A ten-strong work party from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett rolled up their sleeves last week to finish the total overhaul of a kindergarten in  Puerto Vallarta.

Manzanillo has scored a coup, hosting the first around-the-world cruise with almost entirely Chinese guests. The seaside town is the only Mexican port being visited by the Costa Atlantica cruise liner, which is on an 86-day, 29-country voyage of the world. Roughly 5,000 Chinese passengers were greeted by mariachi music and traditional dances as they landed. 

“Manzanillo was the place they chose to learn about our country and also the first American Pacific port where they berthed,” boasted Colima Tourism Secretary Hector Sandoval Fierros. The visit was great news for Mexico, as penetrating the Asian market has been a key goal for the national tourism industry.

Puerto Vallarta has recovered from the sharp decline in tourism suffered between 2008 and 2011, when visitor numbers dropped by 37 percent. Bird flu, security issues and international economic woes were largely responsible for the fall. In 2014, Puerto Vallarta received 1.55 million visitors.

The annual three-day San Pancho Music Festival returns for its 15th year in the beach town of San Francisco, Nayarit. As always there is no charge to the public. It is entirely supported by the contributions of local and international recording artists, and donations from those in attendance are always appreciated. 

If there is a book inside you bursting to get out, the ninth Puerto Vallarta Writers’ Conference will be the place to release it.

A Canadian man has died after falling from a top floor of a condominium in Puerto Vallarta. Neighbors found Carl Veilleix, 52, lying in the garden of the Torre Malibu in the Las Amapas neighborhood on the morning of Sunday December 14. Security staff