Had always been a quiet fishing village until it was “discovered” back in the 1960s by a famous film director, John Houston, who immediately bought a house there and basically settled in this town for the rest of his life. However, in 1963 he made his famous film “Night of the Iguana,” starring Ava Gardner and the world-renowned actor Richard Burton, who started his own romance with Elizabeth Taylor at the time; this put Puerto Vallarta on the map. Since then, the town has grown, and the tourist attractions, which make the area what it is today, have developed. But still, Puerto Vallarta retains its aura of old Mexico, and the town is now a national monument. All buildings have to be in keeping with the distinctive architecture of the town, and all streets in the downtown area are still cobblestoned. The charm of the town and the beautiful Banderas Bay on which it lies are the greatest attractions of this destination, but there is the added bonus that Puerto Vallarta is still an unknown destination for many people, and therefore, generally speaking, there are not the crowds that are to be found in the other more popular destinations.