Mango’s Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is Located on Playa Camerones in The Cinco De Diciembre Neighborhood
Mango’s Beach Club Serves Breakfast Lunch and Dinner Right on The Beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Hold Your Special Event,, Wedding, Baby Shower, Birthday Bash at Mango’s Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Visit Museo Morgan at Galeria Coppelia in El Tuito, Mexico
Listen to The Podcast
Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Subscribe On Android Devices
Send Barry an Email
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.
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.
This week we are going to the Cinco de Diciembre neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta to spend some time at the beach. We will be meeting the manager of Mango’s Beach Club Francisco Zuazua Puga, his friends call him Paco. Senior Puga will be telling us about this cool club on the beach. We will be visiting our dear friend Maria Santander at Galleria Coppelia in El Tuito who will tell us about a massive collection of art now at the gallery for sale, painted and created by her brother Morgan, who passed away from cancer about a year and a half ago. It’s another wing of the Gallery dedicated to just his art which is for sale, and she calls it Museo Morgan. We have Vallarta news and more so let’s get started let’s see what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, the 12th of April, 2022.
Contact Information For Mango’s Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Facebook Page Mango’s Beach Club PV
- Instagram Page Mango’s Beach Club PV
- Address: Uruguay 109 Colonia 5 de Diciembre, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Phone: +52 322 222 0796
The Insurgentes Bridge Reopens to Traffic After 7 Months
Nearly seven months since the insurgents bridge in Puerto Vallarta was destroyed by the huge amount of water dumped by hurricane Nora, which flowed from the mountains above Vallarta down the Rio Cuale on the 28th of August, 2021, The new bridge was finally completed this weekend. Let me read from Vallarta Opina…
Governor inaugurates this Friday the new bridge over the Cuale River
BY EDUARDO GARCIA / ON 2022-04-07
The government of the state of Jalisco confirmed the inauguration of the new bridge over the Cuale River, built with 100% state resources for an amount close to 60 million pesos.
It will be the governor of the state of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, who will be in Puerto Vallarta this Friday, where at 10 o’clock in the morning he will lead the official opening of the new vehicular bridge.
The bridge was demolished by the strong flood caused by the effects of hurricane “Nora” during the night of August 28 and early morning of August 29, 2021.
Thus, this Friday a new story will begin with the opening of the new vehicular bridge, after the structure demolished by the rising Cuale River was about to celebrate its 62nd anniversary.
The old bridge was inaugurated on October 3, 1959, it was built in 100 days in a work where the people of Vallarta actively participated under the direction of engineer Marcial Reséndiz Galván.
This Friday, in addition to inaugurating the new bridge over the Cuale River, the Governor of Jalisco will have two more activities in Puerto Vallarta.
At 10:40 a.m., Alfaro will lead the start of the rehabilitation work at the 20 de Noviembre primary school and the announcement of the work at the 21 de Marzo primary school. Teachers, parents and students will be at the event.
At 11:20 a.m., the governor will lead the inauguration of the rehabilitation of the Adolfo López Mateos primary school, in the municipal seat, an event where there will also be teachers, parents and students.
And I have a link to that article from Vallarta Opina in the shownotes
Gobernador inaugura este viernes el nuevo puente sobre el río Cuale
Great job. I especially like the new tunnel that goes under the street, crosses under the bridge to the other side of the Island, making it so much easier to navigate if you want to explore the entire island without having to cross traffic. I wonder who will be painting a mural on those tunnel walls…Hummm.
I have some pics of the construction process in the show notes and Will be taking some video when I get to Vallarta the end of the month and next week I’ll have pics of Governor Alfaro christening the Puente this coming Friday, “”The good Lord willing, and the creek doesn’t rise””. I wonder if he intends to smash a bottle of tequila on the rails or if he will be forced to tone things down and cut a ribbon. Time will tell, stay tuned.
