Parque Lázaro Cárdenas is one of Puerto Vallarta’s most recognizable public spaces, but recent complaints describe a scene that differs from what many people expect. Neighbors and visitors say garbage, bad odors, and a lack of visible cleaning crews have affected parts of the park. The reports come as city planning documents already show public concern over neglected parks and garbage collection. The issue now centers on whether basic upkeep is keeping pace with the park’s daily use.

Trash Complaints Reach Puerto Vallarta’s Lázaro Cárdenas Park

Residents and visitors are reporting trash, bad odors, and a lack of maintenance at Parque Lázaro Cárdenas, the public space in Puerto Vallarta better known as the Parque de los Azulejos.

The complaints describe garbage collecting in parts of the park and odors that people say have become difficult to ignore. Some reports say cleaning workers and sweepers have not been seen in the area for several days.

The park is one of the best-known gathering places in the Romantic Zone. Its benches, planters, walls, and kiosk are covered with mosaic tile work, which has made the space a regular stop for people walking through the neighborhood, attending events, or passing between nearby streets and the beach.

Complaints focus on cleaning and odors

The current complaints center on day-to-day upkeep. People who use the park say trash has been left in various areas, while others point to people throwing garbage on the ground instead of using the containers.

Residents also reported strong smells of dog and human urine in parts of the park. The odor complaints are separate from the garbage reports but point to the same concern: a heavily used public space with uneven maintenance.

Some neighbors said the park previously had someone assigned to water the areas and help keep the space clean. They say that support is no longer visible.

A public space with a larger role

Parque Lázaro Cárdenas is not an ordinary pocket park. Municipal planning documents describe it as a public space inaugurated in 1970. Since 2017, it has been reshaped by the mosaic project that gave it the name Parque de los Azulejos.

The park serves as a neighborhood plaza, an open-air cultural space, and a venue for frequent events. When trash or odors build up there, the problem is visible to people who live nearby, work nearby, and pass through the area every day.

The complaint is also not entirely new. A similar issue was documented in 2021, when trash and bad odors were reported in a planter area at the same park.

City records show broader concern over public services

Puerto Vallarta’s own planning documents show that public-space maintenance and garbage collection are already recognized concerns. In survey data cited by the city, 41% of respondents identified neglected parks and gardens as a problem, while 45.4% cited inefficiency in cleaning and garbage collection.

Separate municipal transparency records from early 2025 listed Parque Lázaro Cárdenas among several parks included in a rehabilitation project funded with municipal resources. By March, that project line showed 10% physical progress and no financial progress. Those records do not explain the current cleaning complaints, but they show that the park has already been included in city maintenance planning.

Residents have asked municipal authorities to reinforce cleaning and conservation work at the park.