We love planning a trip way in advance and having something on the calendar to look forward to. We also strongly believe in living life to the fullest right now, because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that’s got us thinking about booking a flight to Puerto Vallarta, the picturesque coastal town nestled along Mexico’s Pacific coast, in time for their legendary Day of the Dead Festival. The 10-day celebration honoring the lives of deceased loved ones is steeped in color and tradition and has become the kind of cultural phenomenon you have to see and do in a particular place to truly experience it. The festival culminates with the observance of the actual holiday on November 1-2, which is to say, really soon, so we thought we’d give you a bit of background on what makes Día de los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta such a unique, must-see event while you still have time to jump on those flight and hotel reservations. If you just can’t swing it right now, that’s cool too. Puerto Vallarta has a ton of other reasons to visit all year round, a few of which we’ll touch on below.
Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a longstanding Mexican tradition celebrating life, love and remembrance observed all over the world. But no place does it quite like Puerto Vallarta. For 10 days, the streets of this seaside town burst to life with a captivating sensory overload. The waterfront promenade known as the Malecon is adorned with vibrant marigolds, giant calaveras (“sugar skulls,” as you may know them), intricately designed memorial altars called ofrendas, and Mexican folk art called papel picado. Aromas of the traditional incense copal and Palo Santo guide visitors around the boardwalk. The vibe is equal parts poignant and jubilant, reflecting the duality of life and death the festival celebrates. Witnessing the connection between the living and the departed in this way, in this place, is truly profound.