Mexico Had a Special Referendum Election Sunday April 10th
Sunday in Vallarta and all around Mexico was a special election day. It was a very unusual election, let me read from NPR online…
Here’s why Mexico’s president is launching a vote to recall himself
April 9, 20225:02 AM ET
MEXICO CITY — Mexico is holding a first-of-its-kind presidential recall referendum this Sunday. Voters are being asked to decide whether President Andrés Manuel López Obrador should finish out his six-year term — or be removed from office.
While recalls are a common political tool all over the world, normally it’s the opponents of an unpopular leader who call for a recall. But Sunday’s vote was the president’s idea. And polls suggest that he is expected to win.
While campaigning ahead of his landslide victory in 2018, López Obrador pledged to let voters decide at his term’s halfway mark whether he should stay.
Opponents say Sunday’s vote is pure political theater, an expensive farce. They’ve called for a boycott.
Here’s what to know ahead of the referendum.
What exactly is being asked?
Voters will face a two-part question on the ballot: “Do you agree that the mandate of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, president of the United States of Mexico, should be revoked due to a loss of confidence or that he should continue as the president of the republic until the end of his term?”
Voters will have a choice of two boxes to check. One reads: “His mandate should be revoked due to the loss of confidence.” The other: “He should remain in the presidency of the republic.”
There is no other issue on Sunday’s ballot. Despite the president’s popularity and his strong base of support, turnout is expected to be low. For the results to be binding, 40% of registered voters must participate. López Obrador has stated that he will abide by whatever decision voters choose, regardless of turnout.
Why is López Obrador targeting his own presidency this way?
López Obrador says the recall referendum is a powerful tool bolstering direct democracy. His supporters agree — and say while they will vote for this president to stay in office, they hope recalls can be used to throw out future bad leaders.
In his most recent state of the union address, last December, López Obrador told an enthusiastic audience that political leaders should be subjected to recalls, ensuring accountability.
“That way, it’s not like I’m elected for six years and can just do whatever I want, NO, the people must always keep the power in their hands … and any politician who doesn’t obey, then revoke their mandate and throw them out,” he said to thunderous applause.
Why are his critics calling for a boycott of the vote?
Opponents of López Obrador say he is using the recall to shore up support for himself after a string of political scandals. Rising prices and his inability to control Mexico’s staggering violence are chipping away at his popularity.
In calling for a boycott of Sunday’s vote, they’re hoping to deal the president a political loss by denying him the 40% turnout needed to validate the contest.
Many object to the cost of the referendum, too. Known for his fiscal austerity, the president allocated the equivalent of $77 million for it. But election officials say that’s less than half the amount needed to effectively hold the referendum and they worry that they will be blamed if there’s a low turnout.
López Obrador has been very critical of the work of the National Electoral Institute, the autonomous agency responsible for holding national votes. He says it is corrupt and anti-democratic, and should be put under the control of the executive branch. He has even suggested that its directors be subject to popular elections.
Many say López Obrador has never forgiven this agency for validating elections in 2006 that he lost by a small margin. The agency director at the time, Luis Ugalde, now with the Integralia Consultores political consulting firm, says López Obrador’s threats against the electoral institute’s independence are dangerous, as is his constant criticism of nongovernmental groups including independent media and universities.
“Our very young democracy, with a lot [of] deficiencies, is going to collapse,” he says. “That is what is at stake at this moment in Mexico.”
What’s the likely impact of the referendum?
Mexico’s constitution states that presidents can hold office for only one six-year term, with no option of reelection. Now that the president is into the second half of his term, analysts say he fears being treated as a lame duck and wants to be influential in critical midterm elections next year — and the all-important presidential race in 2024.
Carlos Bravo, a political analyst at the Mexico City public research center CIDE, says the referendum will give López Obrador a chance to show off his strong base.
“This is a way for him to say, ‘I’m still strong in spite of all and people support me,'” Bravo says.
It also gives the president the opportunity to see which of his potential presidential candidate picks can best rally voters.
On Wednesday, one of the rising stars in the president’s MORENA party, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, rallied thousands of supporters to get out and vote in favor of López Obrador. Many say she’s López Obrador’s most likely choice to be his successor in 2024.
So very interesting now isn’t it. Reading reports from local newspapers, the voting was very light along the Bay this Sunday.
