Sunsets with Magic and Love Stories

Sunsets are the subject of great photographs in Puerto Vallarta. However, the natural spectacle alone may not be the only objective. Here are some sculptures that bring about great shots too.

Within Puerto Vallarta’s sculpture heritage the following one might become the favorite of many upon learning its history. It is the work “Nostalgia” by José Ramiz Barquet, which became the first sculpture on the boardwalk in 1984. This faceless bronze couple tells the artist’s love story with her partner Nelly Barquet. After meeting as two young people, they planned to get married but life split them away and each one had their own family. 27 years later, according to the saying that goes “love trumps everything”, they bumped into each other at a Mexico City market.

By the time of that encounter, Nelly was living in Vallarta, so the artist José Ramiz would visit her and they shared beautiful dinners and magical sunsets until they could finally fulfill their dream and got married, thus sharing another 38 years of happy marriage enjoying Vallarta.

We go further along with one of the most recent works on the boardwalk, “The Good Fortune Unicorn“, by Aníbal Riebling, 2011. This sculpture enchants and attracts the sight of all the children who strolls, laughs and plays around. Its three meters of height are a symbol of the good fortune and luck that, as its name states, unicorns represent in ancient legends around the globe.

Artist Aníbal Riebeling was born in Guadalajara in 1970 and has been interested in arts ever since childhood. She studied industrial design at the Universidad de Guadalajara and in 2010 won the prestigious Salinas Prize.

We will continue with a piece of work that has endured time, nature and man’s hand but that thanks to recent restorations is still standing on the boardwalk, imposing and magical. It is “Triton and the Mermaid” by Mexican artist Carlos Espino, which was set on the promenade in 1990. It name has given way to questions, as many relate these mythological beings with different cultures. There are those who believe he is Poseidon, but he was not a triton despite carrying a trident.

Along the years “Triton and the Mermaid” has suffered damages due to the theft of its pieces. In May 2010 the trident was gone. In November 2014 they stole the triton’s arm. But this 2017 the piece was fully restored and now it is present with its magic in each of Puerto Vallarta’s sunsets, a part of the photo albums of local and visitor’s families.