North End of the Malecon - Where Time Begins

A stop on Puerto Vallarta: Malecon and Old Town, a free self-guided tour.

You are at the start of the Malecon, the seaside promenade that is Puerto Vallarta's front porch. From here it runs south along Banderas Bay, lined with palms, benches and more than a dozen pieces of public art, to the Rio Cuale.

The Malecon has been rebuilt more than once. Hurricane Kenna battered it in 2002, and a redesign in 2011 gave most of the promenade over to people on foot. Today locals jog here at dawn, families stroll in the evening, and on weekends you will see street performers and sand sculptors along the beach.

The tall bronze beside you is Millennia, by the sculptor Mathis Lidice, installed in 2001. It is an allegory of time, spiraling upward from the sea through human history, with faces that include Charlemagne, the poet-king Nezahualcoyotl and the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl. Walk around it slowly and see how many figures you can find before you head south.

Getting here: This is the starting point, on the ocean side of the Malecon next to the Hotel Rosita, at the foot of Calle 31 de Octubre.

Did you know?: Millennia stands about 7.3 meters tall, which makes it one of the tallest sculptures along the Malecon.

Photo op: Stand on the beach side and shoot up at Millennia with the palms and blue sky behind it.

More on Wikipedia: Bahia de Banderas · Hurricane Kenna

North End of the Malecon - Where Time Begins

Stops on this tour