I have a link to that NPR article in the show notes.
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/09/1091594904/mexico-president-recall-referendum-lopez-obrador-amlo
Remember, about a year ago the former govorner of Jalisco was shot dead at a nightclub in town? Well, looks like police have made another arrest besides the poor employees who were told to clean up the mess before the authorities arrived on scene.. also from Vallarta Opina….
They arrest the partner of the bar where Aristóteles Sandoval was murdered
BY EDUARDO GARCIA / ON 2022-04-10
By Marisela Munoz/Guadalajara
Staff from the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office, in collaboration with the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office, completed this Sunday afternoon two of the arrest warrants that were in force in relation to the events that occurred last December 2020 at the restaurant bar District 5 where the former state governor, Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz, was assassinated.
Derived from field and office work carried out by personnel of the state agency in relation to these events, data was obtained indicating that José Manuel “N”, one of the persons who had current court orders, was in Mexico City. .
For this reason, his capture was carried out by requesting collaboration from the authorities of the country’s capital, moving ministerial personnel to that city.
It was this Sunday afternoon when, as a result of an operation, two current arrest warrants were fulfilled for the crimes of aggravated homicide and cover-up, said subject will be transferred to the state of Jalisco to be placed at the disposal of the control judge who took cognizance of the cause.
Since the State Prosecutor’s Office became aware of the criminal news of the murder of the former state president, various investigative acts have been carried out that have so far allowed 13 convictions for the crime of cover-up against the same number of people who were credited his participation in the alteration of the crime scene.
The work of the State Prosecutor’s Office will continue permanently to find the whereabouts of the remaining two people and complete the current court orders.
The state agency endorsed the commitment to maintain a permanent work in the investigations related to this case, until all those responsible for this fact are brought before the jurisdictional body.
And I have a link to that article from Vallarta Opina in The shownotes….
Detienen al socio del bar en donde fue asesinado Aristóteles Sandoval
Since the incident that restaurant was shut down, shuttered, I think they plan to level it.
How do Mexicans Celebrate The Easter Holiday?
Things are ramping up for Easter festivities coming up this coming Sunday around the world and in Vallarta. And even though over the years we have discussed Easter celebrations, it’s been years…like 2 since any holiday has been properly celebrated in Vallarta with the pandemic and crazy politicians and all. So let’s do a little review. For a quick rundown of how Easter is celebrated in Mexico we go to learn religions.com for this explanation….
In Mexico, the Easter holiday consists of a two-week-long celebration. The Catholics in this country consider Semana Santa, the holy week leading up to Easter, and Semana de Pascua, the week after Easter Sunday, important times for cultural and religious appreciation. Most schools and some businesses close during this time and Mexican nationals flock to the beaches to enjoy time off with their families (an important note for travelers to tourist areas). This is also a time reserved for religious worship by way of processions, special church ceremonies, and rituals that include reenactments of Jesus’s crucifixion.
Semana Santa traditionally runs from Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) to Easter Sunday (Domingo de Pascua), but since students (and some workers) enjoy a two-week break during this time, the week after Easter is also considered part of the national holiday. The date of Easter changes each year and is calculated based on the moon’s cycle and the spring equinox, with Easter falling on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the equinox.
Since Mexico schools have a two-week break surrounding the Easter holiday, this is effectively considered the country’s “spring break.” This time period also coincides with many spring breaks in the United States, as well as other countries located in the Northern Hemisphere. In some areas of Mexico, this springtime reprieve comes during the hottest time of the year, making the beach a magnet for those wanting to escape the hot city. If you plan to travel to Mexico over Easter, be prepared for beachside celebrations, complete with camping, barbecuing, and partying. Many tourist attractions will also be crowded around this time. Be sure to book your hotel, vacation rental, and airline reservations well in advance to assure lower fares and availability.
Processions and passion plays take place all throughout the country, celebrated in different ways in different communities. Large, elaborate Holy Week celebrations can be found en grande in the cities of Taxco, Pátzcuaro, Oaxaca City, and San Cristobal de las Casas.
