here’s no denying it – the weather in Puerto Vallarta is gorgeous just about every day of the year. Every now and again, though, visitors wake up in their Puerto Vallarta villas, look past the patio and see rain. Actually, a vacation between July and September stands a 50-50 chance of getting rained on, and let’s face it, when it rains in Puerto Vallarta, it can pour. Does this mean the day is ruined? Not at all . . . the rains usually fall in the late afternoon, they don’t last long, and there are plenty of rainy day activities to see folks through the rain.
Kickin’ it at the Villa
Some folks find it really tough to kick back and relax, even when they’re on vacation. That’s a shame, because a cup of coffee savored from the relative protection of the villa’s covered patio is both relaxing and stimulating (caffeine will do that). When the buzz from the coffee forces action, take off for some playin’ in the rain.
- Take an art walk. Art galleries are usually under a roof, and there are a couple of clusters of galleries in town. There is quite a bunch toward the south end of the Malecón, one block east near the corner of Calle Morelos and Calle Corona. Look for GalerÃa PacÃfico, GalerÃa Uno and The Loft. Odds are, you won’t melt when you dash from one to the next.
- Visit the Municipal Market, a shopping experience some folks refer to as the “Flea Market.†No matter what you call it, a person can spend hours browsing through the assortment of stalls and shops. Sorry to disappoint those who are actually looking for fleas – lovely silver, Mexican pottery, beautiful leather goods abound at the Municipal Market, at the corner of Calle Encino and Calle Matamoros at the south end of El Centro.
- Check out the Banderas Bay Trading Company and Elements of Design, south of the Rio Cuale at Calle Lázaro Cárdenas and Calle Ignacio L. Vallarta. Take a cab if you must, then wander through the shops and trip across the street to GalerÃa Alpacora to see a great collection of hand-crafted items from South America.
- Go to the beach. Don’t be a sissy – rain is really nothing more than water in little droplets. So go to the beach and get wet in a whole new way. Walk through the waves while you enjoy the shower sensation. It’s a quick trip back to those Puerto Vallarta villas, where a dry towel and another warm beverage will prove that there’s nothing wrong with rainy days.