A playground for Mexico’s rich and famous, Puerto Vallarta first rose to international fame in the 1960s when Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton embarked on a scandalous affair here and attracted hordes of paparazzi. Today, the resort community is popular both with international and domestic tourists, the latter arriving en masse during the week leading up to Easter Sunday.

Puerto Vallarta is best enjoyed out of doors, with countless adventure sports and fun, family activities on the agenda. The deep Pacific waters off the coast here are perfect for deep-sea fishing. Closer to the shore, tourists regularly suit up for scuba-diving expeditions, parasailing, snorkelling or even swimming with dolphins at the marine centre in Nuevo Vallarta.

The greatest cultural attractions in Puerto Vallarta are the numerous art galleries. The highest concentration of these showrooms is on or near the Malecon boardwalk area, where the knowledgeable staffers are more than happy to explain the stories and inspiration behind the work. One of the city’s notable museums, the Museo del Cuale, is situated on an islet in the Cuale River and hosts a variety of historical exhibits.

Puerto Vallarta’s rise to prominence was at the hands of the tourism industry, so most of the area’s attractions are related to tourism rather than history or architecture. The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the best-known architectural treasure, predating the tourism boom by a few decades. Natural features like the Marietas Islands or the Caletas nature preserve are popular destinations; both can be reached by boat from the Bay of Banderas.

Most of Puerto Vallarta’s accommodation is centred on the Malecon boardwalk. Hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues are all found here, and the strip picks right before sunset as tourists line up to watch the sun sink below the Pacific. Be sure to book in advance when visiting during the peak summer months or if your visit coincides with Semana Santa, when domestic tourists flood the market.

Virtually all tourists arrive in Puerto Vallarta by air via Gustavo Diaz Ordas International Airport. The facility is well connected to other cities across Mexico, the United States and Canada. Buses operate on reliable schedules and are useful for accessing outlying cities in the region. Puerto Vallarta taxis must be prepaid according to a regulated fare system.

Puerto Vallarta’s tropical climate produces consistent temperatures year-round. The daily climate is consistently hot, with the average daytime temperature is 30°C. Humidity is also constant, hovering between 70 and 80 per cent. Overall, the weather is mild and severe storms are uncommon. Hurricanes rarely strike.

There are two seasons in Puerto Vallarta: the rainy and dry. Rain falls during the summer months, especially in August when it rains at least half of the month. Big storms occasionally roll in during this season, bringing heavy downpours that usually last less than half a day. Opposite of the rainy season, there is plenty of sunshine during the early part of the year, making this the best time to enjoy water sports and other outdoor activities.