PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – Puerto Vallarta, one of the nation’s favorite tourist destinations, celebrated the 105th anniversary of its elevation to a municipality and its 55th year as a city with a solemn session held in the central courtyard of the city’s presidency.
Presiding over the commemorative event was Mayor, Professor Luis Alberto Michel Rodríguez, who narrated the city’s historic journey and highlighted the burgeoning economic and tourist boom currently underway. He emphasized the city’s impressive growth, which has been fueled by a surge in both national and international tourists, the creation of new jobs, and significant confidence from investors.
Mayor Michel recalled the early days of the city’s development back in December 12, 1851, when the town was originally known as Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe. The transformation to Puerto Vallarta as a municipality came in 1918 in honor of the former state governor Ignacio Louis Vallarta.
A significant turning point in the city’s history came in 1963 with the arrival of Hollywood stars Liz Taylor, Richard Burton, Eva Gardner, and John Houston for the filming of the movie ‘La Noche de la Iguana’. The film put Puerto Vallarta on the global map and marked the start of its rise to city status.
The Mayor proudly announced that in 2022, Puerto Vallarta broke national records by welcoming approximately 1.2 million tourists per month, and hosting large ships bringing about 4,000 cruise passengers and approximately 150 flights daily. He attributed this unprecedented growth to the city’s natural appeal, underscoring the importance of sustainability in order to continue this prosperous trajectory.
The General Director of Municipal Development of the General Secretariat of the Government, María Elizabeth Alcaraz Virgen, lauded Puerto Vallarta’s accomplishments, noting the city’s importance to the state of Jalisco and its remarkable development.
As part of the festivities, the City Council presented the esteemed Puerto Vallarta Award in various categories, honoring distinguished members of the community who have excelled in various social, artistic, and economic areas and contributed to the city’s development.
The honorees included Raúl Gibrán Martínez Peña, awarded the Manuel Lepe award for his contributions to the arts; José Carlos Vázquez Parra, awarded the ‘Francisca Rodríguez Rodríguez’ award for his service in education; Wenceslao Palomar Meza, awarded the Jesús Palacios Robles award for his social assistance; Martín Puebla Ontiveros, awarded the Agustín Flores Contreras medal for promoting entrepreneurship and economic development; and Gary Wayne Thompson, awarded the ‘Teresa Barba Palomera’, for his work in promoting culture.
Following the awards, the general secretary of the City Council, Felipe de Jesús Rocha Reyes, read the decrees relating to the municipality while the city chronicler, Juan Manuel Gómez Encarnación, provided a historical overview.
The grand celebration concluded with a traditional cake-cutting ceremony led by Mayor Michel, with his wife, María de Jesús López Delgado, councilors, and other dignitaries, accompanied by the vibrant music in honor of Puerto Vallarta’s monumental milestones.
PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) - Puerto Vallarta, one of the nation's favorite tourist destinations, celebrated the 105th anniversary of its elevation to a municipality and . . .
