For several years ex-pat and resident of PV, John Benus has been organizing clean up efforts around Puerto Vallarta, in particular during the spring prior to the heavy rains starting. During the dry season, quite a bit of trash accumulates throughout the streets and inevitably finds it way into the creeks and rivers that empty into the Bay of Banderas. When the first heavy rains of the season hit, a wave of trash is washed into the sea. The efforts of John Benus and a variety

This post is a first in a series written by John Benus. John lived in Sausalito for many years & now lives in Puerto Vallarta. He has over 40 years of Travel Industry experience that includes a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from Michigan State University, Regional Marketing Manager for Westin Hotels and former Director of the Venezuelan Tourism Association. John was Editor & Publisher of What’s Happening Calendars of California & leader of the famous Marin Moonshin

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

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

Looking to buy a car? Different rules apply to different states. Pat of Pat's Plates provides an expert service on all things vehicular here in Jalisco and Nayarit says the following: "°JALISCO and many other states require LEGAL RESIDENCY. °NAYARIT and some other states allow TOURISTS to buy cars as long as they can show proof of address. (NAYARIT recently required legal residency if the car is imported.) °Some other states are also more lenient like CDMX. The problem is CDM

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

Mexico operates a public healthcare system known as Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS) which provides universal healthcare to Mexican families and foreign residents enrolled in the system. The IMSS healthcare service is funded by a combination of the Federal government, employer payroll taxes, and employee payroll taxes or individual contributions where the service is taken on an independent/voluntary basis such as for temporary or permanent residents/ex-pats. Volunta

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. Here are the basics: You can bring in any car for up to 4 years under a Temporary residency (TR) card with a Temporary Import Permit (TIP). *Hoops, dogs, ponies and paperwo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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