La Isla Shopping Village in Puerto Vallarta is a Beautiful Outdoor Shopping Mall With Something For Everyone
La Isla Has Many High End Stores including Hugo Boss, The Mac Store, Forever 21, Calvin Klein, The United Colors of Benetton, Guess and Tommy Hilfiger, a Rolex store and more. Much more.
The Estero Salado is In Danger of Being The Next Victim in Real Estate Developement in Vallarta
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Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
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That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta’s Oldest Restaurant on the famous Los Muertos Beach, and The El Dorado Restaurant and Beach Club right next door so you can enjoy that fantastic view of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors, or during the day in its grand splendor for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends.
Contact Information For La Isla Shopping Village Puerto Vallarta
- Address: Francisco Medina Ascencio 2479, Zona Hotelera
- Phone: 01 (322) 6881 453
- Website La Isla Shopping Village: http://www.laislapuertovallarta.com.mx/?fbclid=IwAR256bltrLdT2tVrt8qp01_o0gWaab0o22ash9Ttr9B-THr_B_2ScESfayI
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaIslaPuertoVallartaOficial/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laislavallarta/
This Week we are going shopping…in a Mall, a lovely outdoor shopping Mall called La Isla Shopping Village, and you will meet the marketing director of La Isla Patricia Dosal, but before we get to Patty, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 16th of February, 2020. Happy day after Valentine’s Day to you…
Hearts on The Malecon
Speaking of Valentine’s day, there is a lovely display of hearts on the Malecon….let’s read from Vallarta Opina
Artists cover Malecon with impressive giant painted hearts
vallartaopinaenlinea.com February 14, 2020
José Reyes Burgos
Puerto Vallarta
This week a different panorama has surprised both tourists and local people on the Malecon of Puerto Vallarta. And, in addition to the outdoor sculptures and the excellent view of the bay, a series of giant hearts made of fiberglass and painted have captivated all walkers.
It is an exhibition of 29 pieces in the form of heart, each painted with an illustrative relief of some city, town or moment, traditional of Mexico. It is actually the work “From the heart for the world”, organized by the committee of the Magical Towns, Tlaquepaque Late and the Tourism Directorate of Puerto Vallarta.
The series of hearts are artistically painted each with a different scene or relief; from the temple of Guadalupe, dolphins and jumping fish, people with traditional costumes, including LGBT, Mismaloya arches, among others, which were painted by skilled Jalisco artists.
These hearts were installed on February 12 and will be there until March 28. But this Sunday, February 16, there will be a special music festival in the arches of the Malecon itself. For the realization of the figures, the artists had support from the University Center of the Coast of the University of Guadalajara. And I have a link to the article in the shownotes with pictures of these lovely hearts.
How do Mexicans celebrate Valentine’s Day?
It’s called El Dia de San Valentin or El Dia de Amor Y La Amistad, a day of love and friendship, and it’s celebrated much like it is in the States but it isn’t all about lovers, although there’s that too, it’s about appreciation for your friends too. So there’s the romantic dinners yes, but lots of big balloons, flowers, and friends appreciating each other. Oh, and 100,000 condoms too…here’s an article from the Jerusalem post dateline Mexico City….
Mexico City hands out 100,000 condoms ahead of Valentine’s Day
https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Mexico-City-hands-out-100000-condoms-ahead-of-Valentines-Day-617585
Celebrating ‘International Condom Day’ on Feb. 13, sexual safety campaigners from AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) organization launched their campaign using the “Condom use is sexy” tagline.
Residents in Mexico’s sprawling capital were encouraged to play it safe on Valentine’s Day, as 100,000 condoms were distributed across the city’s metro stations on Thursday in the run up to the annual love fest.
Dozens of volunteers, some dressed as garish-colored condoms, dished out packets of rubber protection across 24 metro stations as part of a campaign to prevent venereal diseases, rising HIV infections across Mexico and unwanted pregnancies.
