Puerto Vallarta History

Ever since American director John Huston filmed his 1963 movie “The Night of the Iguana” in Mismaloya, a small town just south of Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta was launched into its trajectory toward becoming a major resort and put Puerto Vallarta on the map for US tourists.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Mexican government invested in the development of highways, airport and utility infrastructure, making Puerto Vallarta easily accessible both by air and ground transportation, for the first time. The city's first tourist boom occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Finally, in 1968 the municipality was elevated to the status of a City. The change in status reflected the renewed interest shown by the federal and state government in developing the city as an international resort destination.