puerto-vallarta-sightseeing-downtown-holidays Picture 012b bbbbb

For a unique Christmas experience look no further than the pristine beaches of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit. With vibrant traditional celebrations and average temperatures of 23°C in December, this side of Mexico has all the attributes for an alternative winter getaway. In fact you’ll be spoilt for choice with festive things to do there this Christmas...

Puerto Vallarta

There is no shortage of Christmas spirit in Puerto Vallarta. Down every turning you can discover a new stylish restaurant serving up the finest seasonal cuisine, or beautifully decorated street of houses laden with nativity ornaments.

For a glimpse of how the locals celebrate, wander through the charming cobbled streets or stroll down the unmissable Malecon, the city’s half-mile long historic centre and waterfront, watching the revelry unfold around you.

The International Fireworks Festival will see hundreds gather on the Malecon and is an absolute must for a vivid show-stopping display, running from December 20th through to New Years Eve. Don’t forget to join in the local tradition with a glass of wine and consumption of 12 grapes, each one representing 12 months of wishes in the coming year.

To immerse yourself in culture this Christmas, book seats to a show at the modern Teatro Vallarta, the official theatre for plays, concerts, opera, ballet and much more. Special events held there during this period include a live showing of singers performing in the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, on December 13th.

Riviera Nayarit

Just 10 minutes north of the airport, you can also find the multicultural Riviera Nayarit. This comparatively undiscovered destination is an authentic paradise which really comes to life at this time of year.

Night-owls should venture to Lazaro Cardenas Street which is beautifully illuminated during the Christmas period with environmentally friendly trees made out of recyclable plastics. These decorations raise awareness as part of the Recycling Christmas Tree Challenge from December 19th right through to 2nd January.

If you want to have a sensory experience, get involved in a Chili Cook Off and tingle your taste buds on December 7th, or revel in the region’s history with an array of activities and competitions at the Anniversary of Bahia de Banderas on the 11th.

In late December more events are held by the cultural group ‘The Colectivo San Pancho’, who aim to inspire artistic expression through a series of community-funded festivals, concerts and exhibitions. Watersports are second to none here too, so sail away into paradise mid-month for three days at the Banderas Bay Blast Sailing Regatta.

Traditional festivities are also still maintained in this part of Mexico, as December begins with a 12 day pilgrimage, followed by a celebration of “posadas”, a seasonal fiesta for families and neighbours (December 16th - 24th) with piñatas and a “noche buena” feast. The official festive period in Mexico lasts from December 12th to January 6th, so you can finally banish any winter blues and make Christmas last just that bit longer.

Mexico2

NEW Riviera Nayarit Logo March 2013

FN-Thanksgiving-2010 Thanksgiving-Turkey s4x3.jpg.rend.sni18col

2222

 


World's Simplest Thanksgiving Turkey

Main Ingredient: Turkey
Course: Main Dish
Technique: Roasting
Occasion: Thanksgiving
Who's Dining: For A Crowd
Cooking Style: Easy


Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pull the neck and giblets out of the cavity; ditch the liver and save the rest of the giblets for gravy. Dry the turkey with paper towels, then season inside and out with salt and pepper. Fill the turkey with aromatics like chopped onions, carrots, apples and herbs, then place breast-side up in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Tent with foil and roast for 2 hours (for a 10- to 12-pound turkey; add an extra 15 minutes per pound for larger birds). Remove the foil, baste with more melted butter and crank the oven to 425 degrees F. Roast for another hour or until the meat at the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Let rest while you make the gravy.

Photograph by Anita Calero

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

 1

The Tequila Trail winds its way through the mountainous countryside of Jalisco, Mexico, peppered with hundreds of haciendas devoted to agave cultivation and fermentation. By road, or by rail, there's ample access to some of the most picturesque distilleries on the planet.

Tequila may be one of the fastest growing spirits in the United States, but in Mexico, it’s a highly regulated industry steeped in hundreds of years of proud tradition. The state of Jalisco is home to nearly 700 brands of the agave-based liquor, many offering tours to outsiders.

RELATED CONTENT

Where to Drink the Good Stuff in Tequila, Mexico

Guadalajara is the standard entry point for those venturing into the very heart of Tequila country. It is the capital and cultural epicenter of Jalisco—the state responsible for virtually every bottle of tequila on the planet. And with temperatures averaging 78 degrees between now and March, it’s an ideal winter getaway.