The article goes on the not…
Only 15% of Mexican couples use condoms, according to AHF, and the organization wants to break the “taboo” around the use of condoms.
And I have a link to that article in the shownotes….so take care this Valentine’s day earthling….don’t be a statistic.
Butterfly Conservationist Protest in Vallarta
Last week I talked about the butterfly activist who was found dead in Michoacán, Homero Gomez Gonzalez, well there’s a planned demonstration in Puerto Vallarta for February 16th in Plaza de Armas in Vallarta, right next to City Hall, from 7 till 9.. the post reads….
We demand justice!
For the environmental activist Homero Gómez González known as guardian of the monarch butterflies that was killed a few weeks ago and for all the Mexican environmental activists who have been killed in their fight for the environment. We demand the protection of the Monarch Butterfly and the Activists!
We invite you to LA VIGILIA, please bring candles
AND POSTERS FOR A PEACEFUL MANIFESTATION Protest
So again that’s this Sunday February 16th in Plaza de Armas in Vallarta, right next to City Hall, from 7 till 9.
RISE Vallarta is Having A Fashion Show
Rise, one of our favorite orphanages in Puerto Vallarta is having a Fashion Show.
RISE for FASHION – is a charity Fashion Show luncheon to raise money for RISE operations and education. Partnered with Deja New and Di Vino Dante – you will enjoy a delicious lunch and mocktail while buying the clothes on the models! February 24th 11:00 am-1:00 pm. Tickets are $450 pesos and available at Deja New, DiVino Dante, Salon Malecon, RISE or contact lisa@RISEPV.com
And remember that Rise is on the Rise
Chili Cookoff Feb 22
The 2020 edition of the PV Chili Cook-Off (our 8th annual) will feature something for everyone. The move to Parque Parota will allow us up to 30 Chili vendors, each with their own 3m x 3m space. New for 2020: the Jay Sadler Beer Garden, Murphy’s Craft Beer Bar, Manny’s Bloody Mary Bar, the Twisted Palms Martini Bar, the Nacho Daddy Cocktail Lounge, the El Torito Rib Station, Fish Tacos by Pescadito, comida from Tacos Revolution, ice cream from Helartesano, and desert from PV Cupcakes. And on our stage some of the best musical groups from the Vallarta area. A full, fun day for the entire family.
Now Parque Parota is in the Hotel Zone almost across from where we are going for the interview, kitty corner from La Isla Mall, and I have a map and links to the event, the Chili cookoff…in the shownotes.Don’t miss it, February 22nd.
Vandalism at Vallarta Mosaic Letters
I saw an article written by Emily Murray, Emily writes a couple of blogs, one is for Tile Park, Parque de Los Azulejos in Lazaro Cardenas Park, Nat Moraga’s project to tile the entire park in mosaic tile. And I didn’t know that one of Natasha’s projects, was vandalized, actually destroyed…. Let me read her blog….she writes…
Creation and Destruction and Creation
phoe·nix /ˈfēniks/ noun
(in classical mythology) a unique bird that lived for five or six centuries in the Arabian desert, after this time burning itself on a funeral pyre and rising from the ashes with renewed youth to live through another cycle.
Five years ago, Natasha was in the midst of a new project: the now-famous giant PUERTO VALLARTA letters. If you’re unfamiliar with them, they are on the highway as you enter the city. On a good day, they look like this:
But a couple of weeks ago, news broke of the letters being heavily vandalized. The damage is severe, the letters are a total loss. It appears that someone took a hammer to them, destroying the sheet rock-type material that the tiles are mounted on. It seems very personal. The vandals certainly seem angry. They left the scene a complete mess:
This quickly turned into another one of those “is it bad or is it good?” moments. Sure, it feels personal. As Nat put it the day after it happened, “someone really doesn’t like me”. It felt really bad the day it happened, and the next day too. That project represents 10+ months of real blood, sweat and tears kind of work, and it was also one of her first commissioned pieces. There’s a lot wrapped up in those letters.
