Blog | pvtourist

Jan 27
4 min

RENTING A CAR IN MEXICO: CAR INSURANCE

Though Mexican roads have a less-than-stellar reputation, it’s not as bad as pop culture makes it seem. You not only cover more ground in less time, but you can drive to “off the beaten path” destinations that can’t otherwise be reached. And let’s face it, what better way to enjoy the coastline or jungle of Nayarit and Jalisco than by car? While driving in Mexico is quite straightforward, there’s a catch: Mexican car insurance is not only necessary but mandatory. But don’t le

Jan 18
2 min

What A Drag 2021!

As many of you know, "What A Drag!" is the annual big fundraising event for the women's' shelter and the charity organization; Casa Esperanza and Compassion for the Family. For those of you reading this that do not know about "What A Drag" here are a few important facts. This is not just another drag show, this is for straight men only, and contestants can only participate once in their lifetime. It's important to note that many local talents come together to make this show

Jan 14
2 min

Gorgeous Bucerias Villa, blocks from the beach.

Beautifully-renovated in painstaking detail, this gorgeous villa, located in Bucerias, is only a few blocks from the beach. Walled and gated, this stunning property is all about space, light, and privacy. Upon entering, you are greeted by lush tropical landscaping, modern design cues, and a private pool. The pool area is perfect for entertaining friends and family on a sunny day or starting your day with an invigorating swim. Sip your cup of coffee every morning on the terrac

Jan 13
4 min

Buying a Car in Mexico

Visa Considerations A non-citizen cannot REGISTER a vehicle unless they have either a temporary or permanent resident visa. Careful! That means that an unscrupulous dealer or a private seller may still sell you the car, but if you cannot register it - well that's a fancy paperweight you just bought. This is a source of frustration for many Americans and Canadians that enter the country with just a tourist visa. This is true for new OR used vehicles. Car Shopping Many soon-to-

Dec 16, 2020
2 min

Mexico Mortgage program now available!

Intercontinental Capital can refinance your property in the States, mostly in the low 3’s or high 2’s with no points and lower fees, usually 75% Loan To Value (LTV) for use as capital to obtain your dream home in Mexico. These rates are WAY lower than any Mexican lender can offer. If, however, you would rather not refi your property in the States, there is also now a way to get a mortgage loan for a home in Mexico! THESE LOANS ARE FOR ALL NATIONALITIES (US Citizens, Canadians

Dec 4, 2020
3 min

Financial Requirements for Mexican Residency

The process to apply for a temporary or permanent resident card will begin outside of Mexico at a Mexican consulate. They will review your application, conduct an interview and assess whether or not you meet all the requirements. It can get interesting since the financial requirements that the Mexican consulate gives you may not exactly reflect the listed U.S. dollar amounts that we have listed below. They’ll be close but they may end up being a little higher or lower than th

Nov 30, 2020
3 min

Healthcare in Mexico

Mexico boasts an impressive and efficient healthcare system, which consists of public and private healthcare schemes. Expats employed in Mexico will need to contribute towards a mandatory public health insurance, where contributions are derived from their salary, their employer and the state. The majority of Mexican hospitals are excellent and are staffed by highly trained and English speaking doctors. Despite this, not all nursing and care staff speak English. Mexico has ach

Nov 29, 2020
3 min

How to Permanently Import a Used Vehicle to Mexico

For starters “permanently import”, means bringing your car here forever and getting Mexican license plates for it. This process is also known as "nationalizing" your vehicle. This blog post is a simplified version of all of the details, but gives you the basics. To learn more about the details, click here. There is a lot of confusion when it comes to nationalizing vehicles because the requirements vary depending on geography. To keep this simple, let's break the geographic re

Nov 29, 2020
3 min

How Much ‘Stuff’ Can I Bring into Mexico Duty-Free?

The folks who ask these types of questions generally fall into two categories: 1) People who are moving to Mexico from either the U.S. or Canada, and 2) people who already live in Mexico but return to their countries of origin to do some extensive shopping from time to time. Duty Exemption (Monetary Limits) You’re permitted to bring a certain dollar amount of goods, not including “personal luggage” (next section), into Mexico without being charged a duty. As you can see from

Nov 27, 2020
4 min

So how much does it cost to live in Mexico?

