New Discoveries Inside Vallarta
Don’t you love coming across the unexpected when traveling? Discovering simple examples can make the best finds! Not knowing what is right around the corner can be responsible for creating beautiful memories to keep and take home. Puerto Vallarta has thousands of opportunities to make an indelible mark on your vacation, causing you to keep exploring. Even those who call Vallarta home will find experiences they didn’t realize were unobtrusively in their path, making the wandering all the sweeter.
Whether it's in the throes of high season or the lull of the quieter summer months, there is no shortage of visitors to Puerto Vallarta from around the world, making new friends and taking full advantage of the brilliant sun, wave-struck beaches, new restaurants, shopping venues, and real estate opportunities everywhere. With so much activity and new places popping up inside Vallarta, there are endless discoveries to find on your own or follow my compass, and I'll show you where to head to. I was selective about the introduction for my newest favorite things. What a problem to have! Here are five places and people I discovered by chance wandering throughout the city and neighborhoods. Add them to your list of things to do and places to go in this beautiful city. Cheers!
LA TIENDA GRANDE Located: Entre Calle Hidalgo y Calle Juarez, int 172 A Ixtapa
“Back in time” is the phrase that comes to mind when describing every facet of this historic general store transposed to a five-star restaurant in the center of the quiet Ixtapa neighborhood. With its brightly painted outside exterior it gives pause as to what could be beyond the front door. Opened in February 2021 by chef Salvador Carrillo, the La Tienda Grande restaurant concept offers creative Mexican cuisine, mixing flavors and aromas with the decor and small details of the country’s long ago past. Be ready to have a gastronomic experience parallel to the finest restaurant imaginable, from beautifully set rustic tables to a hand-built bar staffed by creative mixologists dreaming up and using unusual complementary ingredients with primarily unique tequilas. The serving plates highlight each dish making it a delectable gem. Enjoy the 40-minute journey from downtown seeing more of the countryside of Puerto Vallarta. The food, decor, service, and staff in both the front and back of the house will have you wanting to return to savor more of this brilliant chef’s dishes!
CASITA & GARDEN Located: Naranjo 321, Zona Romantica, Emiliano Zapata
Have you ever experienced walking around the city's winding streets leading from one to another, off course from a destination you were seeking? Then, right around a corner is attractive signage and carved wooden doors beckoning you to walk through and investigate. That's how I found Casita & Garden, which opened only a few months ago. Here you will find a lovely quiet oasis with an open-air setting, a perfect feng shui layout of floral, fauna, and comfy seating. Adjoining is a fully stocked room of international wine choices and extraordinary selections of Japanese sake, yours to enjoy for an experience on par with the best anywhere. Pair either with happy-hour nibbles or a late dinner. Go mid-afternoon with that special someone and enjoy private time alone in the gardens. Or book special events for groups of 50 or more. What an excellent addition to the growing culinary scene inside Vallarta!
LET’S PHO! Located: Lazaro Cardenas 179, Zona Romantica, Emiliano Zapata
Across from the colorful Lazaro Cardenas Mosaic Park, young entrepreneurial chef Charlie Huynh, from Houston, Texas via Saigon, Southeast Viet Nam has been calling Puerto Vallarta his home for not too long. I’ve traveled extensively through Viet Nam and have experienced this country’s wonderful food and meals. I took a sidewalk table and excitedly ordered, anxious to see if I’d feel transported back to the small restaurants I frequented featuring Pho with all its authentic flavors and ingredients in each spoonful…and I was! Charlie introduced his passion for Vietnamese cuisine to ever-growing PV, where it has become easier and more accessible to find any cuisine your heart desires. Busy owning three other restaurants in Houston, he also finds time to be a philanthropist for the LGBT+ community. While there are other Asian restaurants here, look no further than Let’s Pho! for that authentic dishes. Chef will undoubtedly come from the kitchen to chat and ensure you are happy with your menu choice!
VALLARTA ANGLO MEXICAN DESIGN GROUP Located: Basilio Badillo 425, Col. Emiliano Zapata
I recently discovered this treasure trove offering regional rustic artworks from throughout Mexico. Shop owner Russell, originally from Bristol, England, chooses pieces at the Guadalajara markets for his store, scooping up uniquely designed glass, onyx, ceramic, and wood pieces that are fairly priced for buyers. He has been settled for quite some time in Vallarta, calling it home before opening his store a couple of years ago. Sharing Mexican culture through art ignites him to drive to Guadalajara frequently. This unique Mascara de Barro altura, a tall clay mask, was made by an 85-year-old man using hand-dug clay from the countryside. There is also indigenous wood flooring available for discerning homeowners. Russell has excellent relationships with his artisan vendors, is knowledgeable about who he works with, and is eager to share their stories with his customers!
PANADERIA LA GUADALUPANA Located: C. Peru 1277, 5 de Diciembre
Well, you never know what you may discover just around the corner anywhere inside Vallarta's many neighborhoods! A waft of freshly made baked goods beckoned me to this long-established business, where numerous tall racks of local handmade goodies stand, offering assorted sweet and savory loaves of bread, cookies, muffins, donuts, and coconut cake for sale. You'll find customers swiftly and earnestly filling their trays from the many selections. End-of-day goods go fast with locals I asked if I could go to the back and see where the mixing and baking happens, amazed at how this well-known business built many years ago could turn out so much for wholesale and public consumption for daily and seasonal offerings. Fill a bag, and don't worry about the calories; walk back home or to your hotel, as you'll likely decide to sample these fresh-baked goodies immediately when you leave the bakery. Who could blame you?!
Take time to explore wherever your travels take you. It's all part of the adventure when simply wandering or being willing to take a chance on the unknown can lead to positive results. Take advantage of indirect out-of-the-way areas that can take you somewhere fabulous and least expected. I guarantee you'll be surprised and happy wherever you land!
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