consortium.

North American wedding planners point out that even in these times that have changed the travel industry, it is possible to have a dream wedding in a romantic beach destination like Puerto Vallarta. These professionals have years of experience and, in these times, they know how to organize safe marriages and with proper social distance.

Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), Negril and Ocho Ríos (Jamaica), Saint Lucia Island (Eastern Caribbean) and Costa Rica appear on the list of the most recommended destinations for a wedding.

In our destination, weddings can be held in a wide number of places, many of them outdoors, from sunny beaches at sunset, jungle lodges and intimate gardens to panoramic penthouse balconies.

Travel Leaders Group is the largest travel agency company in the United States.

Last Friday, the Jalisco State Health Board announced new health and security measures in the face of COVID-19. These actions will run until January 31st, 2021.

These are the measures announced by Enrique Alfaro, governor of Jalisco:

• There is no return for face-to-face classes
• Face-to-face work activities that can be performed virtually are suspended
• Activities that generate large groups of people are closed
• Public spaces are closed
• Social and family activity is restricted
• People over 60 must stay at home
• Economic activity will not stop (businesses and commercial activities will be able to operate, with the exception of those that involve group activities)

Businesses and Services that Operate Normally:

• Health sector
• Basic public services
• Private security
• Energy, fuels and distribution
• Banking, insurance and notaries
• Industry and logistics operation
• Hotels without common areas
• Public markets and neighborhood commerce
• Public transportation
• Beaches will operate from 5:00am to 3:00pm

Businesses with Partial Restrictions:

• Self-service stores
• Commercial plazas without common areas and 25 percent restricted parking
• Restaurants with a capacity of 50 percent and until 10:00pm
• Tianguis and commercial corridors with restricted access to a person, without minors or older adults

Business and Services that will not Operate:

• Corporate offices and professional services
• Government offices
• Bars, clubs and event rooms
• Parks
• Gyms and sports clubs
• Cultural and entertainment activities
• Cinemas and theaters
• Leisure activities and casinos

All these actions must be carried out in the Jalisco state, included Puerto Vallarta.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) announced its expansion plan, which includes the creation of a new terminal at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport. This project is part of their 2020-24 Master Development Program.

An investment of 3 million pesos has been considered for its construction. This project is within the investment plans for around 28 billion pesos to strengthen the infrastructure of the 12 airports that GAP operates in Mexico.

This new terminal building will be a NET Zero smart building, which will present an energy saving of 40.78% and a drinking water saving of 58.3%. Each baggage system will have two CT inspection kits for added security.

Likewise, during 2020, it was invested in security equipment with a value of 8 million pesos, as well as in a Baggage Handling System for 138 million pesos, in the rehabilitation of the airfield for 168 million pesos, in the Rescue and Fire Extinction Service for 22 million pesos, in solar panels for 14 million pesos and in the current terminal building for 1.4 million pesos.

Finally, the Puerto Vallarta International Airport received 24% more flights during December 2020 compared to the previous month, with operations from seven national airlines, six from the United States and four from Canada.

Photo: adepm.org.mx.

Vallarta Lifestyles is proud to announce the launching of its January-March 2021 issue, which started circulating this week around Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

During the past few years, diverse murals have been painted in various places in Puerto Vallarta, giving it a different but striking look that inspires the admiration of residents and visitors alike.

In order to offer a review of the leading exponents of urban art in our destination, as well as the origins of this style on our streets and the projects that have been developed thus far, our editorial team visited Marina de los Santos, director of the Instituto Vallartense de Cultura, to prepare a special that reviews this creative artistic boom.

Similarly, Gisela Marin, owner of the Hotel Cielo Rojo in San Pancho, Nayarit and Luis Munguía, a local representative for the fifth district of Jalisco, talk about their lifestyle in this corner of the Mexican Pacific.

In addition to the regular section Cuisine Spotlight, that this issue is about the interesting cuisine offered by Makal, where chef Israel Plascencia is in charge of preparing avant-garde Mexican specialties, we took a tour of five art galleries located on Basilio Badillo street and surroundings.

