Discover Puerto Vallarta: Audio Walking Self-Guided Tour

If we're walking past the little Cuban bar called El Bodeguita right now, you're really nailing this whole walking thing. Just don't go too fast. Have a look around while I fill you in. If you get as far as Senor Frogs, just hang there for a minute, okay? I don't want my next point to start too soon.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

Up on the next corner, there's some art that may catch your eye at a little shop called Tierra Huichol. Just look to the left for this shop, and if it's open, I highly recommend going in and having a look. This artwork is from the native Huichol people who come from this area of Mexico. It's hard to look past the beautifully intricate beadwork sculptures, but I do hope that you'll notice the tapestries, too. Those yarn paintings are the original art of the Huichol people and were originally used to decorate very sacred spaces. The traditional way of making both the tapestries and the statues is to press the yarn, or beads, one by one, into a mixture of beeswax and pine resin.

Technically, as we walk up these stairs, this is still considered Calle Zaragoza. But thankfully, no one's driving down here. Right, in just a second, we're going to turn left on Cay Miramar. Miramar translates to mira, which is look or view, and mar is Spanish for the ocean or sea. In other words, Oceanview Street. Oh, yeah, it sounds posh, doesn't it? Sadly, it's a bit of a bummer that all these houses and beautiful trees are ruining our view right now. Back to the ocean, isn't it? Imagine the view from these houses up here.

I absolutely adore this neighbourhood. It's simply called Centro. And Gringo Gulch, where we're heading, is basically the streets along this side of the river.

Heading up and over this hill, Centro eventually turns to Cinco de Diciembre... Which is quite a bit less gringo-y. This area has all the charm of old Vallarta... The Miradors, the ocean views... And quite a few cute boutique hotels and vacation rentals. Hacienda San Angel, coming up on our right, is one of those hotels.

All right, friends, let's stop beneath the bridge here so I can continue the story. Another beautiful night out in Vallarta is to invite yourself over to Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor's house. That's easier than it sounds, actually. You can make a reservation here at Casa Kimberley coming up on our left. Actually, Casa Kimberley is the hotel portion, and the Iguana is the famed restaurant.

Let's stop here in the middle of the bridge for a second. Is it bouncing a little bit? Do you feel it? Yeah. Do not worry. We are not having an earthquake. Yes, this bridge does bounce a little bit sometimes but it is completely stable. This is the Iguana Bridge, obviously named after the influential John Huston movie that helped put Peavey on the map. Built in 2012 to help connect Gringo Gulch to the heart of downtown, it's a pretty great addition to making this a very walkable city. Also have a look up and down the river if it's the winter months or the dry season down here, this lazy little river looks like a lovely setting for locals to take a refreshing dip. If it's summer or rainy season. The Quale river below us might be a raging torrent with all the water coming down the mountain. This peaceful little stream has caused some serious devastation in the past. All right, down the bridge we go.

This is one of two craft breweries in the heart of downtown Vallarta. Los Muertos Brewing has become a pretty popular staple for those who just need a taste of home. Personally, I'm more of a fan of the pizza here than the beer... But the service is always great and these folks have a pretty decent ambiance as well.

Alright, if you haven't already, let's cross the street into the park and maybe find a shady place to sit down and take a break for a minute. Or you can have a walk around and see what they've done. If it's early on a Saturday, you'll experience what this park is best known for today.

Officially, this is Lazaro Cardenas Park, named after the most popular Mexican president in the last 100 years. You'll also hear the park called the Olasaltes Farmer's Market. Now, calling it a farmer's market, that might be a bit of a stretch.

I'm going to start now, but I want you to cross the street ahead as soon as you can towards the Pacifica Condos and Fajita Republic. We'll get a good vantage point for what's around here in just a second. Despite being in the absolute heart of the tourist zone, this corner coming up is a garbage pickup spot and it smells like a wet hot mess. Just plug your nose and we'll get through this together, amigos.

I don't want to ruin the mood, but if you keep watching out over the ocean, you'll see planes leaving every five or ten minutes. Yep, that's going to be us one of these days. Just remember this moment when you didn't have a care in the world.

If it seems like this building we're walking past right now is a bit bigger than the other condo buildings in this area, you would be right. There's a height restriction of typically seven floors for buildings downtown so that they don't obstruct each other's views. But somehow this complex slipped through with 11. Or is it 12? Like the derelict building overlooking the square we just passed. There are a lot of rumors about who allowed this to be so tall, who was and wasn't paid bribes, and whether someone went to jail for it. Now, unlike the derelict building, Molina de Agua is an absolutely gorgeous home for hundreds of part time expats and retirees living here full time.

Why don't we stop somewhere just before the stairs? Coming up on the right, we're crossing the Puente Rio Quale or the Quale River Bridge. We're about to head down the stairs here. For the last few stops on our tour, you've been a trooper. And this last little bit is a pretty easy walk through the shade. I'll point out a banyan tree and talk about some recent history with the city's flooding. Plus, there are all kinds of kitschy souvenirs to peruse with pushy sales guys to help you decide what to get. And heads up, the tequila factory at the bottom.