But in 2015 when she was commissioned to do them, it wasn’t the happiest time in her life. Perhaps you have certain photos of yourself… you look at it and are instantly reminded that you weren’t in a great head space, in a comfortable time of your life. For you, it’s like it’s stamped right on your forehead. Everyone says “this is a great photo of you!”, and they mean it. It is a fine photo. But you’ve got the whole picture. You know what’s just out of the frame. The letters have always been something like that for Natasha.
When the vandalism was discovered there were certainly some tears, frustration, and a lot of sadness. But then, the quick realization that the letters never really did reflect her true soul as an artist. So that sadness was somewhat muted, at least.
The initial project represented a lot of time and effort. It wasn’t just Nat on the project, so if you really look at all that went into it, it’s a lot of man hours and materials. She was pretty sure they’d just re-do them with a simple paint job or something, but soon the call came: the city wanted her to do the honors, if she would.
WOULD SHE?!?
This is even better than having to move on, and just gracefully let go of the letters. This is a real do-over. This is like a chance to go back and take the photograph again, to smile genuinely, from deep inside. Like you really mean it, because now you actually do.
The years since the letters were completed have been a whirlwind, to put it mildly. As her career has continued to blossom, so too has Nat’s personal life. Toxic distractions need not apply, there is too much to get done. In that way it has become a cycle that feeds on itself, and more good just keeps pouring in.
Now she’s in a place to really give Vallarta something special. And soon, part two will begin in earnest. Just like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Emily Murray February 13th, 2020
So wow, the first thought for me was, how could this happen? But I remember our first interview with Natasha she told us about how difficult the project was, remember? How people would drive past and say stupid mean stuff. Remember? Let’s go back and listen …..
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Anyway, I’m sure the letters will be beautiful when it’s rebuilt, and thanks Emily for the very thoughtful article. Emily also writes a blog called the Changing Room, and maybe one day she’ll talk Yoga with me on the show.
Emily’s Bolg….
https://thechangingroom.blog/author/emilysbigadventure/
The Estero is in Peril
From an article in Vallarta Independiente….Translated from Spanish….
This Monday begins the consultation to define the future of Estero El Salado 847
BY MILTON COLMENARES IN FEBRUARY 12, 2020LOCAL , MAIN
The UMA, the presidency, the estuary, La Aurora and El Pitillal, will be the places where the consultation will take place; It will be from February 17 to 23.
The future of Estero El Salado is in the hands of the Vallartans and from Monday, February 17 to Sunday 23 of the same month, final consultations will be held in different parts of the city.
After the discussion tables that were held in October 2019, the consultations are ready and it will be the population of Vallarta who decides if the estuary stays as it is or if there will be real estate development within their land.
Below we show you the table with the dates, times and locations of the consultation:
Now I had been told about this a couple of weeks back by a friend and was surprised when he told me the Estero was in danger of becoming part of the continuing real estate boom, so I went back to find anything at all about this and this article is from a July 19th article 2019 in the Puerto Vallarta Daily News….titled…
ESTERO EL SALADO THREATENED BY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT IN PUERTO VALLARTA
There is a growing number of people concerned about protecting the natural area of Estero El Salado, with its primary threat being real estate interests in Puerto Vallarta.
President of the National Association, “Confío en México,” Salvador Cosío Gaona, urged the authorities not to be tempted to grant permits, warning that there are already pacts for future construction of buildings and tourist developments in that area.
“In meetings that I have had, I know that the Governor of the State and groups of investors are planning to start a development similar to what was once Marina II. It aims to provide resources to El Salado in exchange for delivering land in a protected area, in the ecotourism estate”.
The former candidate for the governorship of Jalisco announced that in the coming days he will convene a forum of experts, activists, professionals and together undertake a defense strategy for El Salado.
