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Puerto Vallarta General Information
The following are general notes about little things one need
know if one is going to spend any time here.
Metric Conversions
inch x 25.4 = millimeter
inch x 2.54 = centimeter
foot x .3048 = meter
yard x .9144 = meter
mile x 1.6093 = kilometer
quart x .9463 = liter
gallon x .004 = cubic meter
ounce x 28.3495 = gram
pound x .4563 = kilogram
millimeter x .0394 = inch
centimeter x .394 = inch
meter x 3.2808 = foot
meter x 1.0936 = yard
kilometer x .6214 = mile
liter x 1.0567 = gallon
cubic meter x 284.2 = ounce
kilogram x 2.2046 = pound
Women’s Dress Equivalent Sizes
USA Mexico
6
30
8 32
10
34
12 36
14
38
16 40
Men’s Shirt Equivalent Sizes
USA
Mexico
14
36
14.5
37
15
38
15.5
39
16
40
16.5
41
Shoe Equivalent Sizes
USA Mexico
5
3
6
4
7
5
8
6
9
7
10
8
Mexican Federal Holidays
Jan. 1 – New
Years
Feb. 5 – Constitution Day
Mar. 21
– Benito Juarez Day
May 1 –
Labor Day
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo
Sept. 16 – Independence Day
Nov. 20 – Revolution Day
Dec. 1 (every 6th year) Change
of Presidents
Paying Bills
All bills can be paid at a bank, at the establishment issuing
the bill or you can look on the back of the billing statement
for a list of which stores such as Gigante, Leys or Mega will
accept your payment. Payments are NOT mailed. Most bills are
hand delivered to the address receiving the service. (with the
exception of telephone and bank statements). If you have not
received a bill (telephone, electric, cable) by normal billing
date, it is your responsibility to go to the office and pay the
bill. Your service will be cut off if bill is not paid, even if
you have not received a bill.
Telephone System (AKA Recent History of Telefonos de Mexico-Telmex
Up until 3 years ago, Puerto Vallarta phone numbers consisted of
only 5 numbers…and our area code was (3). Life was simple.
With the enormous growth we have experienced in recent years,
Telmex (Mexican national phone company monopoly) realized they
were quickly running out of numbers. They then added the 22
prefix in front of all five-digit phone numbers. In other
words, if your phone number was 2-1890, it became 222-1890. It
took us a while but we got the hang of it after hearing the
Telmex recording over and over.
Once they thought we could handle this leap, they then changed
area codes throughout Mexico, changing Puerto Vallarta from the
old (3) area code to the new (322) area code. One word to
describe it…BEDLAM! All those wayward 2’s running loose
confused everyone. Change comes slowly to those of us caught in
the baby boomer vortex.
Now, those wonderful cell phones that everyone has these days
are another challenge. If you are in Puerto Vallarta, and call
someone’s cell phone who lives here, you must dial the 044
prefix, then the area code and the 7-digit number. If you are
calling from the USA, Canada or another part of Mexico, you drop
the 044 prefix. For example,
Here is a sample cell phone number…
(322) 296-1543.
From PV you dial: 044 (322) 296-1543
From Mexico City: 01(322) 296-1543
From USA or Canada: 011-52-(322) 296-1543
(You can certainly understand why any person not working for
Telmex would become confused.)
In Mexico he who calls a cell phone pays, not both parties.
If you are making a national call (inside of Mexico), you must
dial the 01 access code before the area code and 7-digit phone
number (8 digit in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey, i.e.
01-(33) 3911-1051).
If you are dialing a number in the USA or Canada, you must dial
the 001 access code before the area code and 7-digit phone
number. If you wish to make a collect call (por cobrar), dial
090, wait for message in English and push the number 2 as
indicated for English language assistance.
If you need local directory assistance, you dial 040 and hope
your lucky streak is holding.
Okay, we are almost through with the phone stuff. One more
thing though, if you are trying to dial an 800 number in the USA
or Canada from here, you must dial instead, the 001 prefix, then
880, then the 7 digit phone number. Some 800 numbers up north
are only valid within their country boundaries, such as some
airline reservation numbers. Although these calls are toll free
up north, they are charge calls here.
A great way to call home inexpensively is to go to
one of the Internet cafes in town, which use a consolidator.
They have very economical long-distance rates. Café.com on the
corner of Basilio Badillo and Olas Altas provides this service.
If you wish to get phone service at your home, refer to the
Telephone Section of this book.
Mexican Addresses and what they mean
In reading this book you might become confused by
some of the addresses and how they read. Here is a
quick lesson:
Street addresses always begin with the name of the street,
followed by the house number, then the apartment number. Then,
there will usually be the Colonia (which are designated
neighborhoods in cities), abbreviated as Col., then the city,
state, and the 5 digit CP code very similar to the zip code up
north. Here is a sample address:
Sr. Armadillo’s Bar and Grill
Juarez 113, local A
Col. Centro
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, MX 48390
General
Information about Puerto Vallarta
Location: Latitude: 20 degrees, 36
seconds
North Longitude: 105 degrees, 20 seconds West.
