Puerto Vallarta will light the Los Muertos Pier Tree on Dec. 18, launching the Mar de Regalos festival and a DIF toy drive.
Puerto Vallarta’s best-known pier is getting a holiday makeover this week. The city is transforming the Los Muertos beach pier into a giant Christmas-tree-style light installation meant to be seen from different points around Bahía de Banderas. Crews are adapting the pier’s sail-shaped structure into the outline of a “mega tree,” positioning it as a centerpiece for the December season.
Mayor Luis Ernesto Munguía González has described the project as a first for the pier in this format. “This is the first time a large Christmas tree has been installed in this format on the Los Muertos pier,” he said. He also described it as a temporary decoration and said it would be done with care.
The plan is tied to a broader holiday program that runs through late December and into New Year’s Day. Officials have signaled that the pier will be one of the main stages for public events aimed at residents and visitors.
Los Muertos Pier Christmas Tree
For locals, the pier is more than a scenic walkway. It is a working point for water taxis and tours, and it anchors the shoreline in the Romantic Zone. The modern pier, with its spiral deck and sail-like centerpiece, opened in 2013 and quickly became one of the city’s most photographed landmarks.
That sail is the key to the new look. Rather than placing a separate tree on the beach, organizers are using the existing structure as a frame, dressing it in seasonal lighting and decoration to create a Christmas-tree effect. The idea is that the “tree” rises above the end of the pier, where the sail already catches the eye at night.
So far, the city has not released public details on the installation’s height, cost, or the number of lights involved. Munguía has also said he would not go into those specifics. What has been confirmed is the basic concept: a temporary, tree-shaped lighting display built around the pier’s sail, designed to be seen from around the bay.
The choice of location does some of the work on its own. Los Muertos is one of Puerto Vallarta’s busiest urban beaches, and the pier sits at a natural meeting point between the sand, the restaurants, and the waterline. Turning that spot into a seasonal landmark is a straightforward way to concentrate foot traffic around a place that already draws people nightly.
At the same time, the pier’s day-to-day role matters. Because it is used for marine access, the city will need to balance the holiday spectacle with the pier’s normal function. Authorities have described the setup as carefully planned, but they have not published operational details alongside the visual announcement. Visitors should watch for official updates on how the pier will operate during the busiest event nights. It is meant to draw attention.
What happens next after the switch-on
Organizers have linked the tree lighting to the start of the city’s “Mar de Regalos” holiday program. The switch-on is scheduled for December 18 at 6:00 p.m. on the Los Muertos pier, alongside the launch of a toy-collection campaign led by the municipal DIF system.
The season program is scheduled to run from December 18 through January 1, with performances and activities spread across public spaces in the center and tourist zone, including the pier and the Malecón. Officials have also promoted New Year’s Eve programming on the Malecón, followed by a “First Sunset” event on January 1 at Playa Palmares.
For residents and visitors, the next few days are about details. The tree concept is clear, but timing and logistics will come through event notices and day-of operations.
Officials say full schedules will be posted online, and they urge people to check times before going.