He suggests that the recent State Government takeover of the protected area is a stunt to hide the transfer of land for commercial development, and the community must be aware of the trap and be on guard to avoid losing this protected area in a project disguised as social interest.
Cosío Gaona also said that Thursday’s overturning of a bus with a balance of 15 people killed on the Tepic-Puerto Vallarta highway, which left the city incommunicado due to the closure of arteries, may have been avoided.
He called urgently the rehabilitation of the Ameca-Mascota-San Sebastian-Las Palmas-Vallarta highway, poorly built in the Government of former Governor Francisco Ramírez Acuña and forgotten by his successors.
And I have a link to that July, 2019 article in the shownotes.
Next week I’ll have someone on the show to talk more about this. I have a map and pictures and a link to the Facebook and Instagram pages for the Estero in the shownotes.
Okay, enough of this bad news….let’s go shopping shall we?
The La Isla Shopping Village in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
I’m a dude, and generally, I’m not a shopper. But when you go to Mexico, everyone is selling something. Everyone. Time shares, sunglasses, serapes, blankets, Chiclets, lounge chairs, massages, fake tattoos, real tattoos, fake vanilla, real vanilla. When you walk past the curio stalls at the markets, it’s almost always the same stuff. Really.
Contact Information For La Isla Shopping Village Puerto Vallarta
- Address: Francisco Medina Ascencio 2479, Zona Hotelera
- Phone: 01 (322) 6881 453
- Website La Isla Shopping Village: http://www.laislapuertovallarta.com.mx/?fbclid=IwAR256bltrLdT2tVrt8qp01_o0gWaab0o22ash9Ttr9B-THr_B_2ScESfayI
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaIslaPuertoVallartaOficial/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laislavallarta/
Now don’t get me wrong, for every one of those little tiendas that seem to be selling the same things, there are many unique shops and stores in town. Lots. And there are Malls
too. Have you ever been to a mall in Puerto Vallarta? I hadn’t. I’ve driven past them, but never dropped in on one. Then one day I got a call from our next guest Patty Dosal. Patty
is the marketing director of the La Isla Shopping Village in Puerto Vallarta. And Patty is a listener to the podcast and she asked me if I had ever been to La Isla, and I said..no…but I
had often thought to myself that I should check out what was happening there. I pass it every time I come into town for goodness sake.
So, I said why not, I’m guessing that if I had never been to La Isla, most of you have never been there either.
So Patty suggested we meet around 6 in the evening at the Starbucks, and she would give me a tour of the Mall, and then we could sit down and talk about what we had seen.
There are stores like Hugo Boss, The Mac Store, Forever 21, Calvin Klein, The United Colors of Benneton, Guess and Tommy Hilfiger to name a few. A Rolex store and more. Much more.
So let’s go right now to a table next to the Haagen-Dazs Stand and meet the marketing manager Patty Dosal at La Isla Fashion Village in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico…..
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I really liked the visit to the mall. There really is a lot to see there, especially if you have kids. There’s a real carnival.
I also really liked the skyline there too with the tall Grand Venetian condo skyscrapers as backdrops. Very cool. And it’s alongside the Rio Pittllal, and right near the beach as Patty
said. It’s also near a cool beach bar called El Oasis Del Holi. So combine the trip with a trip to La Isla Mall, and then to the beach too. I suggest you go one evening just to try it out. The stores are beautiful and I have lots of pictures of the La Isla Mall in the
shownotes at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
Okay that should do it for this week.
Next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more. Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things
Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.
And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through
him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making
a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really.
And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour.
Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes.
And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more
people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website,
you really need to have a look there. I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.
Thanks to Patty Dosal of La Isla Fashion Village, make sure you add this lovely, destination to your list the next time you come to Puerto Vallarta. The place is beautiful and you’re sure to find a plethora of things to buy and to do. I have pictures and links in the shownotes so don’t La Isla! All right? All right. Follow them on Facebook too!
And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow
down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!