Sea aroma. Tanned bodies. Sand and sensuality under the vivification of the sun. Rest, amusement and something else, always something else, different, unique, unforgettable: perhaps the caressing breeze of the dusk, or the impacting sight of an aquatic mammal, giant and humpbacked; perhaps the deliberate stroll through a path of melancholy, or the wandering through streets packed with the colours of creativity.

Yes, simply irresistible, maybe this is one of the phrases that best defines Puerto Vallarta, in the state of Jalisco, a place of boundless beauty, with a refreshing swell and a wonderful natural diversity; a destination that can not be ignored because it traps and captivates. Hypnotizes the traveller.

Puerto Vallarta is a privileged place, with beaches of golden skin and colossal mountains. Puerto Vallarta is a colonial stronghold with balconies to "spy" on by passers and white little houses wearing red tile hats. Puerto Vallarta is a cosmopolitan bay as well, rejuvenated by the semblance of modernity.

The history of this paradisiacal place goes back to the XVI century, when the first Spaniards arrived to these beaches in order to get water supplies, firewood and fresh food. The Iberians must have been amazed by the beauty of the scenery; in so much that captain Pedro de Unamuno decided it was a good place to settle down. Hence, Puerto Vallarta was born.

And the captain was not wrong; nowadays this unknown land initially baptized as Bay of Flags, congregates hundreds of thousands of tourists attracted by the crystalline waters of the ocean, summoned by the warm sands of its 96 kilometres of beaches; or willing to dive, fish or just have fun before the enormity of the Pacific.

The bay is not an Eden for people only; it is also paradise for the humpback whales that come to give birth in this marvellous corner of the Pacific; or for playing dolphins, sea turtles, gigantic skates and octopuses prowling around the nearby islands, and for the agitated birds seeking refuge in the coast and the estuaries.

Besides the ocean, the geography of Puerto Vallarta is adorned with upright mountains which are absorbed by the dense jungle of the Sierra Madre Occidental, where the diaphanous waters run hastily through sinuous rivers or fall vertiginously through steep and noisy cascades. Here the trails lead to the heart of the forest, and then the traveller becomes an explorer, a pioneer.

The joy does not end at the beach, nor at the Sierra Madre Occidental, it continues and is prolonged towards the old city, with the beautiful temple of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, or the coastal promenade flanked by bronze statues. Galleries, marketplaces, excellent restaurants, among other details, like the traditional and festive Mexican Nights, complete the urban panorama.

Puerto Vallarta is located at 989 kilometres from the City of Mexico and at 340 kilometres from Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco and the second biggest city in the country, which is famous for its conservative look and for being the land of the mariachis and the tequila, authentic symbols of Mexican culture.

Sun and ocean. Rest and adventure at Puerto Vallarta, a destination having too much to offer: beaches, water sports, mountains, nature to the limit and a gentle colonial feature. A blessed bay of the Mexican Central Pacific.