Little is written about the precolombian history of the Puerto Vallarta area. When Spanish sea adventurer Francisco Hernandez de San Buenaventura sailed into an inviting bay in the 16th century, he was greeted by thousands of natives waving feathered flags. This incident prompted him to name the bay "Bahia de Banderas" (Bay of Flags). Its appeal was obvious, and it remained a popular place to visit through the 16th century, when Spanish seamen took advantage of its calm waters to load up their vessels with local supplies before continuing on their way north to Baja California.

The bay, referred to as "Ciutla" (feathers and grassland) by the local natives, was not settled until the mid-19th century, when Guadalupe Sanchez Torres, a salt-shipper from inland Jalisco, moved here with his family. He christened the small fishing village "Las Penas de Santa Maria de Guadalupe" because the day that he arrived (December 12) marked the day of the traditional celebration and procession honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe. Soon, farmers, fishermen, miners and plantation owners followed, settling the area surrounding the River Cuale, which today runs through the heart of town.

In 1918, Las Penas became an official municipality and was renamed Puerto Vallarta after Ignacio Vallarta, the former Governor of the State of Jalisco. At the time, some 1,500 residents lived in the community, which served as a port for silver shipments from local Cuale mines.

After nearly 50 years of peace and quiet, Puerto Vallarta remained a small fishing village of less than 10,000 residents when, in 1963, Oscar-winning director John Huston and crew arrived to film the movie, "The Night of the Iguana" on nearby Mismaloya Beach. Reporters were drawn to Vallarta to "get the scoop" on the budding romance between one of the movie's stars, Richard Burton, and Elizabeth Taylor, who had accompanied him. Suddenly, this picturesque little Mexican town was flashed on headlines all over the world. Flights into Puerto Vallarta were suddenly full of pilgrims who wanted to see where one of the most famous romances of the time had burgeoned.

Once there, they were soon seduced by the delights of the town itself. More followed, no longer simply fans of the movie stars, but those intending to surrender themselves to the town's seductive charms. Today, Puerto Vallarta is a cosmopolitan town of 350,000 residents, including many American expatriates who have entered a pleasant exile. The resort annually attracts over 1.5 million visitors, drawn by an unpretentious charm and world-class facilities. Puerto Vallarta truly is Mexico's storybook village.