Puerto Vallarta Historical El Centro: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

This is a self-guided audio walking tour of Puerto Vallarta's Old Town, El Centro, that you do at your own pace. The story follows the city's transition from a tropical fishing village, frequented by pirates and miners in search of their fortunes, into one of today's top tourist destinations. The narration is by producer Sandra Cesca, who turned her passion for sharing Mexican culture into a profession.

After booking you receive a ticket with instructions and a unique code under the Before You Go section. You then install the VoiceMap app and enter the code. The app shows directions to the starting point, and once you are in the right place you put in your headphones and tap start. VoiceMap has automatic GPS playback with turn-by-turn directions, and it also works offline.

The walk starts on the Malecón, facing the sea and the Seahorse Sculpture. From there it passes the Los Arcos Amphitheater, where you hear why it was built, and Plaza de Armas, where people gathered to gossip and buy goods over 100 years ago. Next come the Sergio Bustamante Gallery, Peyote People, one of the oldest Huichol shops in Vallarta, where you have a chance to step inside, and the Vallarta Chocolate and Cigar Factory.

The route continues past Villa Leonarda, owned by Sergio Toledano, adopted godson of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, and Casa Kimberly, where you see the bridge Richard Burton used to cross to reach Elizabeth Taylor's room. It also passes the sculpture of Augustine Flores Contreras, who championed and financially supported education for all until his death in 1975, and the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which took over 40 years to complete. It ends along the Malecón, with the Faro del Malecón, placed in 1930 to help ships navigate into the rocky harbor, and some of the 30 sculptures along the seafront.

You can do it all in an hour or linger at the stops, since you control when you start and finish. Use is unlimited before your booking date and after it, and there is a virtual tour option to use at home. Note that this is a hilly walk, though the operator rates it as suitable for all physical fitness levels.

You need your own smartphone and headphones, and the tour does not cover food and drink, museum or attraction tickets along the route, or transportation. The app and lifetime access to the tour in English are included, along with offline access to audio, maps and geodata. Infants can sit on an adult's lap or ride in a pram or stroller, service animals are allowed, and public transportation options are available nearby.