Our Lady of Guadalupe - The Church With a Crown
Photo: Feedmepaperr, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
A stop on Puerto Vallarta: Malecon and Old Town, a free self-guided tour.
Look up. The tower of the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe is topped not by a dome or a cross but by an enormous open crown, held aloft by a ring of angels. It is the town's skyline signature, visible from all over the bay.
The parish is tied to Puerto Vallarta's birth: the first settlers founded Las Penas on December 12, 1851, the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The church you see grew over the early and middle 1900s, and the crown, designed by the sculptor Carlos Terres, came later. On October 9, 1995, a strong earthquake shook it off the tower, and the crown you see today is a replacement.
A popular story says the crown copies one worn by Empress Carlota, wife of Maximilian; local historians say that is a myth. Step inside quietly if it is open, and if you visit in early December, watch for the daily processions honoring the Virgin.
Getting here: Walk one block inland from the plaza along Calle Independencia to the church on Calle Hidalgo.
Did you know?: Eight angels support the crown, which is about 10 meters across.
Photo op: Stand at the end of the street leading uphill to the church and frame the tower and crown at the top of the view.
More on Wikipedia: Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe · Our Lady of Guadalupe
Stops on this tour
- North End of the Malecon - Where Time Begins
- Nostalgia - The Sculpture the Town Paid For
- Rotunda of the Sea - Thrones You Can Sit On
- The Boy on the Seahorse - Vallarta's Emblem
- Los Arcos - Arches From a Hacienda
- Main Plaza and City Hall - The Heart of Old Vallarta
- Our Lady of Guadalupe - The Church With a Crown
- Gringo Gulch - Where Hollywood Came to Stay
- Isla Cuale - An Island in the River
- Zona Romantica - Old Town South of the River
- Los Muertos Beach and Pier - The Sail at Sunset