This edition is complemented by a visit to Nutrición Integral Vallarta, a nutrition office led by Rosa María González, who kindly shared some of the benefits of our destination to help keep and/or begin to develop a healthy body.

Vallarta Lifestyles January-March 2021 issue is now available at one of the more than 250 locations we have selected around the bay.

Enjoy it!

Jalisco activated the Emergency Button or Red Button, which means new updates in health and security regulations around the state.

From December 25th, 2020 to January 10th, 2021, Puerto Vallarta will be able to operate with a certain normality, except that New Year’s Eve parties in hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges and terraces are suspended.

Similarly, clubs, bars and cantinas must remain closed during this period.

Beaches, shopping centers, public squares and the Malecón can be enjoyed by residents and visitors with no more restrictions than the regular ones (health distancing and face masks wearing).

Public transportation service will operate on a regular basis.

Restaurants will operate with their normal hours, but elements inviting to celebrate (such as live music) are suspended.

Non-essential commerce and/or businesses will normally operate in Puerto Vallarta.

In regard to social activities, meetings with a maximum capacity of 10 people may be held, with the recommendation that attendees belong to a maximum of three different residences (three family units).

Religious and worship events are restricted to 25 percent and the places must be disinfected after each celebration.

These regulations have been taken with the aim of breaking the chain of infections and keeping a balance between health protection and economic activity, in addition to establishing favorable conditions for the gradual return to classes that is considered for January 2021.

Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit are reactivating their national and international air connection, with more flights coming from cities of our country, United States, Canada and, soon, the United Kingdom.

Compared with the first half of December 2020, Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) confirms an increase of 42 percent in the number of operations registered at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport.

Currently, a total of 16 international airlines are traveling to our destination, but as of January 2021, TUI Airways (formerly known as Thompson Airways) will return with its flight from Manchester.

Also, as of December 26, 2020, American Airlines will resume the weekly flight from Charlotte, North Carolina.

US airlines keep positive inertia with 244 flights (almost double the number that arrived during the first 15 days of this month). American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines are the ones that show the greatest increase (59, 45 and 88 frequencies, respectively).

On the other hand, as of December 26, 2020, Vallarta · Nayarit will be connected to seven cities in Canada: Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, Comox and Winnipeg.

Domestic airlines contemplate 167 flights to our destination during the last two weeks of this year, that is, 35 more flights than in the first half of December 2020.

It is important to mention that both the Puerto Vallarta International Airport and the different airlines are following the protocols and sanitary regulations endorsed by state, national and international authorities to provide greater confidence to passengers.

This week, Puerto Vallarta hotels can already operate at 75 percent of their capacity.

The Jalisco’s government health board has promoted different measures to face the pandemic with the intention of reducing the contagion and hospitalization curves as much as possible. In this way, our destination’s hotels are applying the following measures:

• Common areas in closed spaces must have maximum 25 percent of their capacity.
• Common areas in open spaces (swimming pools) must have maximum 50 percent of their capacity.
• Restaurant must operate at 50 percent of their capacity.
• Closed event rooms must use only 25 percent of their capacity and/or up to a limit of 200 people inside.

Measures were also announced for bars and clubs where the sanitary protocols validated by the Ministry of Health must be strictly applied. The capacity must be 25 percent, up to a maximum of 200 people.

With discipline in compliance with these measures, Puerto Vallarta will continue to offer its wide range of hotels for all its visitors.

The Vallarta · Nayarit tourist reactivation is on the rise, as the activity at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport will increase until it receives a little more than 1,200 flights during December 2020, which represents 7% more than last month.

According to Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, a total of 301 national and international flights are scheduled weekly during December 2020.

Six American airlines will operate connections from Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, San Jose, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Houston, Newark and Denver.

Four Canadian airlines will fly from Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Comox.

Seven Mexican airlines will arrive from Mexico City, Guadalalajara, Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, San Luis Potosí, Monterrey, Tijuana, Querétaro and the Bajío zone.

These actions, together with the recent announcement that Riviera Nayarit hotels will now be able to operate at 50% of their capacity (the same as those in Puerto Vallarta), will allow the destination to remain among the most visited.