Family Style Restaurant – Downtown Puerto Vallarta
The other day while waiting to get a haircut, I found a great little restaurant downtown, two blocks from the main plaza, called Rincon de Tlaquepaque. The sound of the sizzling grill and the amazing smell of meat and chiles pulled me right in.
Rincon de Tlaquepaque specializes in birria (stewed goat’s meat) and tortas ahogadas (drowned sandwiches). They call them drowned sandwiches because the sandwiches are smothered in salsa. Tortas ahogadas is a popular dish from Guadalajara.
I ordered the tacos de birria which were really good. Dishes made from goat’s meat are dishes that that I have to be in the mood to eat. I find the flavor can be too strong for my taste. This time the flavor was very mild.
The restaurant is not much to look at from the outside, but inside it is brightly colored and cheerful. A very typical small family style restaurant. The restaurant was spotlessly clean which is a major plus in my book.
Tacos de birria. Next time I visit, I will try the tortas ahogadas because they looked fantastic. After I finished my tacos, I nearly ordered one just to try it out, but better judgement prevailed.
Prices were reasonable. I paid $40 pesos for 3 tacos and a diet Coke.
The restaurant is easy to find. Just head South 2 blocks from the main plaza and it’s located almost on the corner of Morelos and Libertad streets.
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Another good taco place downtown.
More good tacos here.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Puerto Vallarta
On December 12, the Virgen of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and the Americas is celebrated. Twelve days of processions to honor the Virgen culminate with a morning mass. The turnout for the Dia de Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta is always large. I was able to get some good pictures of the final processions.
More about Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Puerto Vallarta
People often ask why I live in Mexico. I always feel put on the spot when they do because I don’t really have a satisfactory answer. I can’t say, “I live in Mexico because I do.” That doesn’t really explain it well.
After giving it some thought, I would say I like living in Mexico because of unique, random, and serendipitous occurrences. More simply stated, sh*t happens. Oftentimes, when “it” happens it turns out to be something very cool. Then again, sometimes it’s not.
I have listed some of my experiences while I have lived in Mexico. I could probably list another 500 interesting things. These just happened to be the ones that first came to mind. Most of the experiences I consider to be positive and they are not listed in any particular order.
If your reaction is “cool” after you have finished reading the list you just might be cut out to live in Mexico. If your reaction is “huh” or “why” then you might not be.
Since I have Lived in Mexico I have:
- Been charged by a bull while shopping on a main street
- Experienced an earthquake while staying at an old hotel
- Been forced to touch a man’s wooden leg (It was rumored that he kept a pistol in it)
- Driven through a lava field
- Witnessed cowboy gun-battles in front of bars
- Drunk tequila in the town of Tequila
- Discovered scorpions in my bed and clothes
- Learned fluent Spanish
- Lived through a major economic crisis (far worse than the current U.S. economic crisis) and a few minor ones
- Sung a ballad to a horse
- Attended wedding parties that have gone all night and well into the next day
- Made tamales from scratch
- Wasted untold numbers of hours standing in line at the bank
- Seen Michael Jackson in concert
- Crawled on my hands and knees through a pitch-black tunnel that connects two pyramids
- Crashed a wedding party
- Eaten fried grasshoppers and sauteed ant eggs
- Seen one of the best bullfights in the past 50 years
- Sung with the Mariachis in Plaza Garibaldi
What experiences have you had while in Mexico?
If you are interested in Living in Mexico, you might be interested in this guide, The Trick is Living Here, a practical detailed guide to living or working in Mexico. You might be surprised how different things can be.
Visit the Mercado in Downtown Puerto Vallarta
The 5 de Diciembre neighborhood in downtown Puerto Vallarta has one of the better mercados that is well known for it’s variety of fresh fish. The staff in the fish market is especially friendly and offers good advice on how to prepare what you purchase.
A mercado is a social place that is the heart of the neighborhood. In addition to going shopping, people go to catch up on the latest neighborhood news.
When you visit the mercado don’t expect anything fancy or tourist amenities. Go to get a taste of local life and be sure make the effort to communicate with the staff and the other shoppers. That’s where the fun is. You’d be surprised how far a big smile and an “hola” will get you. Try it. It will make your day.
At the produce stand where you can get any type of fruit, vegetable, or chile that you could want. If you speak some Spanish, the staff will give you tips on how to prepare some of the more exotic vegetables.
The coolers and bins have fresh shrimp sorted by size and price. On this trip, I bought a half kilo of medium size shrimp for $50 pesos. That works out to be about $3.80US per pound. A great deal if you ask me.
A freshly caught dorado. They will fillet and prep your fish any way you like it.
Inside the market are a number of loncherias, lunch stands, that prepare antojitos which are simple foods like tacos, sopes, flautas, and enchiladas.
This is the machine that makes tortillas at the tortilleria. A large ball of dough is placed in the hopper. The machine extrudes a dough ball for a tortilla and then it presses the dough into a tortilla. The tortilla is sent down the conveyor belt and through the oven to be baked. The tortillas comes out the other end fully cooked and ready to be placed into one kilo and half kilo stacks.
Map and Directions to the Mercado
The Mercado is located on San Salvador street at the corner of Brasilia street. It is very easy to find. The mercado is directly in front of the main entrance to the cemetary (Panteon).
View Larger Map
Another Puerto Vallarta Mercado (market)
Puerto Vallarta Mercado in Palmar de Aramara
Wireless Internet Access in Puerto Vallarta
Wireless Internet access is very easy to find these days in Puerto Vallarta. Nearly every hotel has a wireless network, although most charge a fee for access. Many restaurants and almost all coffee shops offer free wireless Internet to paying customers.
Free Wi-Fi Hotspots in Puerto Vallarta
To help you save some money on Internet access, I have compiled a list of places that offer free wi-fi to their customers. The listings are grouped by location.
I would love to expand on this list. If you know of any other places that offer free wi-fi to customers, let me know so that I can share them with my readers.
Marina Vallarta Wi-Fi Hotspots
- Once Upon a Bean – Marina Vallarta boardwalk
- McDonald’s – at the Plaza Marina shopping center
- The Coffee Cup – Marina Vallarta boardwalk near the lighthouse
- The Coffee House – at the Plaza Marina shopping center
The Hotel Zone Wi-Fi Hotspots
- Chilis Restaurant – Plaza Peninsula
- Chilis Restaurant – Galerias Vallarta – Liverpool
- CucaraMacara – located in the Krystal hotel
- La Mansion Restaurant – located in the Krystal hotel
- Starbucks – Plaza Peninsula
- Starbucks – Galerias Vallarta – Liverpool
- Subway – Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio in front of Burger King and Office Depot
- Super Salads – Plaza Peninsula
- VIPS Restaurant – Next to Walmart (May have a service fee)
Downtown/Centro Puerto Vallarta Wi-Fi Hotspots
- Starbucks – located on the main plaza
- Subway – on the Malecon / boardwalk
Old Town Puerto Vallarta – Olas Altas – Zona Romantica
- Dee’s Coffee – Rodolfo Gomez street
- The Coffee Cup – Rodolfo Gomez street
Puerto Vallarta Airport Wi-Fi Hotspots
Bucerias Wi-Fi Hotspots
- The Coffee Cup – Lazaro Cardenas street at the south end of the pedestrian bridge
Puerto Vallarta Yogic Arts Session
Anna from Davannayoga invites everyone to a yogic arts session with Duncan Wong this Wednesday from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. The cost is a very reasonable $250 pesos. If you have never been the the Davannayoga studio you should make the effort. The view from the roof terrace is amazing.
Here is a copy of the invitation that she sent me.
Dear Friends,
Imagine yourself dancing, practicing yoga and kicking your feet up a bit with a Yoga Master and a 360 degree view of the bay and the mountains soaring above the tile roofs of the historic downtown Puerto Vallarta.
Master Wong will be here December 3rd on davannayoga’s rooftop yoga space. Don’t miss your chance to practice his uplifting yoga style. Stop by today or contact Anna to reserve your spot! Anna@davannayoga.com
Davannayoga is located downtown in Gringo Gulch. It’s an easy walk to the studio from the main plaza.
Davannayoga Contact Information
542 Calle Matamoros, Centro
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Local Phone: 223-0530
Cell phone: 044-322-147-7008
www.davannayoga.com
Read More about Puerto Vallarta Yoga
Puerto Vallarta Yoga Retreats
Puerto Vallarta’s Climate for Yoga
Sculpture on the Puerto Vallarta Boardwalk
One of my favorite sculptures on the boardwalk (Malecon) is the “Vallarta Dancers” sculpture created by Jim Demetro. Banderas News has a great article which explains the story behind the “Vallarta Dancers” sculpture and how it was produced.
The sculpture is located near the Starbucks on the main plaza. From the main plaza walk towards the beach and make left on the boardwalk and walk about 50 yards and you will see it.
The plaque reads:
The inspiration for the sculpture is the youthful energy, flowing movement, colorful costumes of the talented Xiutla dancers and their instructor and choreographer Prof. Enrique Barrios Limon
Puerto Vallarta Webcam List
I have compiled a list of webcams that broadcast images from around Puerto Vallarta so that you can get your Puerto Vallarta fix when you can’t be here.
I’ve listed all that I could find. If there are others please let me know. I’ll be happy to add them.
Puerto Vallarta Webcams at Puerto Vallarta Scene
The Puerto Vallarta Scene webcam page is a god place to start. They have five different webcam feeds listed.
OIC Puerto Vallarta Beach Webcam
The OIC webcam has a cool “Day at a Glance” feature which allows you to view all of the imgages taken by the camera during the day.
Hotel Rosita Webcam
The webcam at the Hotel Rosita in Puerto Vallarta shows the downtown boardwalk (Malecon) from the North looking South.
Hotel El Pescador Webcam
The webcam at the Hotel El Pescador shows downtown Puerto Vallarta.
Cafe Roma has a great Puerto Vallarta Weather Station.
Hotel Buenaventura Webcam
The Buenaventura Hotel is located on the north side of downtown.
Villa Premiere Webcam
I snapped this photo of pelicans chasing a fishing boat from the boardwalk in downtown, Puerto Vallarta at about 9:00am.
The pelicans were only interested in this particular fishing boat. It must be the on with all of the fish. They didn’t bother with any other boat.
VallartaBlog is Looking for Contributing Writers
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- Do you have an area of expertise that would be of interest to VallartaBlog readers?
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Consider contributing to VallartaBlog.
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