Welcome to Eat Baila Travel we are Jenny and Kevin
and today we are coming to you from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta is known as one of the most touristy beach destinations in Mexico
and we're here to find out if it's actually worth the hype
Before we start this video, we're going to show you our arrival at the airport and show you
how to save some bucks when you want to come to the center of Puerto Vallarta
So, once you come out of the airport
it's going to be hectic there are so many people trying to catch a taxi
we suggest that you make a left and walk straight through
when you see this bridge, cross the bridge
at that bridge, you're going to come down and see a line of people waiting for taxis
making this walk is going to save you at least 6-7 dollars
just crossing the bridge and it'll save you time too because you can pick up a taxi right away
because we're travelers that are on a budget
we decided to stay at Chanclas Hostel and we like it thus far because it's kind of centralized
we're two blocks away from el malecon (the boardwalk)
it's a chill vibe we've got roommates different roommates every night
we have a 4 bed dorm it's cool it's chill it's a good way to save money
so if you're looking for an accommodation that's cheap and centralized
there's a couple hostels and las chanclas we recommend it it's a really nice place to start your time in Puerto Vallarta
Now to start off our vlog, we're going to take you on a very quick hike to el mirador de la cruz
to give you a bird's eye view of Puerto Vallarta
one of the first things to do on a budget in Vallarta is go on a hike
Hiking up el Mirador de La Cruz is free the only thing you’ll lose is a few calories.
The 30 minute hike up is a tough one but the view is worth every single step.
Let me share with you a little of we’ve learned about Puerto Vallarta
Before this was known as Puerto Vallarta
this area used to called Las Peñas de Santa Maria de Guadalupe.
Las penas was founded on December 12th of 1851 and it’s centro was established as a hub for the salt industry.
But before that this area was populated by the indigenous people called the Aztatlan
who were living in the Ameca River Valley region that we now known as Nuevo Vallarta
In the 16th century the Spaniards named the area Bahía de Banderas, which means Bay of Flags
as a reference to the colorful flags carried into battle by the indigenous population.
Historical accounts of the official founding of the area conflict with each other, but the “official” story says that Don Guadalupe Sánchez Torres
founded the area in 1851 with his family and friends.
Fast forward to The Mexican Revolution in 1910.
in the middle of all of that conflict, in 1918, Las Peñas was elevated to a municipality and the name was changed to
Puerto Vallarta in honor of Lic. Ignacio L. Vallarta, who was a well-known lawyer and former governor of the state of Jalisco at the time
Today Puerto Vallarta has developed into one of mexico’s top beach destinations
PV is recognized as a world heritage site for it’s history, art, urbanization and efforts to provide a place for tourism but keeping its Mexican culture in tact
El malecon is the heart and soul of Puerto Vallarta
and taking a stroll down you'll see many restaurants, bars, nightclubs
street artists, crafts and artesanias, street food
and a bunch of really cool statues my personal favorite is Triton and the mermaid
alongside the malecon you will find a handful of statues and art sculptures
They offer tours explaining the art pieces but since we’re on a budget, asking locals and google are also a good alternative for now.
Originally, the malecon ended here at the teatro de los arcos but in recent years they've expanded
the malecon out that way which is now the new boardwalk out into the romantic zone
So this is a great spot to walk around any time but especially in the evenings
there are often musical performances, cultural performances, clowns, comedians
you name it, it's a great spot to come hang out pretty much any night
Right across the street from el teatro de los arcos is Plaza de Armas where Puerto Vallarta was born
this was the very first establishment settled here
this was the very first establishment that were made here in Puerto Vallarta
and right behind me you have this beautiful kiosko the other night we were fortunate to watch
a very beautiful performance from a mariachi
we got lucky that we came on the day of the musician and they were performing here
and the performance was out of this world easily one of the best mariachis I have ever seen
this is a nice place to come hang out have an elote, an agua fresca and a tuba
they sell tuba around here no not the instrument it's a drink, a fermented drink from the palm tree
maybe we should try it right now so we can re-freshen up because they say it's really good
we're about to try tuba for the very first time
it's a drink that's made here it's very local to Puerto Vallarta
so we're going to give it a shot
alright friend, what can you tell us about tuba? what is it?
first, my name is Gilberto Santos, at your service I've been selling tuba for 30 years as a tradition
this is tuba, a refreshing drink, juice from the coconut palm tree
the extract from the palm tree, it's like the maguey that gives extract
it gets distilled, and you get tuba
it's traditional for Puerto Vallarta the saying goes "He who came to Puerto Vallarta and didn't try tuba, it's like he didn't come at all"
so all who come must try it!
what is this jar made of?
it's made of pumpkin skin, especially made
it comes with pecans and apple bites
wow, this thing is so refreshing!
it's delicious
and with protein and a little bit of apple
I'm set!
on a hot day this is perfect it's so refreshing
it's fermented so it has that fermented flavor
I like what he said at the end what was it that he said
if you come to Vallarta and don't try tuba, it's like you never came to Vallarta so make sure you try it
To get to the Nuevo malecon you take a bridge over the Cuale river.
On one side of the bridge you have the rio cuale and a nice market next to the river.
On the other side of the bridge closer to the beach you can indulge in some delicious oysters and tostadas de ceviche
We saw seafood and definitely were not going to miss out