PUERTO VALLARTA

Several destinations combine to create one of the most popular haunts of today’s leisure traveler—Puerto Vallarta, which exploded onto the tourism scene with diversity that spans from world-class resorts on Banderas Bay to white-washed adobe houses on streets bursting with bougainvillea. With a section formally designated as the Romantic Zone, it seems only fitting that at least one famous love blossomed here: Richard Burton and Liz Taylor rendezvoused while filming The Night of the Iguana in the south-side villages of Boca de Tomatlan and Mismaloya. Yet with Playa de los Muertos’ golden shores beckoning, the enticement of celebrity pales in comparison.