An Introduction To Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

By Author: Casa Anita
Total Articles: 2
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About fifty-six years ago MEXICANA Airlines saw potential in the area. At that time AEROMEXICO monopolized the flights between Mexico City and Acapulco. Hoping to convert Puerto Vallarta into Guadalajara's weekend resort, MEXICANA received the franchise in 1954 and began promoting Vallarta. A few travel writers did articles on it, but it remained an out-of-the-way, quiet spot for relaxation.

The first runway was gravel and the aircraft of the day were DC-4's . Before that a small strip existed in the area know as Palo Seco (now Versailles) but could only handle Beech 18's which were operated by the Fierro Brothers, Mexico's answer to the bush pilot.

This airport which is the present location of the new modern jet port was separated from the town (then just a sleepy fishing village), by a dirt road. The road from TEPIC stopped on the Nayarit side as there was no bridge until many years later. The only decent hotel was the Posada Vallarta (now known as the KYSTAL) was located off of the dirt road roughly half way to town. Another hotel consisting of Cabanas called Suites Las Glorias ran by a Dutch lady and ...
... her sister. Terry and Helena. Terry later wrote a book about her coming to Vallarta and how she was swindled out of her property which is now Plaza Genova. Again things were very quiet especially without a road into the village which in 1960 boasted about 45 cars total.

However all that changed in 1963 when John Huston decided to shoot the film "Night of the Iguana" in Puerto Vallarta. Along with him came Richard Burton, Ava Gardener, Elizabeth Taylor (who wasn't in the movie) and the gossip-hungry Hollywood reporters. By the time the movie was finished the romance between Liz and Dick had been celebrated universally and Puerto Vallarta had become a landmark. Droves of people came just to see where this famous couple had fallen in love but were soon charmed by the quaint, delightful resort.

The droves kept coming but now because they heard what a lovely spot Puerto Vallarta was and what a unique climate it enjoyed. Even then as now the two chief attributes to this lovely resort are a) the friendliness of the people and b) the unique climate.

William (Bill) SEMEYN locally known as Guillermo (the Spanish translation for William) Is a pilot that landed his Cessna C-170B in Puerto Vallarta back in 1967. (See http://www.casanita.com/en/about.php) as has been coming every year until 1996 when he moved here permanently with his wife and daughter. Now with 43 years experience in the area, having built and operates the cheap hotels in puerto vallarta i.e. HOTEL CASA ANITA he is quite definitely an authority on Puerto Vallarta and it's surroundings.