Puerto Vallarta/Pacific Coast

From the state of Jalisco have come many of the cultural features that we think of as typically "Mexican"— mariachis and tequila, and also the sombrero. But what primarily draws the tourists here is the attractive town of Puerto Vallarta. In this picture postcard of a city, donkeys are still used for delivery and one can spot many artisans plying age-old crafts. Its cobblestone streets, tiny shops with windows trimmed in wrought iron, and whitewashed buildings with red-tile roofs make Puerto Vallarta exceptionally picturesque.

Venturing southward from Puerto Vallarta along the Pacific coast of Mexico, you will come upon another popular beach resort city, Ixtapa. Only thirty years ago, it was a coconut plantation. But in the intervening years, together with Zihuatanejo, a pre-Hispanic settlement that's still a working fishing town, it has drawn visitors for its exotic birds, exuberant vegetation, a calm, clean sea, uninterrupted sunshine, and virtually unspoiled beaches.

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