Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - On Tuesday, May 31, 2011, our beloved Puerto Vallarta will be celebrating its 93rd anniversary as a municipality, and its 43rd as a fully-incorporated city. Our city's story, however, began many years earlier. The first settlements were discovered by Spanish explorers in the early 1500’s.

In the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains that surround the Valley of Banderas, are located mines that were exploited at the beginning of the 19th Century, San Sebastian and El Cuale among others. The minerals were moved by mules and donkeys to the coast, to be transported to Spain.

In 1851, Don Guadalupe Sanchez was the supplier of the salt needed to work the mines. As this was brought into the Bay by ship, Sanchez decided to move his family to the mouth of the Cuale River, because of the peace and beauty of the area.

He named the place Las Peñas de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. People think that he did so in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint whose day is December 12th, the day on which he settled here.

The town began to grow, people started fishing as a way of living, and slowly the area changed from a Ranchito to a small, but very attractive town. Thanks to the activities in the port, and its quick growth, a municipality was formed in May 1918 and given the name of the Governor of Jalisco, Ignacio L. Vallarta, and it became Puerto Vallarta.

Also the same year, a U.S. company, The Montgomery Corporation, was established in Ixtapa, north of Vallarta, with a big banana plantation mainly for exportation. The area experienced tremendous growth, and the Company produced pre-built houses and a railroad to easily bring farm products to the coast. The company only operated for a few years as a result of the Revolution and the parceling out of the land.

In 1968 Vallarta was elevated from a municipality to a city by decree of the State Congress. From that time on, Vallarta grew not only economically but culturally, becoming the most important city for tourism in Jalisco.

On previous city anniversaries, visitors could enjoy an outdoor musical show along the Malecon in celebration of this special day, a parade, and speeches by city officials honoring their history. All who participated got to eat a piece of the city’s gigantic birthday cake in the main square – followed by fireworks and after-hours fiestas. This year, because of the construction work along the Malecon, we do not have any information as to the exact locations of the celebrations.

May 31st is also the day when the highest awards are given to those citizens who have acted for the benefit of the community in one way or another: the Premio Vallarta. The awards are given to seven people in different categories: arts, culture, sports, education, social assistance (DIF), tourism and ecology. Unfortunately, we have no information as to the time and location of that event either.