Climate:
sub-tropical,
Rainy Season:
June through October
Average rainfall
(last 5 years): 93.14 inches
Time Zone:
Central
Daylight Saving Time:
at present same as United States
Population:
2000 Census 250,000 inhabitants
Legal Foreign Population:
about 7,000, 3,500 US, 2,500 Canadian and 1,000 other-Asian,
European and Latin American
A. Brief History of Puerto Vallarta
300 B.C.-Pre-Colombian settlements
900-1200A.D. The Aztatlan Civilization. It was
agricultural based, but also known for its fine pottery.
Excavations have been done in Ixtapa (just north of the airport.
See Rio Cuale Archaeology Museum for more information.
1525- Discovery and naming of Bahia de Banderas by
Francisco Cortes de Buenaventura, nephew of Hernan Cortes.
1851-December 12, Don Guadalupe Sanchez and his
15-year-old wife, Ambrosia and family members, settled
at the mouth of the Rio Cuale. In honor of the
Virgin of Guadalupe (still celebrated December 12), Sanchez
named the settlement Las Penas de Santa Maria de Guadalupe.
1918-May 31 The Jalisco State Congress officially
declared Las Penas a municipality and changed its name
to Puerto Vallarta in honor of noted statesman Ignacio L.
Vallarta.
1955- Gringo Gulch area received its name 1963-
Filming of ‘Night of the Iguana’.
1968- May 31, The Jalisco State Congress officially
declared Puerto Vallarta a city .
1968 Highway
connecting Compostela with Puerto Vallarta is completed.
1970- August 20,
Historic meeting of Mexican President Gustavo Diaz
Ordaz and US President Richard Nixon. International
airport inaugurated. First Federal Electric Plant
inaugurated.
2001- May 31, 150th
Anniversary of founding of Puerto Vallarta.
2002-October 26,
Hurricane Kenna tidal surge destroyed the historic
Arches and Malecon (Seawall).
2002- December 1
Arches rebuilt and amphitheater inaugurated for Arts
Festival.
2002-December 31
Malecon finished officially re- opened.
For more information
in English see:
‘Puerto Vallarta,
My Memories’, by Catalina Montes de Oca, 2003, University of
Guadalajara or ‘Puerto Vallarta, Hidden Paradise’, by
Carlos Mungia Fregoso, 1996.
Both books are
available for reading at the Puerto Vallarta Public
Library, Francisco Villa 1001, Colonia Los Mangos.
Mungia’s book can be purchased at the Library, Montes de Oca
at the Auditorium Office, CUC, University of
Guadalajara, Ixtapa.
B.
Puerto Vallarta
Weather patterns
Myth has it that it is easy to predict the weather…
hot, wet, and humid in the summer and cool and dry
in the winter. Easy! But with El Nino and La Nina
peak years, it can be unpredictable. Each year is
unique in the time of day the summer rains come, but most
days have sunny periods. Rest assured that the following
general guidelines hold. A few anomalies are always
bound to crop up just when you were planning that sunny day
on the bay.
Mid November through Mid April
Weather is cooler during this time, ranging from a
high of 80F to a low of 60F(Fahrenheit) with no
more than 60% humidity. The sun shines day after
day and the water temperature cools off nicely. We
sometimes have several gray days in February with
light showers. It is a regular occurrence but nothing
serious enough to spoil your holiday.
Here are average monthly temperatures for this time.
Nov. Dec. Jan.
Feb. Mar. Apr.
H-79F 79 74 76 76 77
L-68F 66 67 66 68 72
Mid April to Mid November
In mid April a switch gets flipped and the
temperature rises noticeably. It continues to get
hotter in small degrees up to June/July when it starts to
rain every afternoon. The sun generally shines up
until 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Then, a deluge begins complete
with a spectacular sound and light show over the bay.
The rains cool the air
considerably, making living here tolerable in the
summer. The rainy season continues through
October.
Here are average monthly temperatures for these
months.
May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct.
H-81F 83 84 86 86 84
L-71 72 73 76 77 76
E.
Distances from everywhere
Puerto Vallarta to:
Bucerias 15 miles
Boca de Tomatlan 17
Chico’s Paradise 15
Las Palmas 22
Punta de Mita 46
Rincon de Guaya. 40
Sayulita 27
San Blas 104
San Francisco 32
Guadalajara 216
Tijuana 1,559
Mexicali 1,173
Puerto
Vallarta Commonly Needed Phone
Numbers
A. Puerto Vallarta Emergency
Numbers
Ambulance 222-1533
Air Ambulance
(Global) 226-1010
Fire Department (Bomberos)
224-7701
Gas leak
222-2551
or
222-5343
Municipal Police (Policía) 060 or 222-0123 or
221-2258
Power Outages (CFE) 071
Tourist Safety 01-800-90-392
Traffic Police
224-8484
Water/ Sewer (SEAPAL) 226-9191
B.
