Anyone up for a taste of Tequila? We're talking about the town, and a sampling of the best of the spirit of Mexico. Vallarta Adventures offers a trip that takes you to the classic town, where you visit one of the original haciendas and tequila (agave) fields. A comfortable 35 minute flight aboard a private 16 passenger plane takes you to the town of Tequila. This is the only region in the world where the legendary spirit is distilled. The visit centers around Herradura Tequila's impressive 18th century Hacienda San José, where you learn about the myth and the tradition of producing tequila from the stately plants that line the hillsides of the town. From Tequila, you'll travel by plane on to Guadalajara, one of Mexico's largest cities, with a rich colonial heritage, for some time to shop at the world-renown markets of Tlaquepaque. Departures are every Thursday at 10am from the Aerotron private airport (adjacent to the Puerto Vallarta International Airport); the group returns to Puerto Vallarta by 8pm.
Vallarta Adventures also offers air tours to remote mountain villages where the Huichol Indians live, as well as to the Copper Canyon, and the mystical village of Mexcaltitan, all departing from Puerto Vallarta. Details and online booking options are available at www.vallartaadventures.com.
Tours in Town- Every Wednesday and Thursday in high season (late Nov to Easter), the International Friendship Club offers a private home tour of four villas in town. Shopping in Puerto Vallarta is generally concentrated in small, eclectic, independent shops rather than impersonal malls. You can find excellent folk art, original clothing designs, fine jewelry, and creative home accessories at great prices. Vallarta is known for having the most diverse and impressive selection of contemporary Mexican fine art outside Mexico City. It also has an abundance of tacky T-shirts and the ubiquitous silver jewelry.
There are a few key shopping areas: central downtown, the Marina Vallarta malecón, the popular mercados, and on the beach where the merchandise comes to you. Some of the more attractive shops are 1 to 2 blocks in back of the malecón. Start at the intersection of Corona and Morelos streets interesting shops spread out in all directions from here. Marina Vallarta has two shopping plazas, Plaza Marina and Neptuno Plaza, on the main highway from the airport into town, which offer a limited selection of shops, with Plaza Neptuno primarily featuring home décor shops. Although still home to a few interesting shops, the marina boardwalk (marina malecón) is dominated by real estate companies, timeshare vendors, restaurants, and boating services.
Puerto Vallarta's municipal market is just north of the Río Cuale, where Libertad and A. Rodríguez meet. The mercado sells clothes, jewelry, serapes, shawls, leather accessories and suitcases, papier-mâché parrots, stuffed frogs and armadillos, and, of course, T-shirts. Be sure to comparison-shop, and definitely bargain before buying. The market is open daily from 9am to 7pm. Upstairs, a food market serves inexpensive Mexican meals -- for more adventurous diners, it's probably the best value and most authentic dining experience in Vallarta. An outdoor market is along Río Cuale Island, between the two bridges. Stalls sell crafts, gifts, folk art, and clothing. New to downtown is the Small Vallarta (tel. 322/222-7530) on Paseo Díaz Ordaz 928, on the eastern side, just before the start of the malecón. It is a "small mall" featuring tourist-friendly shops and dining options, including Carl Junior's burgers, Häagen-Dazs ice cream, Swatch watch shop, El Mundo de Tequila, and a Diamonds International jewelry store.
Along any public beach, walking vendors will probably approach you. Their merchandise ranges from silver jewelry to rugs and T-shirts to masks. "Almost free!" they'll call out. If you're too relaxed to think of shopping in town, this can be an entertaining alternative for picking up souvenirs, and remember: Bargaining is expected. The most reputable beach vendors concentrate at Los Muertos Beach in front of the El Dorado and La Palapa restaurants (on Calle Pulpito).
In most of the better shops and galleries, shipping, packing, and delivery to Puerto Vallarta hotels are available. Some will also ship to your home address. Note that while bargaining is expected in the mercados and with beach vendors, stores generally charge fixed and fair prices for their wares.
Beware the Silver Scam- Much of the silver sold on the beach is actually alpaca, a lower quality silver metal (even though many pieces are stamped with the designation ".925," supposedly indicating true silver). Prices for silver on the beach are much lower, as is the quality. If you're looking for a more lasting piece of jewelry, you're better off in a silver shop.
