We in Puerto Vallarta have preserved a lot of what Mexico is about, to share with you, our welcome guests. We surround you with white washed, red tile, low-rise buildings, cobble-stone streets, where the occasional horse or donkey drawn carriage strolls lazily.
We will take you to places where Tequila, our national drink, is produced in following with procedures that date back centuries. Because Vallarta belongs to the State of Jalisco, and the Tequila Regulatory Commission, permits us, among very few other places, to produce tequila.
We will also take you to the surrounding sierra towns, where time seems to come to a standstill allowing you to catch the pace of their people, a pace that has not changed much in centuries either.
We will pamper you with world-class gastronomy, but we will also treat you to an invigorating “Birria”, the Jalisco dish par excellence, there are several exquisite “birrierías” in Puerto Vallarta and surroundings. Seafood? Our bay is the cradle of the “Pescado Zarandeado” and once you try this delicacy you will never be the same again.
And we also love to share some of our most prized traditions; one of them is a “Charreada”. The charreada is a Mexican competition of horsemen featuring beautiful horses, costumes, skills, excitement, color and a truly Mexican festive spirit.
As this tradition runs in my family (my grand-uncle Don Carlos Rincón-Gallardo y Romero de Terreros, Marquis de Guadalupe, wrote, among others El Libro del Charro Mexicano – The Mexican Charro handbook – depicting the code of ethics, demeanor, dress, etc. of the charro; it became the “Bible” of the Charro); in my eagerness to share this tradition with our visitors, I remember remodeling the “Lienzo” (the ring used for the charreada) of the Ibarría family, the “Lienzo Prieto Ibarría”. “Prieto” is the nickname of Don Miguel Ibarría, the family patriarch, meaning dark-skinned, although he is quite fair.
I have mixed memories of tourists thanking me for organizing the charreadas and asking me when the next one would take place while I was losing my shirt.
While working at their ranch I remember Don Miguel’s wisdom answering a question of mine: “Crisis? There is no crisis for a man who rises at dawn and works hard throughout the day, taking loving care of his land and livestock..” He is an example of honesty, good will and love for the land.
Another result of the hard work of the Ibarría family is this year’s National Charro Championship, the first time ever to be held in Vallarta, February 18-22, 2009.
I was shocked to see the great improvements at the lienzo, now capable of holding over 5,000 spectators.
There were the best teams from all over Mexico, though the first place was won by our neighbors of Puente de Camotlán, Nayarit. The second place went to Rancho Nuevo de Tepa, Jalisco; and the winners of last year’s championship, Hacienda de Tamariz, Puebla, took over the third place.
Guests coming mainly from all over Mexico, but also from the US and Canada were treated to a fantastic display of horsemanship. There was the “Cala de Caballo” – an exhibition of skilled control of a horse through racing and coming to a halt at a precise position scratching the ground with the horse’s hind legs; walking in reverse in a straight line; sharp, continuous turns in both directions over a single spot, and more.
Then come the “Colas”, consisting in bringing a medium-size calf to the ground by means of grabbing it by the tail and pulling it behind at full speed on horseback.
After that there are “Piales” and “Manganas”, the felling of calves and mares by lassoing their hind legs too, both on foot and on horseback. The competition also includes riding on wild bulls and mares.
But something that moves me every time is the presentation of the “Escaramuza Charra”; a group of eight brave Charro girls performing daring and colorful passes intertwining their horses at full speed. Last year I went to the Escaramuza championship in Guadalajara and told you about it in our October 2008 online issue. It is something hard to describe, this time I was trying hard to take some good pictures but my eyes kept welling up with tears.
The ambiance, the costumes, the food and drinks, the craftsmanship going into every detail of the charro saddles and accessories; everything enhanced by the fresh breeze and covered by the sunny Vallarta sky of February made a party no one will ever forget.
This Sunday were the finals of the Championship and later, on the same day, at the Lázaro Cárdenas Plaza, Vallarta celebrated the launching of its Winefest 2009. Restaurants, wine producers and distributors were offering excellent hors d’oeuvres and wines at 10 and 20 pesos, with 10US you could eat like a millionaire!
It seems like there is something special going on all the time in Vallarta, I invite you to see for yourself.. we will surely show you a good time.Email to a friend
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And we also love to share some of our most prized traditions; one of them is a “Charreada”. The charreada is a Mexican competition of horsemen featuring beautiful horses, costumes, skills, excitement, color and a truly Mexican festive spirit.
There were the best teams from all over Mexico, though the first place was won by our neighbors of Puente de Camotlán, Nayarit. The second place went to Rancho Nuevo de Tepa, Jalisco; and the winners of last year’s championship, Hacienda de Tamariz, Puebla, took over the third place. 
But something that moves me every time is the presentation of the “Escaramuza Charra”; a group of eight brave Charro girls performing daring and colorful passes intertwining their horses at full speed. Last year I went to the Escaramuza championship in Guadalajara and told you about it in our October 2008 online issue. It is something hard to describe, this time I was trying hard to take some good pictures but my eyes kept welling up with tears.