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DOWNTOWN AREA: This is the place where some of the city's landmarks really stand out: the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Los Arcos, both around a plaza that's the heart of the town. There's always something to see or do around there, especially on Sunday when there's music and groups of friends walking and huddling from there all the way to the seawall. The downtown area is also the meeting grounds for visitors since this is the place where most restaurants, bars, souvenir stores, silverware shops and many other curious spots are located. The blend of local life and foreign tourism is the most charming thing of all about a downtown area of Mexican spirit that reaches out to everyone.

CUALE RIVER: Cuale River and its island stand for one of the most original and magical places of Puerto Vallarta. Linked by two bridges, the small isle is marked by a feverish cultural atmosphere that features courses of music, painting, outdoor filmmaking and other activities. There're also great handicrafts and fancy restaurants. This is an ideal place for laid-back strolls and nature gazing.

OLAS ALTAS: My little Paris, the bohemian part of town with a mixture of nationalities and boldface names. Cafés, terraces, lovely places to buy flowers, send e-mails, purchase knick-knacks or just make friends. This is a genuine charming place where you can get lost for hours, with the beach always serving as a peerless backdrop.

GRINGO GOALCH: This is a well-known side of town thanks in part to the Kimberly House, where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton once lived. It's a special zone marked by narrow cobblestone streets that stretch up to the hills.

HOTEL BELTWAY: The hotel area begins with the Rosita Hotel and stretch out for miles down a magnificent boulevard where most of Puerto Vallarta's lodgings are lined up, all of them overlooking the sea. Along that same boulevard, visitors will find plenty of shopping malls, commercial centers, all kinds of restaurants and stores.

VALLARTA MARINA: The Marina is a spectacular place featuring a few fancy hotels, a pier with docking space for some 400 boats, restaurants and shops selling trendy wear, accessories and gifts. Great area for taking a walk, have something to eat and drop by the lighthouse to enjoy a breathtaking view of the bay.

THE SEAWALL

The seawall is the heart and soul of Puerto Vallarta, its main artery of bustling life, exchanges, rendezvous and walks.

Construction works began in 1935 as a result of a cooperation between the people of Vallarta and local authorities. It was rebuilt in 2002 after the gusting winds of hurricane Kenna wreaked havoc with it.

Today, the seawall is flanked by the sea and an assortment of stores, restaurants, bars, steep streets that end up in the hills and jaw-dropping sculptures, like the ones anointed to the Sea Rotary, Alejandro Colunga and Sergio Bustamante's Stairways. Tall palm trees line up on both sides of the seawall from one end to the other.

Early in the morning, you can make out residents strolling, working out and hearing the roaring sound of the Pacific Ocean. When the sun sets later in the afternoon, a rug of roses covers everything and the sight is simply unforgettable. At 9:00 o'clock sharp, the Maria Galante comes up and gives us its colorful fireworks, making us catch our breath every night as if it always were the first time.

The seawall is also the meeting ground of choice for children, for loving couples that bill and coo in the heat of the night, and for people who like listening to great music blaring out from bars and cafés across the street. Locals and foreigners come together as one to have fun, no matter where they come from or what their fate is.

Sunday is the day when everybody hits the streets, especially after 6:00 o'clock in the afternoon, when music strikes up around the arches and at the beach, near the joints that sell fresh water and fruits. That's the time when artists make their sand figures, putting stones in incredible outlays. And it's also a time for fun, with clowns making us laugh and smile.

Down at the seawall, gloominess is overcome by bliss and meditation. This is no doubt a magical place where everything can happen.