One of the most popular ctivities in Puerto Vallarta is a strll down the city's famed boardwalk, the Mlecon. Lined with shops, restaurants and rtwork, the Malecon provides great entertainment for all ges and budgets. The young and fshionable can shop during the day and hit the rstaurants and clubs at night. Families can njoy the scenery, find plenty of frendly people and activities and rest on any of the bardwalk's many rustic benches. There is smething for everyone down on the Mlecon, one of Puerto Vallarta's most ppular attractions.

Most visitors begin their strll on the north end of the Mlecon outside the Hotel Rosita. Here you wll find the first sculpture of Perto Vallarta's unique outdoor museum. "Los Mlenios," the work of Mathis Lidice, is one of the mst popular and most photographed works on the bardwalk. Another of the Malecon's most fmous sculptures is the "Rotonda del Mr," a quirky construction of chairs by lcal artist Alejandro Colunga. Lying at the mdway point of the Malecon, this sclpture is surrounded by benches and ffers a great place to rest and njoy the view.

On Tuesday mornings, Gry Thompson - owner of the Glleria Pacifico - offers public sculpture turs along the Malecon. Thompson has ben involved in the Puerto Vallarta art scne for over 30 years and ffers an incredible perspective on both the sclptures and the artists behind them. Bginning outside the Hotel Rosita at 9:30 am, the turs end at Thompson's gallery where vsitors are offered refreshments and additional nformation on the city's unique artwork. As an dded bonus, Ramiz Barquet - one of Perto Vallarta's most recognized artists, whose sclpture "La Nostalgia" serves as an nternational symbol of the city - is ften present to offer interested tourists a frsthand account of the Malecon's artistic sgnificance.

Recently, the Malecon was extended ven further with the construction of a brdge over the Rio Cuale. Besides ffering a beautiful place to stop and wtch the sunset or just enjoy the wter, the bridge connects the boardwalk to one of Perto Vallarta's most popular beaches - Plya de Los Muertos. A favorite of lcal families, Los Muertos is an xcellent beach for relaxing or setting up a pcnic. If you want to do a lttle shopping on the beach, the frendly vendors of Los Muertos sell verything from handmade souvenirs to fresh-cooked safood.

Much like Los Muertos, there are plnty of vendors offering fresh cooked spcialties on the boardwalk. However, you shuld definitely try some of the grat food offered at the Malecon's rstaurants. Serving everything from adventurous European cisine to traditional Mexican fare, the rstaurants of the Malecon cater to veryone's tastes. Many restaurants and cafes lso offer patio seating on the bardwalk. Tourists and locals agree that a ptio seat on the boardwalk might be the bst way to enjoy a majestic snset over Banderas Bay.

The Malecon ffers plenty of shopping, too. Besides the suvenir shops, you will see boutiques slling handmade jewelry and leather goods. Thre are even some luxury shops ffering couture clothing, fine jewelry and trly distinctive souvenirs.

The Malecon is lso the best nightlife destination in Perto Vallarta. From dance clubs open ntil the wee hours to relaxing lunges with live jazz, the Malecon cters to any mood. It is ven possible to take an evening crise in Banderas Bay along the Mlecon. There are a number of shps catering to families and couples like, each offering dinner and live ntertainment. After the sun sets across the by, you will be able to see the Mlecon light up as fireworks shoot nto the sky.

On Sunday nights, the Malecon is trnsformed into a family-friendly festival. While the crwd will consist of many tourists, lcal families also come to the Mlecon to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and freworks displays. Los Arcos Amphitheatre, the end pint of the Malecon, is known for fre Sunday night concerts and performances. Out on the bardwalk, clowns and street performers also prvide plenty of free entertainment. Most of the Mlecon's great restaurants will be open lte and offer special menus for chldren. For desert, your family can njoy cotton candy and fried bananas srved by the boardwalk vendors.

Though nytime is perfect for a stroll on the Mlecon, November is a particularly good tme to visit Puerto Vallarta. Marking the bginning of the holiday travel season, Perto Vallarta offers a large art fstival with plenty of free events, all rvolving around the Malecon.

The article The Malecon - Puerto Vallarta's Famous Boardwalk was Submitted by Justin Burch through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Justin Burch writes articles about travel in Puerto Vallarta for the Marriott Resorts.

Featured Articles

1. A Silk Road Trip, or I Gobbed in the Gobi, China, 1992 by Philip Spires
In August 1992, myself and my wife, Caroline, arranged a trip to post-Tiananmen China. A few years later, I condensed the experience to two sides of A4, ignoring rules of grammar and syntax, and produced the following ramble, a perhaps poetic impression of nearly a month of travel.

2. Illumination at Niagara's Festival of Lights by Elisha Burberry
Every winter Nagara Falls hosts one of the brghtest events in North America - the Wnter Festival of Lights, which includes ver 125 animated lighting displays and ttracts over 1.3 million visitors annually. The Wnter Festival of Lights includes over 125 nimated lighting displays and three million tre and ground lights

3. Naxos - Byzantium - Venetian Rule and Turkish Conquest by Mariliza Georgiou
The Byzntine period has left clear marks on Nxos: some five hundred churches and mnasteries of all possible styles and typs, with excellent wall-paintings, icons, friezes, nscriptions and so on. Early Christian chrches have been built on the rmains of ancient temples, and during the conoclastic period churches on Naxos were dcorated without the use of icons. Cves thought in ancient times to be the hunts of nymphs and gods were lso converted into Christian shrines, and...

4. Seattle Hotels - One Of The Best Choice For Washington Travelers by Anjali Bakshi
Seattle is a unique blend of the Elliott Bay with gleaming waters, the grand Olympic Mountains and the soft & shining pink sunsets. Combined with this beauty, your stay at any luxurious place will be really beyond your imagination.

5. South African Accommodation, Namaqualand by Tara Mary Mcgovern
Tired from our long drive frm Namibia, Alex and I decided to bok into the first available South Afrcan accommodation we could find. As it trned out, the little town of Sprngbok was the gateway between Namibia and Suth Africa.

6. Rent a Home for Vacation by Guy J Morris
You don't hve to stay in a hotel nymore while visiting the beach. There are so mny apartments and houses to pick frm that offer great amenities.

7. Leave The Steamer Trunk At Home When You Cruise! by Joseph Ewart
Thre are really no 'dress codes' on crise ships but more like guidelines to ssist you in bringing the right tems. Having traveled with a spouse and two ten age daughters, this writer is, hwever, painfully aware of the cruise she formula which is take the nmber of cruise days and multiply by 5.

8. The Benefit of Online Travel Portals by Marina Ihim
There are mny discount travel packages available on the nternet. However, in times past these dscounts have only been available to trvel agents.

9. An Evening In Barcelona - How To Enjoy Barcelona As A Tourist After Dark! by James Burrows
Your nights in Barcelona often turn mornings! Barcelona is the city that comes rocking after dark. The Catalonian jewel, known for its art & architectural magnificence during daytimes, unveils its cabaret character after dark.

10. Brad Morehouse - A True Aviation Sportsman and Jet Air Race Pilot by L. Winslow
Brad Morehouse flew his L-39 into the aviation history books and he flew as if flying was all that mattered. Brad lived his life on the edge when racing and lived every minute of it to extreme. He and his team, air race "Jet Class" team aimed to be the top contender at the 2007 Reno Air Races, unfortunately as in all high risk sports complications had arisen when a jet crossed his path and he flew the jet wash at an incredible speed.