TEQUILA 101 DAY TRIP BY SPIRIT OF JALISCO

Ideal for groups of two or more, this $100/person, all-inclusive excursion begins with an 11 a.m. pickup from any hotel within Guadalajara city limits. From there you trek 45 minutes west of the city to visit the Tres Mujeres and La Alborada Distilleries. Watch jimadores (agave farmers) use their coas (flat-bladed knives) to harvest the agave, stripping the spiky-leafed plant down to its thick, starchy heart. This hunk of verdant flesh is then roasted, surrendering the sugary syrup that’s to be fermented.

You’ll get to taste plenty of the good stuff before heading to its namesake town for lunch at a local market and a visit to the Tequila National Museum. Then there’s the obligatory stop at the Jose Cuervo gift shop, where you’ll be temped to shed your pesos on all sorts of souvenirs and spirits. Go ahead and splurge—it’s literally the only expenditure not covered throughout the day.

Pro tip: Book at least 48 hours in advance. While tours are less frequent during the winter months, they also tend to be less crowded (the busy season doesn’t pick up until April). For a more laid-back, intimate adventure, plan a trip during the first few months of the year. You’ll avoid thirsty throngs of Tequila tourists.

TEQUILA EXPRESS

Battling traffic in Guadalajara can be a soul-sucking endeavor. But you’ll be blissfully unaware of all that madness, gliding along the tracks in the comfort of the Tequila Express train. The all-day adventure commences just after 9 a.m. at the Guadalajara railway station. There, you’re greeted by mariachi who will accompany you onto the train, providing live entertainment along the way.

The ride plods leisurely through rolling hillsides of blue agave, with the Tequila Volcano towering in the distance. 90 minutes later, you arrive in Amatitán, home of Casa Herradura. Housed within the walls of a 17th-century hacienda, this world-class distillery has been making tequila here since 1870. A guided tour of the facility includes several tastings—one from wooden kegs borne by a donkey—that highlight every stage of the production process, from field to still, barrel to bottle. Catch a glimpse of the oak casks, stacked 20 feet to the rafters, housing the tequila as it makes its two-year metamorphosis from blanco to añejo. All this before a buffet lunch.

The afternoon is spent enjoying a celebration of Jaliscan song and dance (and more tequila tastings, of course). By 6:30, you’ll arrive back at Guadalajara station, ready for a long nap.

Pro tip: At $98 per adult rider, the Tequila Express is almost too good to be true. Rides generally run from Friday-Sunday only. Schedules constantly change throughout the year, so if you’re looking to head out in late winter or early spring, start looking into availability now.

WHERE TO STAY

Book a room in the stately Quinta Real, in the Vallarta Norte section of the city (from $160 per night). It’s also just several minutes by cab from one of the city’s most enticing eateries, Talento. Enjoy citrusy shrimp aguachile marinated in soy and habanero, before moving on to one of its staple entrees: fresh, lightly grilled salmon, served with a rich, creamy butter sauce on the side. You can’t neglect the entire purpose of your journey, of course, so pair your dishes with two memorable tequila cocktails.

IF YOU TRY ONE DRINK, MAKE IT…

Mexico’s most popular, the Paloma. A simple mixture of tequila and grapefruit soda, it’s a wonderful accompaniment to any number of tart and tangy dishes. It will also provide a perfect preamble to their heartier Tamarind Margarita—slightly spiced and refreshing

[readon1 url="http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2014-11-25/tippling-down-the-tequila-trail-jalisco-mexico"]Source:www.cntraveler.com[/readon1]

1444163Imagine, if you will, a scenario where everything seems utterly hopeless. Maybe you’ve felt like this before. Maybe you’re going through something similar right now. There is darkness surrounding you. You are buried by fear and anxiety. There is no guarantee that things will get better. In fact, they could get worse.

But somewhere deep inside, there is an instinctual will to survive — a will that urges you forward, at all costs, forcing you to push against the weight of the unknown holding you down. You find your fight and begin to dig your way out.

A natural phenomenon occurs each year along the coasts of the world. After migrating hundreds — even thousands — of miles per year, mother sea turtles somehow find their way back to the beaches where they were hatched and lay their eggs.

After about 60 days of incubation, these baby turtles break free of their shells. Buried under 12 to 24 inches of sand, it is next to impossible for a single turtle to make it out alone. Rather, according to the website conserveturtles.org, “as hatchlings break free from their shell inside the egg chamber, they stimulate other hatchlings to emerge from their eggs too. Once most hatchlings have emerged from their shells, they climb on top of the discarded eggshells to propel themselves to the top of the chamber.”

