Featured Articles RSS

Puerto Vallarta Hosts the 9th Dama Juana Raicilla Festival in March

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 14 March 2026

The ninth annual Dama Juana Raicilla Festival takes place March 13 to 15 on the esplanade of the Cuale Cultural Center in Puerto Vallarta. The festival focuses on the heritage and production of raicilla, a traditional agave spirit from the mountainous region of Jalisco.

Jalisco Is Running a Multi-Market Tourism Promotion Strategy for 2026

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 14 March 2026

The Jalisco Tourism Secretariat is running an expanded promotion strategy for 2026. It combines participation in international trade events with targeted campaigns in North America and the domestic Mexican market. The programme is led by Michelle Fridman Hirsch, head of the state tourism agency.

Public Transport Fares in Mexico Are Political as Much as Economic

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 11 March 2026

Jalisco's decision to set its bus fare at 11 pesos, covered in our main piece, takes place within a national context in which public transportation pricing in Mexican cities is as much a political negotiation as an economic calculation. How fares are actually set, why they rarely reflect full operating costs, and how the subsidy structure works across different cities provides the context needed to assess what Jalisco's decision represents and what it depends on.

Jalisco Sets Bus Fare at 11 Pesos After Cancelling a Proposed Hike

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 10 March 2026

The Government of Jalisco has announced that public transportation fares will be set at 11 pesos per trip beginning April 1, 2026, cancelling a previously proposed increase to 14 pesos. Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro confirmed the decision, framing it explicitly as a response to public opposition and a commitment to avoid further fare adjustments during his six-year term. The announcement applies uniformly regardless of payment method, cash, the Tarjeta Única al Estilo Jalisco, and the Mi Movilidad Card.

A Cruise Ship Arrival Generates Less Local Economic Value Than Most Port Cities Publicly Claim

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 09 March 2026

Puerto Vallarta's March schedule of 14 cruise arrivals, covered in our main piece, raises a question that port statistics alone do not answer: what is each arrival actually worth to the local economy, and how is that value distributed? The economic contribution of cruise tourism is frequently cited in aggregate terms by port authorities and tourism promoters, but the distribution of that contribution across different segments of the local economy is less often examined and is essential for understanding which businesses and workers are most exposed to schedule disruptions.

Puerto Vallarta's Place in the Mexican Pacific Cruise Corridor Buffers It From Short-Term Disruptions

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 08 March 2026

Puerto Vallarta's March schedule of 14 cruise arrivals, covered in our main piece, reflects its position within a specific regional maritime network: the Mexican Pacific cruise corridor, primarily served by vessels homeporting in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Understanding the structure of that network, how Puerto Vallarta relates to other ports on the circuit, and what drives cruise line decisions about itinerary composition provides context for assessing the port's medium-term recovery trajectory.

Puerto Vallarta's Municipal LGBTQ+ Protections Are More Advanced Than Most Mexican Cities

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 08 March 2026

Puerto Vallarta's February 24 formalisation of its Diversity Council, covered in our main piece, takes place within a national landscape of highly uneven LGBTQ+ legal protections across Mexico's 32 states and thousands of municipalities. Understanding where Puerto Vallarta's reform sits on that spectrum, and what the distribution of protections looks like across the country, provides context for assessing the significance of the municipal action.

Puerto Vallarta Has Formalised Its Diversity Council and the Legal Basis Matters More Than It Seems

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 08 March 2026

On February 24, Puerto Vallarta's City Council approved two structural reforms related to LGBTQ+ inclusion. The first formally establishes the Diversity Council, the Municipal Council for Sexual and Gender Diversity, as a regulated body with defined composition, operating rules, and a mandate to propose, review, and monitor public policies through a human rights lens. The second creates an annual citizen participation process to be held on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, institutionalising a regular forum through which the LGBTQ+ community can engage with municipal government.

Puerto Vallarta Fast-Tracks Recovery With Subsidies, Business Loans and a Coordinated Tourism Relaunch

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 06 March 2026

Puerto Vallarta is moving with speed and institutional coherence to restore economic activity following the operational disruptions of late February. The municipal government, state authorities, and the city's private sector have aligned behind a structured recovery programme combining direct financial relief for affected businesses, streamlined administrative procedures, and a coordinated promotional campaign aimed at protecting the destination's reputation as one of Mexico's premier tourism markets.

Daily Pulse: Friday, February 27, 2026

Details: VallartaToday; Around The Bay; 27 February 2026

Good morning, Puerto Vallarta. As we approach the weekend, the city continues its steady path toward normalcy following the historic events of earlier this week. While federal security operations remain active in parts of Jalisco, the local atmosphere is turning back toward the art, music, and community spirit that defines our high season.

How South Side Shuffle Keeps Vallarta’s Creative Pulse Alive

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 26 February 2026

On select Friday evenings each winter, the Romantic Zone shifts into a walkable cultural corridor as galleries, studios, and small businesses open simultaneously for the South Side Shuffle, one of the city’s longest-running creative gatherings.

Rather than a one-night festival, the Shuffle operates as a seasonal rhythm, returning every two weeks and drawing steady foot traffic into one of Vallarta’s most artist-driven neighborhoods.

Art Walk Continues to Anchor the Season as Galleries Keep Doors Open

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 26 February 2026

The weekly Art Walk in the historic center continues to serve as one of the most reliable cultural fixtures of the season. While headlines have recently focused on security narratives across the region, the city’s long-running gallery circuit is quietly reinforcing a different story, one of continuity, creativity, and community presence.

Why Savvy Fans are Choosing Puerto Vallarta Over Guadalajara in 2026 World Cup?

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 20 February 2026

As Guadalajara prepares to host four high-octane matches for the FIFA World Cup 2026, a fascinating logistical trend has emerged among international spectators. Rather than battling the 100% occupancy and "event-surge" pricing of the host city, a new wave of "Tactical Travelers" is choosing Puerto Vallarta as their official match-base.

Here is the real-time insight into why the coast is becoming the World Cup’s most strategic "Satellite" hub

Banderas Bay Renaissance, Puerto Vallarta’s 2026 Surge in Tourism and Infrastructure

Details: Norway Master; Around The Bay; 18 February 2026

Puerto Vallarta is currently locked in a transformative "Goldilocks" zone - balancing record-breaking arrival numbers with a massive overhaul of its physical landscape. As we hit the peak of the February 2026 winter sun season, the city is no longer just a beach escape; it is a high-functioning urban hub in the midst of a multi-billion peso evolution.