Interesting Places & Architecture

Monumental Oceanfront Art Invites Your Touch

You’ll next encounter Neptune and the Nereid, the Roman god of the sea and a mythical sea nymph. On the Malecon since 1990, these half-fish, half-human characters are the expression of sculptor C. Espino.

The Seahorse, a nine-foot-high bronze statue featuring a boy riding it, is arguably Vallarta’s most-recognized symbol and has the most complex history.

In Search of Reason by Guadalajara artist Sergio Bustamante inspires more questioning and climbing than any other piece. In fact, when installed in 1999 in honor of the millennium, citizens were so concerned that its 30-foot height was a potential danger to those who might scale it that they marched on City Hall.

The Rotunda on the Sea by visionary Guadalajara native Alejandro Colunga is quite different now than it was when installed in 1997. Originally an ensemble of 16 large and small fantastical sea-inspired creatures inside of, and spilling out of, a small roundabout, it now consists of seven major pieces contained within a bigger and more heavily reinforced rotunda with good night lighting. This bizarre-looking installation, the last to be reinstalled after the hurricane, attracts as much curiosity now as ever.

Nature As Mother, by Guadalajara native Adrian Reynoso, depicts a spiraling wave on a snail, representing the life and death cycle. In a unique combination of bronze and experimental polymer resins, this sculpture has such a soothing ease and flow to it that children are often seen snuggling into its nurturing embrace.

La Nostalgia is said to grant long, happy marriages to couples that visit it. Vallarta sculptor Ramiz Barquet’s own love story inspired the piece as a tribute to the woman he long loved, lost and later married. Both now in their 80s, their romance is in full bloom to this day. There must be lots of honeymooners here, because its lap has been worn shiny by the lovers hopping onto it since 1984.

And The Millenium, at the north end of the Malecon beside the Hotel Rosita, is the most recent addition, installed in 2001. The inspiration of Mathis Lidice, it symbolizes the passage of time in a spiraling ascendancy representing man’s evolution, from the first living creatures emerging from the sea to the Christian era. Although it remained intact during Kenna, its unorthodox shape caused one visitor to exclaim upon seeing it, “My god, George. Look what the hurricane did!”

Discover the World of the Huichol Indians

One hour away, a remote mountain village in the high reaches of the Sierra Madre is home to what is perhaps the last tribe in North America living as it did in pre-Columbian times. Proudly retaining their traditions, customs and language, the Huichol Indians have escaped most outside influences because of their seclusion, a trip here a journey back in time. Their spiritually driven yarn and bead art is highly sought after.

Tequila and Guadalajara

Explore two of Mexico's most culturally significant landmarks during this day-long adventure. Tequila, its gorgeous blue-green agave plants visible for miles around, is just 35 minutes away.This is the only region in the world where the legendary spirit worthy of the name tequila is distilled. After sampling a few, you’ll know why. Then its on to Jalisco’s capital and Mexico’s second-largest city a 10-minute flight away, where you’re shown its major attractions and get the chance to do some shopping.