Once out of their nesting hole, the turtles make the long, treacherous trek to the ocean. Predators of all kinds lurk in the shadows, ready to snatch the exhausted turtles that have only just freed themselves moments ago.

How do they do it? How do they find their way to water, to their new home?

It’s the light. There is something about the light on the horizon of the ocean, the reflection of the soft moon upon the white foamy waves that becomes a guide for the turtles. They become fixated upon this light, and move faster toward safety.

But the trial doesn’t end there. The small number of turtles that make it out of the nest, across the beach and into the ocean are now forced to face the crashing waves, quickly learn the mechanics of swimming and avoid other predators in the water. According to discovery.com, it is estimated that only around 1 to 3 percent of hatchlings actually make it to adulthood.

On a recent trip to Mexico, my in-laws had the incredible opportunity to be eyewitnesses to the almost impossible journey of baby sea turtles struggling to make it to their ocean home. There is a sea turtle conservatory in San Francisco (or “San Pancho”), Mexico that helps rescue and release two types of sea turtles, the Olive Ridley and leatherback species. These “hatcheries” help protect the turtles and increase their survival rate.

“Because it was so dark the night we went to watch the turtles be released, we used the flashlights on our cellphones as a guiding light for them,” my mother-in-law, Jeanette Herbert, said. “They kept getting turned around and confused when they couldn’t see the light. But once they were closer to the ocean and could make out the white foam of the waves, it was like they redoubled their efforts. They just crawled faster and faster toward the sea.”

Some days I wake up and I am almost paralyzed with worry. I don’t know what’s going to happen the next day. I don’t know what trials are ahead of me. And that is terrifying.

Some days I am overcome with the everyday challenges of just surviving life. It can be as dark as watching a loved one fight cancer, or as simple as worrying about finishing all my tasks that seem to roll over from one day to the next, burying me with stress and feelings of inadequacy.

But when I think of the tenacity of the little sea turtle — abandoned by its mother, buried alive, forced to be a fighter from the moment it emerges from its hard, confining shell, facing treacherous waters and unseen dangers head-on — I think, Why not me? There is a chance things will go wrong. There is a chance I could get turned around and confused on my way back home.

But I know we weren’t born to be restricted by our shells, or buried with fear, or stay surrounded by darkness. We were born with light and with the innate instinct to let light guide us.

It is that light that keeps us fighting. It is that light that keeps hope alive.

21660Carmen Rasmusen Herbert is a former "American Idol" contestant who writes about entertainment and family for the Deseret News.

 

 

[readon1 url="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865616159/Sea-turtles-and-looking-toward-the-light.html"]Source:www.deseretnews.com[/readon1]

GOLF CLASSICROCK

  • The proceeds from this friendly golf tournament will be handed over to the DIF departments in Banderas Bay and Puerto Vallarta; this is an opportunity to play golf and hobnob with the legends of rock that will be playing at the Vallarta-Nayarit Classic Rock Fest.

The premiere edition of the Vallarta-Nayarit Classic Rock Fest is set to end on a high note on December 15th at 10 a.m. with the Charity Golf Outing, Fairways to Heaven, to be held at the Vista Vallarta Golf Club, where rockers, tourists and the population at large will enjoy a good time with a cause.

As announced during the festival presentation, a percentage of the ticket sales and registration fees for this friendly golf tournament will be donated to the Sistemas de Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) of Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay. This entity is a public institution of social assistance in Mexico that focuses on strengthening and developing the welfare of Mexican families.

“The reason we’re holding the tournament is because the rock stars will all be here, they love to play golf and we want to support the Sistemas DIF,” explained John Zaring, Director of the Organizing Committee. “This created a fantastic opportunity to generate some money and donate it to charity.”

The specially discounted registration fee for the charity event will be $150 USD per person and includes participation in the game, a golf cart, one meal, drinks and a gift kit.

The special pricing for participating is expected to incentivize assistance and therefore raise as much money as possible. Besides playing on a fabulous Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course at a reduced fee, the tourists, residents and locals will be able to experience hanging out with their favorite stars.

The tournament will host teams of four players each with a rock star as captain. There will be prizes for holes in one, the longest shot and the closest to the pin.