Puerto Vallarta
Consumer Numbers
Consumer Affairs (PROEFCO) 225-0000 or
225-0018
City Hall (Palacio Municipal) 223-2500
Immigration (Migracion) 224-7653
or 221-1380
Port Captain(Capitania del Puerto) 224-0427
C.
Puerto Vallarta
Hospitals
Hospital CMQ 223-1919
Medasist 223-0444 or
223-0656
Hospital Intermedia Versalles 224-9292
Hospital San Javier Marina 226-1010
D.
Puerto Vallarta
Airlines
Airport
221-1325
Aeromexico
221-1055 or
221-1204
Alaska Airlines
221-1350 or
01-880-426-0333
America West 221-1333 or
001-880-235-9292
American
Airlines 221-1799
Air
Canada 221-1212
Canadian Holidays 221-0736
Continental 221-1025
Mexicana 221-1040 or
224-8900
Aero taxis de la Bahia
221-1990
Aerotron 221-1921
E.
Puerto Vallarta
Consulates
American Consular Agency
222-0069
FAX: 223-0074
Zaragoza #160, 2nd Floor
Right on the main plaza
Consular Agent: Kelly Trainer de O.
Canadian Consular Agency
293-0098
223-0099
After hours 01(800)706-2900
Edificio Obelisco
Fco. Medina Ascencio 1951, Local 108
Honorary Consular Agent: Lyne Benoit
New Resident Information
A. Puerto Vallarta Immigration (Migracion)
What can I say? It is a lot like going to the dentist…, you
would rather eat bugs than have to go, but, you know you must.
Actually, Immigration services have improved dramatically in the
last few years. As long as you have all the documents they
require, you should have few, if any problems. Plus, they speak
English! In fact, it is now so easy you don’t need an attorney
to do it for you!
So here is everything you always wanted to know about the state
of being legally in Mexico.
There are 3 types of immigration documents available to foreign
citizens.
A1. FM-T
En route to your arrival in Mexico (usually by airplane), you
are given an FM-T, more commonly known as a “Tourist Card”. At
the point of entry an immigration officer will mark on the FM-T
the number of days you will be allowed to remain in Mexico
(anywhere from 30 to 180 days) and hand it back to you.
This is perfectly fine for most of you who are vacationing
here. However, should you need to extend your stay (say maybe
for the rest of your life…), it is necessary to go to
immigration for an extension.
It is very important that you safeguard this document with your
passport and other valuables, as you will need to present it to
your airline ticket agent upon your departure from Mexico.
Should you accidentally leave your valuables in a taxi or
elsewhere, you will need to go to your consulate for a special
letter, which will allow you to leave Mexico.
A2. FM-3
FM-3s’ are Resident Tourist Visas that are valid for one year.
They must be renewed 30 days prior to the expiration date.
There are basically three scenarios where you will need a FM-3
(Resident Non-Immigrant Visa).
a. If you plan to stay in Mexico longer than 180 days, you
will need a FM-3.
i.
If you buy real estate and wish to qualify for capital
gains tax exemptions, you must have a FM-3 with the address of
the property you own, for at least 6 months prior to selling
your real estate.
ii.
If you wish to work in Mexico, you will also need a FM-3
with permission to work.
A3. FM-2
FM-2 is a Permanent Resident Visa that is the precursor to
Mexican Citizenship, ‘Inmigrado’ status. Immigration says that
one must have had a FM-3 for 5 years prior to application for
FM-2. (This is not always the case.)
A4. HOW TO APPLY FOR A FM-3 IN
YOUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
If you live near a Mexican Consulate in your country of origin,
you can apply there. However, requirements there will differ
from those in Puerto Vallarta, so check with them before
applying. In some cases the consulate may attempt to discourage
you, saying that you don’t need a FM-3. Why? I have no idea.
However, you must stand your ground and, if you are a property
owner in Mexico, bring along a copy of the title of your real
estate (escritura) for them to review and keep. Be sure and
alert them to the fact that you will not be eligible for the
exemption from the “impuestos sobre de la renta” (a.k.a.
Capital Gains Taxes) without it. If this fails, just use it as
another excuse to make another trip to Puerto Vallarta….like you
needed an excuse, right?
NOTE: If you get an FM-3 outside of Mexico, you MUST register
it with immigration here in Puerto Vallarta within 30 days of
your entry into Mexico. Also, all subsequent FM-3 renewals must
be made in Mexico at the Immigration Office where registered.
A5. HOW TO APPLY FOR A FM-3 IN
PUERTO VALLARTA
You can apply here in Puerto Vallarta at the local immigration office if you
have the following documents:
i.
Photos- Black and White only
3 frontal photos and 3 profile photos
I recommend the following photo studio for these:
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