Visiting Puerto Vallarta - Part 18

Puerto Vallarta is divided into zones and the locals will often refer to a place by the zone it is in. I have therefore decided to split this guide into zones so that you can see a particular area all at once.

I will start with the South Zone

Just to the south of the Romantic Zone is the area that is referred to as Puerto Vallarta’s South Zone. As you approach Conchas Chinas the highway curves tightly through long stretches of winding mountains giving visitors an incredible panoramic view of the Pacific coastline as seen against the green backdrop of the Sierra Madre Mountains.

The jungle scenery of the South Zone is punctuated by several ultra-luxury accommodations which include the Dreams Resort, Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa, Presidente Intercontinental, and Barcelo Puerto Vallarta. Some of the other nice properties include Mar Sereno Hotel & Suites and Casa Iguana Suites Resort. There are also a number of smaller boutique hotels such as the stunning Quinta Maria Cortez and a number of condo complexes. You will also find some special large villas such as Casa Valerie and Villa Mandarinas, which boast 7 or 8 bedrooms and have a unique tropical architecture. Many properties situated in the South Zone have spectacular views over the Los Arcos Maritime Nature Reserve.

If you are an adventure seeker looking for excitement then head for the Encore Bungee jump facility located just south of Presidente Intercontinental Hotel. If you are an animal lover then head to the small village of Mismaloya to visit the Vallarta Zoo. If you are used to zoos with signs saying “Don’t feed the animals, ” then you be happy to find that at the Vallarta Zoo the signs actually say “Please feed the animals! ” It’s not just any food as visitors can purchase bags of food that contain carrots, breadsticks, and seeds to hand-feed the majority of zoo residents. This includes a hippo, giraffe, zebras, ponies, antelope, pigs, flamingos, ostrich, peacocks, and many more. Each brown bag of food you buy at a nominal fee of about $5 USD has a list printed on the side informing you as to which food types can be given to each animal. This is a special zoo and is also known as a world renowned large cat breeding facility. If you want to pay an additional fee you are offered the rare opportunity of holding and interacting with baby lions, baby tigers, and baby panthers. This will, of course, depend on which babies have recently been born. There are also a few spider monkeys in this program.

Continued in part 19