Don't miss this grand event where the rock stars will leave their guitars for a while and pick up their golf clubs to spend some time with their fans and support a good cause. To register for the tournament call (322) 290 0030 or visit: http://www.vallartanayaritclassicrockfest.com/.

You can also receive updates by following these social media accounts: Facebook (Vallarta-Nayarit Classic Rock Festival), Twitter (@ClassicRockFest) and Instagram (@VNClassicRockFest)

el-nuevo-negocio-celebrar-rupturas 125247

The new fashion that moves around the world, generating an interesting volume of business.

Some time ago Glynda Rhoda, an American of 51 years of organizing events received the most peculiar of applications: an excursion to a firing range on the part of a woman which had never taken up arms. Obviously that women did not hesitate to prepare for the tour and to his surprise the hiker appeared with a wedding dress in the hand. It turned out that the woman hung up and began to shoot, by way of celebration of a relationship that certainly not needed details to say that it was not precisely happy.

That was the first experience of Rhodes, but not the latter already that the organizer was able to see the mother lode and today is a thriving business in the United States and the fashion spreads rapidly throughout the world. The US has a percentage of at least 50% in which the wedding just from bad to very bad. Time back stripers were hired for the hen, now with the rise of celebrate their divorces the stripers are hired for these events also.

Rhodes did not remain with the shooting field as the only option even though it was the outlet passage toward a business that has known how to get revenue and today offers a newly separated or divorced a wide range of possibilities for them to hold their new freedom, from a ballroom to restaurants, golf courses, in parachute jumps and the classic stripteases shows all from your company The Divorce Party Planner, which he founded in 2012.

But the question is why within as you have in reality? I would like to say whether you are truly celebrating or fleeing a painful reality because it does not leave to be a failure to a project you've undertaken with all the enthusiasm along to the that now are out partying for having left behind. And that without that so far we have taken into account to the children that are normally after a marital relationship and those who tend to be the ones that pay for the broken dishes, for some a new fashion for other healthy and a way to trivialize about your love life.

But for others, a great business, organized the event or the feast where you can see to souvenirs of the celebration, the case is that mitigate the pain of failure celebrating the end of same brings to the table different opinions in relation to this. What is certain is that the new trend grows and generates a turnover of interesting and where the wit and irony and even a touch of cruelty (cakes or souvenirs very peculiar) are put to the test in every celebration of divorce or separation.

Who will say it, to celebrate the culmination of a loving relationship perhaps along with many of the same that in its day tea accompanied in what was supposedly the happiest day of your life, now in theory you are happy being free again but only your truth you will know if you are responsible for the procession on the inside, if you really are out partying or if on the contrary is an excuse to hide a sadness that will accompany you for a long time.

[readon1 url=">http://mx.blastingnews.com/ocio-cultura/2014/11/te-invito-a-celebrar-mi-divorcio-00180397.html"]Source:mx.blastingnews.com[/readon1]

eugeniosiller-ellendegeneres

Eugenio Siller stopped by "The Ellen DeGeneres" show to promote his Telemundo telenovela "Reina De Corazones." The Latin heartthrob couldn't resist showing the talk show host a little Spanish. Siller showed Ellen how to take a tequila shot Mexican-style. "Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro," he said. DeGeneres was so confused especially when Eugenio, simulating he had a shot glass in his hand positioned his hand "al centro." "What are you doing?

" Ellen asked. Watch the hilarious moment down below!

[readon1 url="http://www.latintimes.com/pulse/eugenio-siller-teaches-ellen-degeneres-how-take-tequila-shot-275230"]Source:www.latintimes.com[/readon1]

diane-guerrero

Actress Diane Guerrero, who was born in the US, unlike her parents who were born and raised in Colombia, told the LA Times the unfortunate story about how her mother and father were deported when she was only 14 years old.

Guerrero says her parents moved to escape the instability in Colombia at the time and went to New Jersey, where Diane was born and later to Boston. The “OITNB” star says she remembers her parents trying to become legal time after time with no avail, meaning she spent her childhood fearing she would one day come back from school to an empty house, until she did.

When Guerrero’s neighbors explained the situation, she understood her biggest fears had come to be, and immigration officers had taken her parents. “Not a single person at any level of government took any note of me. No one checked to see if I had a place to live or food to eat, and at 14, I found myself basically on my own,” said Guerrero.

