El Pitillal, a taste of real Mexico

El Pitillal is one of those places that few tourists visit but are well worth knowing. The vast majority of visitors who come to our city know its Historic Center and the Romantic Zone. And rightfully so, since it has been these two areas that have given Puerto Vallarta fame. It is thanks to its beauty, its sites of interest and its restaurants. However, there are areas that deserve to be visited and recognized by anyone who cares a little for the way of life of the people of Vallarta, who live and spend time in them.

El Pitillal is, administratively speaking, a delegation from the municipality of Puerto Vallarta. This means that there is a “local” authority, a delegate who is responsible for managing its affairs. Originally, it was “far” from the town of Puerto Vallarta. The Pitillal River divided them. There was a dirt road that over the years has become what we now call Francisco Villa Avenue.

The heart of El Pitillal is its civic square, a family gathering place where you can see its inhabitants walking every day. Here, social, recreational, and cultural activities take place throughout the week. However, Sunday is a special day. Then, you can enjoy artistic shows: music groups, singers, clowns, and mimes are just some of them.

Just in front of the square is the church of Saint Michael Archangel, a meeting point for faithful Catholics. The patron feast on September 29 is a cause for great celebration, with games, dances, artificial fires and joy.

You may also like: Travel journal to Yelapa

But no matter the date or time, in El Pitillal you will always find what you are looking for. It is the ideal place to go shopping, not in a closed mall you travel in a few minutes. Here you will find specialized stores in everything you can think of: shoe stores, hardware stores, fish stores, costume and toy stores, veterinarians, tortillerías, candy stores, fashion for charros, religious stores … when we tell you everything, we mean everything!

The people from El Pitillal have maintained the focus on tradition and craft work. That is why you know that everything you buy here is done in the best way. And generally, at a better price than in the touristy part of the city. Fresh fruits and vegetables abound in its streets, always directly from the producer. And let’s not even start with gastronomy. The square is during the night a true festival of flavors. You will taste tacos, hot dogs, tamales, pozole, crepes, enchiladas, cakes and desserts … we could not just list everything.

Getting to El Pitillal is quite simple. It is located northeast of the hotel zone, about 20 minutes from the downtown area. There are several bus routes that take you, as it is on the way to go to its many colonias. You just have to make sure they say “Pitillal” in front and you will have a safe and fast trip. If you come from the northern part of the bay, you can take it in front of the Port Administration and it will be even faster. Another good option is any of the private transport services or taxis. Anyway you get here, you will have a great time!