Today is the official full day of winter, but you wouldn’t guess that if you were in Puerto Vallarta. Sunny skies with highs around 80f/27c aren’t what most people would consider to be winter weather, but for Puerto Vallarta it’s the norm.
Yesterday marked the shortest day of the year, from here on out the days will get a little longer by just a few seconds of extra sunlight added each day until Spring rolls around.
While people spend their few extra seconds each day digging out from the snow and sipping hot cocoa north of the border, we are preparing for a few more seconds of surfing, whale watching, and volleyball while sipping a cold refreshing margarita at a beachside table.
Walking around Puerto Vallarta today the city was abuzz and ready for the holiday season, including the first International Fireworks Festival in Mexico happening in the city starting on Christmas day. The sun is shining, boats are cruising in the Bay of Banderas, and the whales have made their way back to the warmer waters to frolic and give birth to their baby calves. For Puerto Vallarta, the first day of winter feels more like the first day of spring.
We know its winter in Puerto Vallarta because this is the time of the year when we reunite with friends and reconnect at the local cafes and markets after a long summer away, and we more frequently bump into those who we haven’t seen since April. For those of us who work in offices, this is the time of the year old familiar faces stop by unexpectedly to announce their yearly arrival with a warm smile and big hug.
While winter is known as our town’s high season for tourists, it also reminds us that we are a community of neighbors and friends delighted in being reunited for the winter, here we are among friends.
So we welcome winter, where in Puerto Vallarta we are among friends on our long strolls along the beaches and Malecón on the warm winter days. We know that April will come soon enough and many will return to their homes north of the border, but no matter where they may be, they call Puerto Vallarta home and we are pleased to see them return each year to our community along the bay.
That is how Puerto Vallarta celebrated the first day of winter in 2014.