She says her parents were detained in the outskirts of Boston throughout the whole deportation process, in which they didn’t stand a chance without a lawyer and with an immigration system “that rarely gives judges the discretion to allow families to stay together.”

Guerrero remains grateful about how things turned out for her, despite having a “rocky existence” throughout the years where she saw herself as a nuisance to the family she’d stayed with, and always fearing her invitation to stay would be removed. She worries that her story is all too common, even with members of her family. Her own brother was deported as well, leaving his little girl who was a toddler at the time. Now she is serving time in jail, and Guerrero assures this would not be the case if her father and her parents had been there to guide her. Read the full narration of events by Guerrero here or her full CNN interview below.

 

[readon1 url="http://www.latintimes.com/oitnb-latina-diane-guerrero-tells-heartbreaking-story-her-parents-deportation-276087"]Source:www.latintimes.com[/readon1]

PVM

Vallarta is a multicultural crucible that encompasses traditions, languages, customs, artistic expression, and freedom; but above all, the good intentions of its people.

In Puerto Vallarta we like people. We all know a story of somebody or have established our own new and authentic friendships with people from around the world, have been helped through some difficulty by people we barely know, whether colleagues or neighbors, and all of us also have a story that speaks of a place we met with our friends, some adventure we had for the first time or a beautiful memory this land and its people have given us. Each of us have probably said or heard that we are fortunate to live in this paradise.

And yes, Puerto Vallarta is a wonderful place that surprises and inspires every day: a beautiful blue sky frames spectacular moons and incredible orange suns, a warm and generous sea that relaxes and asserts itself, and sunsets that merit a pause in our day and in our breathing.

But in the little over 50 years that have passed since that first international commercial flight arrived into this port, many things have changed. Puerto Vallarta is no longer a "village", but has become a young, forward-looking city. Today it is facing challenges in its economic and social dynamics that test the paradigms of being Mexican. However, neither the requirements of the destination’s maturity nor these difficulties have been able to do away with the beautiful customs of the province we are so thankful for, that give the small village flavor that we enjoy so much.

It is wonderful to see that there is still time to chat with neighbors sitting on the sidewalk outside their home, to take the kids to the river to play, to eat a delicious pozole dinner at home with uncles or grandparents or to say good bye to our dead "as God intended.”

In Spanish there is a very fun word that Mexicans love to use because it gives us a certain rather impossible, rather popular, baroque refinement: idiosyncrasy. Idiosyncrasy is the set of traits, temperaments, character, habits, etc. of an individual or community.

This comes about because Puerto Vallarta, as the young city that it still is, is designing, shaping its character every day, refashioning its customs and adjusting temperaments. The uniqueness of the Vallartan, his idiosyncrasies, is a work in constant process. Vallarta is a crucible in which traditions, languages​​, customs, artistic expression, freedom, color, confidence, ambition, creativity, inexperience, courage and friendship all fit; but good intentions fit even more.

And as Andrew Oppenheimer says: "Maybe it's time to look at ourselves less in the mirror and start looking through the window, doing what we know how to do best, take care of our friends."

musico

The people of this beautiful port have received the world with open arms and have taken on the commitment to constantly seek a balance between conservation and development, modernity and tradition, between the demands of the future and the virtues of the past. The size of the challenge explains why more and more people must get involved, doing what is necessary so that this paradise will be here for other generations, just like we have been fortunate to have it here for us.

The best of Puerto Vallarta lies ahead. It will not be easy, and it will not be achieved without everybody’s help. From our guests we need feedback, a critical eye, communication. Today it’s easy, easier than ever, to know our visitors’ expectations and experiences through the internet. It is important to let our tourists know that their opinion matters to us and motivates us to improve.

Those of us who have our home in Puerto Vallarta need to strengthen our ties, recognize and appreciate our strengths and commit ourselves to overcoming our weaknesses, but above all we need to take responsibility for our work, doing it with love, engaging in non-governmental groups and working hard, which as Mexicans we do very well, and the world recognizes it.

The best of Puerto Vallarta is still to come. It will not be easy, and it will not be achieved without everyone’s efforts.

ninos

And as Andrew Oppenheimer says: "Maybe it's time to look at ourselves less in the mirror and start looking through the window, doing what we know how to do best, take care of our friends."

FOTO

[readon1 url="http://magazine.visitpuertovallarta.com/a/community/34-a-town-s-embracing-idiosyncrasies"]Source:magazine.visitpuertovallarta.com[/readon1]

72615793

Women either want breast implants or they don’t.