Palm Sunday – Domingo de Ramos
On the Sunday prior to Easter, known as Palm Sunday, Catholics commemorate the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. According to the Bible, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, while the townspeople laid down palm branches in his path. Many towns and villages in Mexico reenact Jesus’s triumphal entry with a procession, and woven palms are sold outside churches.
Maundy Thursday – Jueves Santo
The Thursday of Holy Week is known as Maundy Thursday, a day that commemorates the washing of the feet of the apostles, the Last Supper, and Jesus’s arrest in Gethsemane. Mexican traditions include visiting seven churches to recall the vigil the apostles kept in the garden while Jesus prayed before his arrest, attending a foot-washing ceremony, and, of course, taking part in a mass with Holy Communion.
Good Friday – Viernes Santo
Good Friday observes the crucifixion of Christ. On this day, solemn religious processions take place in which statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary are carried through towns alongside dramatic recreations of the crucifixion of Christ. Participants often dress in costume depicting the era of Jesus’s life. The largest reenactment takes place in Iztapalapa, south of Mexico City, where over one million people gather every year for the Via Crucis (The Way of the Cross).
Holy Saturday – Sabado de Gloria
Some communities in Mexico still burn an effigy of Judas (to signify his betrayal of Jesus), however, now this tradition has become a festive occasion. Cardboard or papier-mache figures are constructed, sometimes with firecrackers attached, and then burned. Often the Judas figures are made to look like Satan, but sometimes they are made to resemble controversial political figures.
Easter Sunday – Domingo de Pascua
You won’t come across any mention of the Easter Bunny or chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday in Mexico. This is generally a day when people attend mass at a Catholic church and celebrate quietly with their families. However, in some places, festivities include fireworks and jubilant processions with music and dancing.
So there you have it in a large nutshell, Easter in Mexico.
And I have a link to that article in the show notes from Learnreligions.com , in the show notes.
https://www.learnreligions.com/holy-week-and-easter-in-mexico-1588769
So busy times, however I spoke with Salvador Estrada, the Candyman in the wheelchair on the Malecon who told me that things are currently busy, but mostly Mexican Nationals. He said he is hoping to see more Americans and Canadians this week, but says the restaurants are not full, that money is tight and hurry up and get down already you Americans and Canadians…
And I’m counting the days till I return to Paradise, that’s April 27th, just a bit longer than two weeks. I’m so excited.
Galeria Coppelia and Museo Morgan in El Tuito, Cabo Corrientes Mexico
Listen To The Podcast
Okay, let’s get to our first guest shall we?
Contact Information for Galeria Coppelia in El Tuito, Cabo Corrientes, Mexico
- Address: Galeana #2 El Tuito, Cabo Corrientes, Mexico
- Phone: +52 322 269 0210
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GaleriaCoppelia/
WE first visited El Tuito, a town about 50 minutes south from the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta back in February of 2018. Can you believe that?
I have a link to that interview in the show notes where Maria gives us a great description of the town and the people of this ranching town.
Link for Daytrip to El Tuito Below
Link for Part 2 The Road From El Tuito to Mayto and Tehuamixtle by Taxi Below..
And during the pandemic, Maria’s little brother Morgan Santander, died of cancer in early 2020.
Morgan was an incredible artist who was taken way too soon. His work now resides in the Town of El Tuito, at Galleria Coppelia, in it’s own gallery which Maria has called Museo Morgan.
And that is why I came to visit with Maria. To take photos of the gallery and get Morgan’s story from his big sister Maria. But before we get to that discussion, I want to read this Facebook post from Maria posted on March 26th, a couple weeks ago….it reads…
10 years ago today, I opened Galeria Coppelia.
A new kind of art gallery.
One that did not take commissions or fees.
One that allowed everyone to bring their art and make their own money here, at a beautiful location that people would come to visit.
The past 2 years, we have had Covid, family deaths, hurricanes, scorpion stings, 20 months of being closed and no income.
But today, we are still here.
Happy Anniversary to Galeria Coppelia, and thank you all who have supported us, and visited us, and kept us going, through good times and bad, and kept coming back and supporting our local artists.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all!!!!!
