Adventure Guide to Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta, on Mexico\'s Southern Pacific Coast, became a world attraction when John Huston filmed Night of the Iguana here. It was during the filming that Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor fell in love; they built adjoining houses and lived here for many years. 244 cruise ships visit each year, with 420, 000 passengers. There are 40 beaches here and innumerable little coves where you can spend the entire day alone. Among the attractions are whale-watching, turtle-spotting, birding, snorkeling, canopy tours of the jungle, where you swing on a cable at treetop height. Puerto Vallarta has become an international music scene as well, with many prominent performers such as Jethro Tull spending time here. Guadalajara is nearby, as is Chapala Lake and Los Arcos Underwater National Park. In both regions, the choices of tropical, palm-lined lagoons and soft sandy beaches seem without end yet are easily accessible, thanks to Mexico\'s Highway 200 on the Pacific coast. Each beach resort town is different in character and the author explores them all. Like all Adventure Guides, this book shows you how to experience this coast intensely and directly - seeing it close-up through walks, watersports of all kinds, bike rides, horseback excursions, culinary adventures, language courses and interacting with the people. That discovery is the essence of adventure travel. The places to stay are all reviewed in depth, based on personal visits, from budget spots to lavish resorts, plus every restaurant and food stand worth mentioning is described. Our author has tried them all!