Gringo Gulch - Where Hollywood Came to Stay
A stop on Puerto Vallarta: Malecon and Old Town, a free self-guided tour.
This steep, leafy hillside above the Rio Cuale got its nickname in the 1950s, when American artists and writers began building homes here. Gulch fit the ravine, and gringo was a teasing name for the northern newcomers. Look for plaques naming Guillermo Wulff, a builder who designed many of the houses.
Then came The Night of the Iguana. In 1963 John Huston filmed it at Mismaloya, south of town, starring Richard Burton. Elizabeth Taylor came along, and their romance drew reporters from around the world. Burton bought a house here on Calle Zaragoza, now called Casa Kimberly, and the couple later added a house across the street, joined by the arched bridge above you, once painted pink.
The houses are private property, and Casa Kimberly is now a hotel, so enjoy them from the public street. Look up at the bridge and imagine the photographers who once waited on these steps.
Getting here: From the church, walk uphill and south a couple of blocks along Calle Zaragoza until you see the bridge across the street. Expect steep cobblestones and steps.
Did you know?: Taylor was not in The Night of the Iguana; the female leads were Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr and Sue Lyon.
Photo op: From the street, frame the arched bridge spanning Calle Zaragoza between the two white houses.
More on Wikipedia: Gringo Gulch · Elizabeth Taylor · Richard Burton · The Night of the Iguana
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