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General Puerto Vallarta Data |
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You can find ATM machines throughout Puerto Vallarta, both at the banks, the airport, in supermarkets and in strategic locations around town,
ATM's are linked to the Cirrus and PLUS systems and offer
service in English and Spanish, dispensing pesos at
the current exchange rate.
Credit cards are widely accepted
at businesses and hotels all over Puerto Vallarta. Visa and
Mastercard are the cards of choice but American Express
is also widely accepted, though not as much as the two first ones. There is sometimes a 6%
charge using American Express cards and often 2 to 3%
on Visa and Master Card, this is the case in SAM's for example.
Sometimes using credit cards is
beneficial as purchases will be converted into dollars
at an exchange rate that is much better than what you will
obtain by paying in dollars at a hotel.
For the current exchange rate (reference
only) use the following link:
Yahoo Currency Converter |
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Most shopping malls are
open from 9 AM to 8 PM
Normal business hours are:
Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM - 8:00
PM, usually with a two hour break from 2:00 PM - 4:00
PM.
Some public offices work from 9:00
AM to 5:00 PM without breaks and close after that.
Mexico, as most American
countries, has a more relaxed view of working schedules,
some businesses, such as Banks and Supermarkets are
very strict, but shops and others can have working schedules
that vary quite a bit from the norm, opening earlier and closing later. |
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Upon arrival at the International
Puerto Vallarta airport you will be asked to push a button
that will randomly determine if your baggage will be checked or not. If
you get a green light you are free to continue to the exit gate, if you get a red light
you will need to take your bags to the customs counter and have them checked. This system is totally random and tends to show many more green lights than red lights. Please
check at the Mexican consulate in your city for necessary
documents to come to Mexico, or even easier, visit the US Travel Gov site for more information. |
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Mexico operates on the same 110-volt
- 60Hz current as the USA, the plug is a two flat
prong type, same as the US but without the third rounded
earth prong (image).
If you are arriving with three
prong plug applications, we recommend you bring a three
to two prong adapter just in case.
In case you forget it you'll be
able to find these adapters at hardware stores or SAMS
in Puerto Vallarta. |
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Mexico's official language is
Spanish, in Puerto Vallarta you'll find that many locals can speak or understand Engish.
Hotels, restaurants and services in general have staff
that can handle English more or less fluently.
Try to learn some Spanish and use
it whenever possible, this will be appreciated and nobody
will laugh at you, so relax and practice a bit. Check out a few useful phrases and words in Spanish. |
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There are a few regular publications
in English in Puerto Vallarta. PV Tribune is one, Vallarta
Today another one. You'll normally find them in the
hotel lobbies. More Vallarta Newspapers in English |
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| Puerto
Vallarta demographic data : |
Puerto Vallarta has a population of 255,725 inhabitants based on the 2010 population census, this makes it the 6th largest city in the state of Jalisco (state capital: Guadalajara). Puerto Vallarta is the government seat of the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta which includes the city itself and populated areas outside of the town itself, from the northern border with the state of Nayarit, which is established by the Ameca river and to Boca de Tomatlan in the south. |
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Public holidays by law are now moved sometimes to the closest work day, normally a Friday or a Monday, so do check on the official holiday calendar each year. The official celebrations are (though, as stated the date can vary):
- January 1st - New Year
- February 5th - Anniversary of the Constitution
- March 21st - Benito Juárez Birthday
- May 1st - Labour day
- September 16th - Mexico's Independence Day
- November 20th - Day of the Mexican Revolution
- December 1st (each 6 years) - Elect President is
empowered.
- December 25th - Christmas.
- