Puerto Vallarta in history:
Puerto Vallarta dates back to
600 A.D. when it was the
territory of the Xalisco
civilization. This
civilization was ruled by chiefs
who worshipped three specific
gods:
-
Naye -a former chief who had
been declared a god of war
-
Teopiltzin - god of rain and
fertility
-
Heri - the god of knowledge
and wisdom
The culture was mixed with
the Aztec influence
according to many new
archeological discoveries.
Colonies of Aztecs settled
throughout the region during
their centuries of migration
from Nahuatl speaking
colonies of the Nayarit
coast to the Valley of
Mexico.
Puerto Vallarta resides in
the state of
Jalisco which means, surface of the
sand.
The history the Bay of Banderas
- When the nephew of the great
Hernan Cortes, Francisco Cortes
de Buenaventura, arrived from
Spain, more than 20,000 warriors
stood blocking the path of the
conquistador. Their bows
were decorated with boldly
colored banners (banderas),
creating an impressive display.
It was this presentation that
caused Cortes to name the vale
of the Ameca River, just north
of present day Puerto Vallarta,
"Valle de las Banderas" (Valley
of the Banners.) It was
first officially documented as "Bahia
de Banderas" or, "Bay of the
Banners" in 1541 upon the
arrival of Don Pedro de
Alvarado. It is believed
that he arrived near the great
rocks of
Los Arcos
, the same rocks where pirates
were later known to hide in wait
for unsuspecting ships amongst
the crescent coves.
Mexico's
Independence
- Spain was
defeated in
Mexico's
rebellion of
1810-1821,
leaving
Mexico a
free country
for the
first time
in 300
years.
It was
shortly
after this
period that
the
discovery of
mass amounts
of gold and
silver led
to a
settlement
where
present day
Puerto
Vallarta
stands.
Interestingly
enough, the
original
founder of
Puerto
Vallarta was
a simple
merchant,
Don
Guadalupe
Sanchez who
brought his
family to
live in a
hut that
would be his
trading
station.
He became a
wealthy man-
not from
gold or
silver, but
from hauling
salt from
the Puerto
Vallarta
beaches to
the mines up
the Rio
Cuale for
ore
processing.
He became a
wealthy man
surrounded
by settlers
who named
the town
Puerto de
Las Penas.
In 1918, the
city was
officially
named Puerto
Vallarta in
honor of a
former
Jalisco
state
governor,
Ignacio L.
Vallarta.
When the
mines
eventually
ran low on
gold and
silver
resources,
the town
faltered.
Without
access to
outside
cities and
resources,
the locals
relied
heavily on
the ocean
for food,
which would
explain why
so many
refer to
Puerto
Vallarta as
a former
fishing
village.
In the
1950's,
occasional
passenger
planes
arrived near
Puerto
Vallarta
from
Guadalajara.
Shortly
after, a
paved road
was built
coming from
Tepic and in
the 1960's,
an
international
airport was
established.
In 1963,
John Huston
filmed the
famous,
"Night of
the Iguana"
by Tennessee
Williams
just south
of the city
in Mismaloya
bringing
paparazzi
and thus,
publicity
for the
small town
of Puerto
Vallarta at
a rapid
pace.
Hotels
sprung up
quickly,
highways
were put in,
bridges, and
the city has
been growing
ever since
with over 2
million
visitors a
year.
Puerto
Vallarta is
now
considered
one of the
most
luxurious
tropical
getaways in
the world
and as of
2007, Puerto
Vallarta was
determined
to be the
5th most
popular
destination
in the
world. |