So let’s go right now up to the town of El Tuito, and visit with the lovely Maria Santander, Galleria Coppelia, now ten years old, in El Tuito, Mexico.
Listen to The Podcast
Okay thank you Maria. That interview was recorded back in January of 2021, so if it seemed like you were in a time capsule, you were. Make sure to take that trip to El Tuito
to see this incredible collection of artwork. Remember that your purchase of any of Morgan’s art, goes to his son Mateo, now almost 18 years old. And maria has lots of lovely artwork from her local artists who are now returning after the covid pause in the action so to speak.
I have lots of pics of Morgan’s incredible work in the shownotes so check it out and get over and see Maria. Check the hours of operation before you make that trip for sure. I have a map and links to take you there in the shownotes at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
Now our next stop is the beach….in Puerto Vallarta. Let’s go beach clubbing….Mango’s Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Mango’s Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Listen to The Podcast
Like many of my interviews, I sometimes have to get a little help from my friends to make a connection.
My first visit to Mango’s beach club was several years back when Deborah Donick from Flight Angels, the group that matches up dog rescues with travelers willing to take a rescue by plane to Canada, to unite that pet with their new Canadian owner. I will link up that interview in the shownotes if you missed it.
Well Deborah asked me to meet her and her friend Anne at Mangos for breakfast for our interview, and I really liked the space. It was classy, there was a Sunday Brunch being served, buffet style, maybe it was a Saturday brunch come to think of it.
The space is lovely with a covered space in the rear, opening to an open patio area, and then the beach club in front of that with chairs and loungers. Very comfy.
For breakfast and early lunch, music is laid back and easy, and as the day wears on, things liven up at Mango’s with DJ’s filling the air with music for the younger crowd.
The food is great and the bar is always hopping and the vibe is happening.
So where exactly is Mango’s?
If you know where Teatro Vallarta is on Calle Uruguay, or Ley’s Supermarket, or Super Mac Taco on Uruguay and Avenida Mexico is, and you head towards the beach, you will run into Mango’s Beach Club.
I asked my amigo Dean Rehger of Coco Magico and Puerto Magico fame if he knew anyone in charge at Mangos and he said yes…of course. Dean never lets me down…thanks Dean. And before you know it I was What’s apping with Paco.
So we set up a time in the morning, before things got too crazy, and we talked about his project on the beach. So let’s go right now to Playa Camerones in the cinco de diciembre neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta, to the end of Calle Uruguay, #109, and let’s meet Francisco Zuazua Puga, Paco, at Mango’s Beach Club, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Listen to The Podcast
Contact Information For Mango’s Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Facebook Page Mango’s Beach Club PV
- Instagram Page Mango’s Beach Club PV
- Address: Uruguay 109 Colonia 5 de Diciembre, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Phone: +52 322 222 0796
Okay, thank you very much Paco. Thanks for sharing with us about Vallarta, and Mango’s Beach Club. I have pictures of the place as well as pics of the food, drinks, links to their Facebook and Instagram pages and a map that will take you right to the front door of Mango’s Beach Club.
This coming Easter weekend from the 13th till the 17th, Easter Sunday Benny Sendiz will be guest DJ ing from one o’clock till ten in the evenings so come dance, drink and chill at
Mango’s Beach Club. Like their Facebook page to get updates on upcoming events and don’t forget, if you are planning an event in Vallarta, Mango’s is a great place to hold it. Weddings, birthdays, baby showers…..beachside with a side of cool. Very nice.
Okay, that should do it for today…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.
Thank you to Maria Santander from Galleria Copellia and Museo Morgan in El Tuito. Even if you have been there before now is a great time to go again and say hello, buy a piece of art from one of her local artists or a piece from her collection of Morgan’s masterpieces. They are stunning and so is the gallery. We love you Maria.
And think you to Paco, Francisco Zuaza Puga from Mango’s Beach Club. I love that place and you will too. Thanks Paco for telling us about this very cool spot in the sun and on the beach in Cinco de Diciembre. I have pictures, links and a map to get you there…
You can find it all at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
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.