General News

Jalisco Civil Protection Director Trinidad Lopez Rivas hasn’t given up hope of finding the bodies of two foreigners who almost certainly  died in a light plane crash in Puerto Vallarta, but admits the possibility become less likely as time goes by.   Tourist Varsha Maisuria and her skydiving  instructor Robin Ballachey  became entangled with the plane as they made a tandem jump May 7. The Cessna descended to a low height before crash landing into the sea about half a kilometer from a local beach.  The pilot and two passengers survived but Maisuria and Ballachey sank along with the plane.

A massive groundswell has hit the Pacific Coast, bringing waves as high as ten meters to Oaxaca and Guerrero. The freak weather left three dead and prompted warnings from Guerrero authorities that a similar event could strike again.  “Between May 12 and 15, wave heights and intensity will reach a new peak. We strongly suggest that residents remain vigilant of Civil Protection information releases, and of the behavior of the sea itself,” 

Puerto Vallarta was awash in visitors, color and diversity for the third annual Vallarta Pride event from May 17 to 25.

Organizers of this year’s Vallarta Pride festival – the third year Puerto Vallarta has hosted the event – are planning to accommodate close to 10,000 people.

State and municipal police in Puerto Vallarta have been asked to maintain a low profile in the wake of the May 1 disturbances in the port. Although the federal government is maintaining its operation in Jalisco aimed at dismantling the criminal gangs, local cops will be acting “with discretion” so as not to provoke alarm among locals and tourists, state Tourism Secretary Enrique Ramos Flores said this week.  Although three cruise lines cancelled stopovers in Vallarta after the violence, vacation firms  say that bookings are holding steady.   

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.

Well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Goldberg died of a head injury after falling in the gym of a private villa within the Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita. Details surrounding the death are still not clear, but it is believed Goldberg died after tripping while checking his smartphone on the treadmill. He was rushed to the Hospital San Javier in Nuevo Vallarta but died shortly after his arrival.  Goldberg was the husband of Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg,

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.