Puerto Vallarta reeks of people and celebrations. Its heart beats to daily occurrences that happen in the streets. That’s how the sun went up on Palm Sunday this Holy Week, with rays brighter than ever leaking through the palm leaves by the church’s doorsteps, shedding light on curious local and foreign visitors who, lured by the colors and the feeling, stopped to buy and wrap up the visit to the temple. There are different moments to attend religious festivities in Puerto Vallarta. The most important red-letter days are:

Holy Week in the months of March or April, featuring processions down the streets of the town and Church Masses. The most popular and feverish ceremony is the Via Crucis of Good Friday, when people represent the suffering of Jesus Christ on his way to the cross and a road to better understand the Mexican people and their beliefs.

All Dead’s Day falls on November 2. On that day, Mexico is a different and more vibrant country. Residents set up altars in their homes to remember and pay tribute to their dead loves ones. Others flock the cemetery also to spend some time with their dead loved ones by placing food, beverages and flowers on graves and tombstones.

Stores and street joints sell skull-shaped pastries and candies, as well as Catrinas, the well-known handicraft tied to this particular date. The Processions of the Virgin of Guadalupe takes place from December 1 to 12 in the form of small parades staged by different companies, businesses and enterprises that offer a special Mass to the Virgin. On December 12, the day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, residents honor the day that Virgin showed up in Juan Diego’s face. The festivity is very important and is marked by parades, fireworks and processions.

Christmas: Puerto Vallarta comes together to celebrate Christmas, featuring spruced-up and festooned streets with scores of people rushing to buy gifts, lit X-mas trees in every house and tons of bliss. At midnight on New Year's Eve, the Malecon reflects the glow of fireworks and parties get in full swing in every restaurant and establishment. Two of the state's most sought-after sightseeing spots are Talpa de Allende and San Juan de los Lagos.