The people of Puerto Vallarta have coined a new Spanish verb: "maleconear". Loosely translated it means "get the family together, dress up in your Sunday finest and go downtown to stroll the malecon". It is a 16 block seaside promenade lined with bronze sculptures and with shops and restaurants and nightclubs across the street. On Sunday eves it is not to be missed. A whirl of colors, smells (of many different foods being sold by vendors including tamales, fried bananas, ice cream, candies of all sorts, and much more) performers, balloon vendors and artists creating and selling their works. The municipal band plays in the plaza, free performances of everything from children's choirs to folkloric dancers are put on at the Los Arcos amphitheatre, and if you are there the 1st 2 weeks of December, nightly processions in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe. "Maleconear" is a wonderful tradition and a chance for tourists to forget that they are tourists and mingle with the locals, try new foods, and generally get caught up in the carnival atmosphere.

On our first trip to P.V., we did the stroll along the malecon, watched the sunset from Los Arcos, then stopped at Tequila's for dinner. We were lucky enough to get a balcony table overlooking the malecon, a ringside seat to the proceedings. A Mexican Navy ship was in and the bar downstairs was full of sailors jostling for the window seats to, sailors being sailors, watch the girls stroll by. If you go to Puerto Vallarta, by all means, make it a point to spend Sunday eve on the malecon and it will become your tradition as well.