Not everyone is looking at Mexico as a retirement option. Increasingly and as a result of COVID, people have become much more portable with their work and that is certainly true in our case since we are not retired. We have met many future ex-pat couples where moving to Mexico would allow only one of them to continue working, that is - only one of their jobs is portable. Which leads to the situation where a couple might be left with a significant difference from what they wou

Nov 26, 2020
4 min

Living in Mexico: Which Residency Option is Right for You

Except for those folks who are of Mexican descent and can immediately apply for citizenship, you’re basically choosing between three options: 1) enter as a tourist, 2) apply for temporary residency, or 3) apply for a permanent residency. Entering as a Tourist If you’ve ever flown to Mexico on vacation, you’re already familiar with how this option works. When you entered the country, you filled out a form known as the FMM and you were told to retain the card attachment and tur

Nov 26, 2020
2 min

Opening a Mexican Bank Account

If you’re planning on calling Mexico home, you might want to think about opening a bank account here – just to make your life a little bit easier. Don’t close your account back home! There are numerous benefits to having a Mexican bank account, here are a few: 1) No fees for ATM withdrawals 2) Easily transfer money from your bank account bank home Anytime you need funds added to your Mexican account, you can accomplish this electronically without ever having to go to the bank

Nov 17, 2020
2 min

ZONA HOTELERA

Puerto Vallarta is a tourist destination with all kinds of accommodations to enjoy, but you will find the greatest concentration of hotels in the Hotel Zone. Zona Hotelera, as the locals call it, stretches along Francisco Medina Ascencio Avenue, from the Puerto Vallarta Maritime Terminal to the Sheraton Buganvilias Resort. The creation of the Hotel Zone moved the tourist accommodations outside the downtown boundaries, allowing the historic center to remain relatively untouche

Nov 8, 2020
3 min

MS Vidanta Elegant

The MS Vidanta Elegant cruise ship, just arrived in Puerto Vallarta today! On March 26, 2019, Grupo Vidanta officially announced the brand's entering into the luxury cruising market with a special itinerary program along the Mexican coastline. Vidanta's first ship (Elegant) is part of Mexico's first-ever cruise line and provides access to exclusive routes and ports that no other cruise companies offer. After acquiring the vessel, Vidanta stripped and rebuilt its entire super

Oct 27, 2020
3 min

Renowned chef Enrique Olvera to helm signature contemporary Mexican restaurant.

One&Only Mandarina, the newest addition to One&Only’s collection of ultra-luxury resorts, is introducing refined dining to a rare, undeveloped stretch of coastline along the Riviera Nayarit in Mexico in November 2020. In partnership with internationally acclaimed Mexican Chef Enrique Olvera, chef, and owner behind the award-winning Pujol in Mexico City and Cosme in New York City, the resort’s signature restaurant Carao will provide guests with an innovative epicurean experien

Oct 18, 2020
3 min

Residency Visas: Temporary and Permanent

Mexico offers two types of residency permit: Temporary Residency (Residente Temporal) and Permanent Residency (Residente Permanente). Temporary Residency in Mexico Mexico offers a Temporary Resident Visa, intended for people who wish to live in Mexico for more than 6 months. The Temporary Resident Visa is a renewable, long-term (more than six months) permit which gives non-immigrant temporary residency status to the holder. The visa is always issued for one year initially

Oct 13, 2020
2 min

Puerto Vallarta on Top 10 List for Holiday Travel

Virtuoso, a travel company led by CEO Matthew Upchurch, brings together over 20,000 travel agents and advisors with diverse backgrounds, decades of experience, and vast professional networks recently announced its Top 10 International Travel Destinations which was compiled through current airline bookings for the 2020 holiday season. Based on airline reservations for destinations around the world for the vacation season which will begin on American Thanksgiving, 2020, Puerto

Oct 9, 2020
2 min

Puerto Vallarta Jungle or Rainforest?

Living in Puerto Vallarta we are bombarded with ads for "Jungle Tours" as well as many references to the jungle we live in or next to. It is important to note that the word "Jungle" is a Sanskrit and Hindi name but not a scientific designation. The scientific designation is Tropical Rain Forest. (Photo is an Ocelot). In Mexico, a variety of forest, and tropical rain forest (jungle) can be found. The Tropical Rain Forest can be found south of the Tropic of Cancer and North of

Oct 9, 2020
3 min

2 Humpback Whales sighted in the bay.

The photograph of this sighting was captured by Karla de la Peña : According to Vallarta Opina, the first whales of this season arrived in the bay this last Tuesday in waters near Los Arcos de Mismaloya. This was reported by the Ecology and Conservation of Whales (ECOBAC) association. These two specimens were seen breaching a short distance from Los Arcos, and ECOBAC suggested that these two whales are most likely headed to Central America. It is a sighting well in advance of

Oct 25, 2018
4 min

What’s Up with All of the Skeletons in Mexican Art?

Newcomers to Mexico will notice that they are inundated with images of skeletons and skulls on everything from beach bags and refrigerator magnets to fine art ceramic sculpture. These skeleton figures are usually dressed in very elaborate costumes, with lively smiles and hollow eyes. These images are everywhere and most people attribute them solely to Day of the Dead, but in fact the image of the Calavera (skeleton) was first introduced into an art form by an illustrator, bef