History Of Puerto Vallarta

History of Puerto Vallarta since 1851





During the early nineteenth century, the mouth of the Cuale River was inhabited primarily by crocodiles; there were practically no human dwellers. Between the rugged sierra, the ocean and the powerful Ameca River, this beautiful piece of Mexican geography remained isolated from the rest of the world. The foci of economic activity were in themountains, in the towns of Caules, San Sebastian and Pets, where silver mines abounded.


Today, visitors to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico can enjoy a breathtaking view from any of the hills surrounding the city. Puerto Vallarta is located on the Pacific Coast, one of the largest bays in the world (club member of "The Most Beautiful Bays in the World"[visit their website]). Bandera’s Bay is 42 kilometersfrom north to south. The northern boundary of the bay is at Punta Mitta is the end of the mountains of the Sierra de Vallejo, and south, the bay ends in Cabo Corrientes, part of the foothills of the Sierra de Cuale mountain range.

The bay has been known since the sixteenth century when Spanish soldiers during the expeditions to Baja California (or island of pearls, as they called it) came tothe beaches for water, firewood and fresh food for their ships. There are many chronicles from that time that mention the beauty of the coastline, the fertility of the land and security of the ports that the bay offered to their ships.

During the sixteenth century, was a vital need to have safe harbors along the Pacific coast for ships returning from the Philippines as a refuge in casa ofattacks by pirates.


Paseo del Malecón in the 50's
Puerto Vallarta, México
Were also necessary during long trips, and trips to and from East to ships could be repaired if necessary and crews could take on provisions. One of the first to propose a settlement on Bandera’s Bay was Captain Pedro de Unamuno after the trip he made to the Philippines in 1587. The famous navigators like SebastianVizcaino, Lopez de Vicuna and Gonzalo de France more than once landed on these shores and also proposed the establishment of a colony, but their petitions never received attention.



1644 It is known that a shipyard was built in the bay in 1644 (probably where Mismaloya is located today) and two ships were built for Bernardo Bernal de Pinadero to be used in the colonization of Baja California.1701-1800, In documents and ships logs dating from the eighteenth century, there are constantreferences to fishing and whaling vessels moored in the bay. At that time, Banderas Bay was also known as Humpback Bay due to the number of humpback whales(humpback) who were in it.
(1801–1900) In the nineteenth century, the site that is today Puerto Vallarta was used for loadingand unloading ofsupplies and materials for mining companies that worked the mines in Cuale and San Sebastian. At that time the site was known as Las Peñas.

Main Square view from the hills, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

1851

Procesión en honor a la Virgen de Guadalupe
Puerto Vallarta México
In 1851, Don Guadalupe Sánchez Torres, a native of Cihuatlan, Jalisco, began making regular deliveries of salt to Las Peñas,because the mines required large quantities for refining silver. Don Guadalupe was making these trips in his smallboat from San Blas or from the Islas Marias. He and his men put together a small building with trunks of trees and palms to have a place to rest and shelter from thesun while the sale is carried on donkeys for transportation to minas.A late 1851, Don Guadalupe decided to bring his familyLas Peñas. With the advent of this and other families, little by little the town grew, as its economy. Some families brought insalt and others began to engage in agriculture or livestock.

By 1880, Las Peñas had a population of 1,500 people and more families came to settle in the port. Five years later, on July 14, 1885, the port was opened to national maritime traffic, using the official...