Banderas Bay
Located five minutes from Puerto Vallarta’s Downtown zone, the beautiful Banderas Bay is one of the region’s most famous tourist attractions. This stretch of picturesque coast offers visitors endless exploration and is home to a rich variety of tropical marine life, making it the perfect hotspot for land and aquatic adventures alike. Banderas Bay is one of the deepest and largest bays in the whole world, so it has become a source of pride for locals and helps draw in thousands of visitors every year!
This important ecological reservoir hasn’t always been so idyllic. In fact, the bay was discovered by Spanish conquerors in the early 1500s and, upon arriving on its sandy shores, the soldiers were confronted by 20,000 Aztatlans (native indigenous people) bearing weapons and feathered flags as they prepared to defend their land. This moment is what gave the bay its name, as “banderas” means flags in Spanish. Luckily, there was no bloody battle on this occasion. According to legend, the Spaniards exposed a large picture of the Virgin Mary whose bright gleam was so bright that it apparently terrified the native population into submission.
Tequila
Did you know that the world-famous party drink, tequila, comes from Jalisco? In the early 1600s, the Marquis of Altamira built the first official distillery in what is now the town of Tequila, Jalisco. Like many liquors across the globe, distillers must abide by a strict set of rules in order to produce authentic tequila. Due to tequila becoming intellectual property of Mexico in 1974, these regulations include producing every bottle in Jalisco, using specific selected ingredients and ensuring the spirit is aged for the perfect amount of time.
Unsurprisingly, the town of Tequila has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many tours leaving Puerto Vallarta every day, which give visitors the chance to explore the town, partake in a distillery tour, learn how tequila is produced and, of course, enjoy a tasting session! If you don’t have time to embark on the journey, Puerto Vallarta is home to a diverse range of tequila activities. From cocktail mixology classes to connoisseur sampling sessions, you’ll find something tequila-based during your luxury villa vacation (as long as you’re over 18!).