The Lowdown on Huichol Indian Art
Puerto Vallarta offers the best selection of Huichol art in Mexico. Descendants of the Aztec, the Huichol are one of the last remaining indigenous cultures in the world that has remained true to its ancient traditions, customs, language, and habitat. The Huichol live in adobe structures in the high Sierras (at an elevation of 1,394m/4,600 ft.) north and east of Puerto Vallarta. Due to the decreasing fertility (and therefore productivity) of the land surrounding their villages, they have come to depend more on the sale of their artwork for sustenance.
Huichol art has always been cloaked in a veil of mysticism probably one of the reasons serious collectors seek out this form of artesanía. Colorful, symbolic yarn "paintings," inspired by visions experienced during spiritual ceremonies, characterize Huichol art. In the ceremonies, artists ingest peyote, a hallucinogenic cactus, which induces brightly colored visions; these are considered messages from their ancestors. The visions' symbolic and mythological imagery influences the art, which encompasses not only yarn paintings but also fascinating masks and bowls decorated with tiny colored beads.
The Huichol might be geographically isolated, but are learning the importance of good business, and have adapted their art to meet consumer demand. Original Huichol art, therefore, is not necessarily traditional. Iguanas, jaguars, sea turtles, frogs, eclipses, and eggs appear in response to consumer demand. For more traditional works, look for pieces that depict deer, scorpions, wolves, or snakes.
The Huichol have also had to modify their techniques to create more pieces in less time and meet increased demand. Patterned fill-work, which is faster to produce, sometimes replaces the detailed designs that used to fill the pieces. The same principle applies to yarn paintings. While some are beautiful depictions of landscapes and even abstract pieces, they are not traditional themes.
A Huichol Art Primer: Shopping Tips- Huichol art falls into two main categories: yarn paintings and beaded pieces. All other items you might find in Huichol art galleries are either ceremonial objects or items used in everyday life.
Yarn paintings are made on a wood base covered with wax and meticulously overlaid with colored yarn. Designs represent the magical vision of the underworld, and each symbol gives meaning to the piece. Paintings made with wool yarn are more authentic than those made with acrylic; however, acrylic yarn paintings are usually brighter and have more detail because the threads are thinner. It is normal to find empty spaces where the wax base shows. Usually the artist starts with a central motif and works around it, but it's common to have several independent motifs that, when combined, take on a different meaning. A painting with many small designs tells a more complicated story than one with only one design and fill work on the background. Look for the story of the piece on the back of the painting. Most Huichol artists write in pencil in Huichol and Spanish.
Beaded pieces are made on carved wooden shapes depicting different animals, wooden eggs, or small bowls made from gourds. The pieces are covered with wax and tiny chaquira beads are applied one by one to form designs. Usually the beaded designs represent animals; plants; the elements of fire, water, or air; and certain symbols that give a special meaning to the whole. Deer, snakes, wolves, and scorpions are traditional elements; other figures, such as iguanas, frogs, and any animals not indigenous to Huichol territory, are incorporated by popular demand. Beadwork with many small designs that do not exactly fit into one another is more time-consuming and has a more complex symbolic meaning. This kind of work has empty spaces where the wax shows.
You may see Huichol Indians on the streets of Vallarta they are easy to spot, dressed in white clothing embroidered with colorful designs. A number of fine Huichol galleries are in downtown Puerto Vallarta.
One place to learn more about the Huichol is Huichol Collection, Morelos 490, across from the sea horse statue on the malecón (tel. 322/223-2141). Not only does this shop offer an extensive selection of Huichol art in all price ranges, but it also has a replica of a Huichol adobe hut, informational displays explaining more about their fascinating way of life and beliefs, and usually a Huichol artist at work. However, note that this is a timeshare sales location, so don't be surprised if you're hit with a pitch for a "free" breakfast and property tour.
Contemporary Art
Known for sustaining one of the stronger art communities in Latin America, Puerto Vallarta has an impressive selection of fine galleries featuring quality original works. Several dozen galleries get together to offer art walks almost every week between November and April.