19th century

Along the 19th century, it was used as a port for loading and unloading materials for mining companies in Cuale and San Sebastián. At that time, the region was known as Las Peñas.

During the first part of the 19th century, there were hardly any human settlers at the mouth of the Cuale River. Economic activity was concentrated in the mountains, in the towns of Cuale, San Sebastián, and Mascota, where silver mines abounded, but where salt, an essential element for the metal refining process, was not found.

In 1851, Don Guadalupe Sánchez Torres, originally from Cihuatlán, Jalisco, began making regular deliveries of salt from San Blas or the Marías Islands in his small boat since the mines required large quantities of it to refine silver. Don Guadalupe and his men built a small structure from tree logs and palms to shelter themselves.

By the end of 1851, Don Guadalupe decided to bring his family to Las Peñas de Santa Maria de Guadalupe, named so because he arrived early in the morning on December 12th, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. With the arrival of new families, the town grew, and its economy began to change. While some families brought salt, others started engaging in agriculture or livestock.

In 1880, Las Peñas had a population of 1,500 inhabitants. New families from Cuale and San Sebastián came to settle in the port. Five years later, on July 14, 1885, the port was officially opened for national maritime traffic, using the name Las Peñas.

During the last decade of the 19th century and the early 20th century, Las Peñas gradually progressed thanks to the combined efforts of the people and the enthusiasm of Don Guadalupe.

20th Century, Modern Era

On May 31, 1918, by decree of the congress, Las Peñas was granted the title of municipality, along with a new name: Puerto Vallarta, in memory of the illustrious lawyer and Governor of Jalisco, Don Ignacio L. Vallarta.

In 1925, when the Montgomery Fruit Company bought approximately 70,000 acres near Ixtapa, Vallarta began to flourish due to the excess of available jobs in the recently opened banana plantations. A railway was also built to transport the bananas from Ixtapa to the El Salado estuary, where they were loaded onto ships to be taken to the United States of America. This operation ended in 1935 when the Montgomery Fruit Company had to leave Mexico due to a new agrarian law that had just come into effect.

Around 1930, national and foreign tourists began to come to Puerto Vallarta, returning year after year, spending their vacations enjoying the tranquility and natural beauty of the port. Word gradually spread, and more tourists arrived each year.

The coastal town did not experience significant development until 1964 when John Huston chose it as the setting for his famous film "The Night of the Iguana." The lead actor was Richard Burton, who was accompanied by Elizabeth Taylor, attracting many journalists who publicized the natural beauties of the region. Enchanted by the magic of Puerto Vallarta, Richard and Elizabeth purchased a house, Casa Kimberley. John Huston built his house in the small cove of Caletas, where he lived until his death.

Due to the increasing demands of tourism, Puerto Vallarta equipped itself with the required infrastructure of a modern tourist destination.           

By 1985, the influx of tourism and immigrants demanded, on one hand, the construction of new hotels, and on the other hand, the development of residential options for its employees and executives. This is how Marina Vallarta began to be built—a meticulously planned development with condominiums, a shopping center, and large hotel properties. The proper work in the Marina, with its 450 spaces for boats and yachts, started in 1986, and by 1990, the Marina was in full swing.

Since then, the growth of Vallarta has continued, making it now one of the most recognized tourist destinations worldwide.