Did you know that a very very long time ago, the Aztecs used to make human sacrifices, hoping that in return their gods would make the rain fall, thus ensuring an abundant corn harvest? As in our countries, we are usually lucky enough to not be depending on the divine liquid for our survival, we tend to forget how precious it is and to underestimate its value it when it falls. But let’s be honest: who cares about watering the plants when being on holidays at the beach, right?
Rainy Season vs. Dry Season
Puerto Vallarta is famous for its breathtaking nature providing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year with countless beach ocean activities, outdoors adventures, romantics walks on the “malecón” (boardwalk) and hundreds of events that all require you to be outside. And with coordinates of 20.6667° N, 105.2667° W, virtually the same as the Hawaiian Islands, Puerto Vallarta enjoys a tropical climate. This means that the seasons are mostly divided in two: the dry season, between November and May, and the rainy season between June and October. With this in mind, it is quite reasonable to assume that you will stay dry in the winter down here.
Well amigo, Mother Nature works in mysterious ways, and is possible that you might be introduced to the wonders of tropical rainy days while down here.
So how do you prevent a couple of drizzly days from ruining your experience in paradise?
First of all, try to find comfort in the idea that it might get wet and windy here, but one thing that you can be sure of is that you will never get cold (really cold, I mean). It’s still the tropics! In the contrary, you might find it refreshing, and you will soon find out that it draws people together and make the global atmosphere very joyful.
Then, try to stay positive and find a blessing in this situation: it will give you a chance to discover a different side of Vallarta you wouldn’t have thought about in the first place. There’s more to the bay than beaches and margaritas! Here is a selection of ideas to help you get through this rainy day:
- Museums and galleries: “el Centro” and “la Zona Romántica” (downtown) are filled with countless art galleries. Take this opportunity to discover local artists, painters, sculptors, and native Mexican traditional “huichol” handicraft. Discover Museo Cuale, an archeology museum that will make you travel back in time, or the Naval Museum on the malecón. TripAdvisor has a great selection of reviews to help you make up your mind: http://bit.ly/1APj9np
- Biblioteca los Mangos: located only a couple of minutes away from downtown by car, Los Mangos library offers a great selection of workshops, exhibitions, classes and events. http://bibliotecalosmangos.com/
- A relaxing afternoon at a café: you will find so many options to just relax with a good book and sip on delicious traditional coffee! My all times favorite and coffee-shop crush goes to “Una Página en el Sol” in the romantic zone, where the walls are covered in books: http://es.apageinthesun.com/
- Time for a good old movie: there are four movie theatres in Puerto Vallarta only, playing movies at all times of the day. Cinemark in Plaza Caracol: http://bit.ly/1HW01K7, Cinemex Plaza Galerías: http://bit.ly/1Dtzsgw, Cinemex MacroPlaza: http://bit.ly/1BNvsoU, Cinepolis Francisco Villa: http://bit.ly/1HW08oM
- Pamper yourself! There are numerous options for massages, manicures, pedicures, facials and whatnot: from fish therapy to facial bars, enjoy a cloudy day and look fabulous. My favorite choice of hand care is http://www.unasnorma.com.mx/
- Work those abs: you can’t go to the beach, you got no excuse today. It’s time to hit the gym and look fabulous when the sun comes back! Try http://www.thefitclub.mx/
- And best of all…learn Spanish! What would be more rewarding than educating your mind on a rainy day? How about you take all this free time you have on your hands and use it to do something really useful and which will make you feel great?