But now a new procedure will let them have it both ways.

Call it “vacation breasts” – a doctor in New York City has come up with a creative way for women who have not made up their minds about getting a breast augmentation. The “vacation breasts” procedure, currently in the works by doctor Norman Rowe, will purportedly increase bust sizes up one cup or more, and then slowly bring them back to their natural size in two to three weeks.

A plastic surgeon based in Manhattan, Rowe said he will start performing the procedure in 2016. The main goal, he said, is to let women experience their new shape fully.

"You can use 3-D imaging and put implants in bras," he said, "but it's another thing to see what the weight will actually feel like and what it will be like to live with the new breasts," he told ABC’s Good Morning America.

The temporary breasts can also appeal to women interested in showing off during a summer vacation or perhaps a short fling. But it would be costly: a procedure already being offered by Rowe, an instant breast enlargement that lasts 24 hours, costs upward of $2,500 – depending on the size requested.

Rowe did not disclose the chemical makeup of the solution, but he did offer that the additive is something that's already used in the medical community for other purposes.

According to Rowe, men could also take advantage of the technique to enhance their pecs and calves.

[readon1 url="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2014/11/14/vacation-breasts-gives-women-temporary-implants-without-surgery/"]Source:latino.foxnews.com[/readon1]

Blue-diamond-Bunny-Mellon-Sothebys

A 9.5-carat blue diamond was sold at auction Thursday night for a record price of $32.6 million (26 million euros), the most ever paid for a diamond of that color.

"From the moment I saw this diamond, I knew that it would be one of the most important stones that I will ever have the privilege of presenting at auction," Gary Schuler, the director of Sotheby's Jewelry Department in New York, said in a communique.

The pear-shaped diamond, which had been appraised at up to $15 million (12 million euros), went to an anonymous collector in Hong Kong after the bidding by seven people went on for 20 minutes.

The previous record belonged to a blue diamond dubbed "Wittelsbach," which was sold by Christie's auction house to an anonymous bidder for $24.3 million in December 2008.

The diamond sold by Sotheby's belonged to the collection of Paul Mellon, the banker known for his investments in the finance, industrial and oil sectors, who in the last century amassed a fortune topped only by magnates like John D. Rockefeller and Henry Ford.

Other gems and jewelry from the same collection were sold at the Thursday night auction at Sotheby's New York for a total of more than $41 million (32.7 million euros), far above the $19.2 million (15.3 million euros) anticipated by the auction house.

Another of the night's outstanding pieces of jewelry was a 9.14-carat diamond pendant knocked down for $2.9 million (2.3 million euros) and a Cartier necklace of gold and diamonds auctioned off for $2.7 million (2.1 million euros

 

410186-a8db96a4-71b6-11e4-ad68-c33d50396880

[readon1 url="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/11/21/blue-diamond-auctioned-for-record-price-326-million/"]Source:latino.foxnews.com[/readon1]

483d43bc-17a3-4745-90ec-051f66289e2f

Every Tuesday there’s one at the Plaza del Sol in San Pancho, another in its second year at the Mercado del Sol and now the Riviera Farmer’s Market, new this year at the Centro Empresarial in Nuevo Vallarta.
The high season is here and there’s more commercial and touristic bustle in the Riviera Nayarit’s Picturesque Villages in order to offer the visitor a more ample variety of products.

San Pancho and Nuevo Vallarta have kicked off the new winter season with their respective marketplaces, announced in Sayulita, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Lo de Marcos, with another soon to be opened in Bucerías.

The markets open every Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. to a little after noon from November through May. You’ll find organic and handmade products, traditional Mexican cooking, live music, art, accessories, fresh local fruit and vegetables and more.

The Mercado del Sol opened on November 18th at the Plaza del Sol in San Pancho. It’s now in its second year and is getting larger; according to one of the organizers, Carlos Ontiveros, this year they’re expecting an average of 70 booths.

“It was great last year. This year we’ll have more control over every aspect, beginning with the permits, making it a more committed and significant event. This will enhance the market because there will be more sellers,” said Ontiveros.

Nuevo Vallarta debuted the Riviera Farmer’s Market in this well-developed hotel zone. Located in the Centro Empresarial Nuevo Vallarta, it’s been offering its own version of culture and art since November 11th.

Undoubtedly, these markets will allow income obtained from the season’s tourism influx to directly benefit local producers.