Puerto Vallarta NOW – March 2020

For many planning trips to Puerto Vallarta during March or even April, a common deciding factor is the everchanging date of Semana Santa—Holy Week, Mexico’s Spring Break Equivalent—a holiday in which millions of Mexican nationals living elsewhere escape to beach destinations throughout the country for a well-deserved vacation. Depending on who you are and what you are into, such an exodus and ensuing mass arrival of tourists in places like Puerto Vallarta can be colorful, complicated or downright chaotic.

Back in the times when seasonal snowbirds made a more considerable impact in our population, Semana Santa used to be the signal for them to pack their bags and head up north. As such, local businesses catering to snowbirds used to welcome years in which Semana Santa arrived later, in April, and lament those in which they felt their season was cut short with a March holiday. With more people appreciating the value of enjoying different aspects of Puerto Vallarta throughout the year, this trend is less noticeable, and certainly nothing to worry about this month as Semana Santa takes place during the second week of April. That said, if Semana Santa is your thing, there will be a number of gay parties and events that weekend to choose from, including Santa Fest 2020, taking place at Mantamar Beach Club Bar & Sushi April 9-19.

With warm, comfortable days and cool evenings, March is the perfect time of year to explore Puerto Vallarta beyond the popular Emiliano Zapata gayborhood, and the best way to do this is by befriending a local who is willing to show you around. Consider a daytime walk or dinner excursion to the up-and-coming Versalles neighborhood, or a visit to Pitillal for a truly Mexican town experience. Often times, when you leave your tourist sandals at home and put on your voyager shoes on—when you allow yourself the opportunity to get to know the true flavor of a destination through its local residents—you’ll end up enjoying a richer, more fulfilling vacation.

If you are a return visitor, or a curious first-timer with time in your hands, there are a number of day trip destinations within 90 minutes of Puerto Vallarta to consider, from San Sebastian del Oeste, a former mining town in the Sierra Madre to Sayulita, a surfing destination north of the city. A number of local tour providers, gay and straight, can help you expand your comfort zone by facilitating guided trips. Nature lovers can enjoy the fact that the official whale-watching season continues until March 15, with a number of officially-sanctioned vessels offering a variety of tours that will bring you up close and personal with these magnificent animals as they complete their millenary mating migration to our waters every year. And if you are a beach-goer, find a guide to easily accessible beaches south of Puerto Vallarta elsewhere in this issue.

Happy travels!

Paco Ojeda is a Puerto Vallarta-based journalist, photographer and musician. His website, www.paco-ojeda.com, is dedicated to providing useful content for the local English-speaking community, and a few adventurous travelers!