Puerto Vallarta is a vibrant, stunning, and sun-soaked city which celebrates art in all its forms. None of its art, however, is quite so public and visible as the bronze sculptures which line the iconic Malecon (boardwalk) which runs along the shore of Banderas Bay in downtown Puerto Vallarta.
Weekly Puerto Vallarta Walking Tour of the Malecon
You don’t have to be an art buff to get the most out of the Malecon. The wonderful Gary Thompson (who owns and operates Galeria Pacifico) offers a free Malecon Sculpture Walking tour every Tuesday morning from 9:30am to 11:30am from Mid-November to Mid-April. Not only is this tour free, but you don’t need a reservation to attend; just meet the group at the Millennium sculpture next to Hotel Rosita, in front of Diamonds International.
What to Expect on the Walking Tour
The walking tour of the malecon is around two hours long and will cover fifteen sculptures, as well as making time for questions and discussion after each stop. Generally the tour will start with a talk from artist Mathis Lidice who designed and created the Millennium sculpture.
Each and every sculpture along the walk is sure to excite and intrigue you, and your guide will even drop interesting facts about the artists behind them. This could be anything from how they got funding to create the piece to aspects of their personal lives. It all depends upon which questions you ask, really, and questions are highly encouraged throughout the Malecon Sculpture Walking Tour.
The tour will usually end at the Galeria Pacifico where you can ask any further questions you may have, browse the works inside the gallery, and even talk to sculptor Jim Demetro who frequently makes himself available to talk about the process of creating such works, and even his own sculptures. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more around working with Bronze from someone who’s really very skilled.
Tips for enjoying the malecon walking tour in Puerto Vallarta
To make sure that you get the most out of this walking tour we have a few things you should think about before participating:
- Though the tour itself is free there are many Papantla Flyers and Sand Sculpture artists along the way. It is recommended that you think about bringing some cash to tip them.
- Anyone who joins should consider that you will be walking quite a long distance.
- Young children are welcome on this tour, and are always encouraged to take an interest in the arts, but very young children may find it hard to stay quiet for such a long time and therefore become distracted or disruptive to the rest of the group.
So, the next time you really want to sink your teeth into the culture and arts scene in Puerto Vallarta you should consider starting with the Galeria Pacifico’s Malecon Sculpture Walking Tour.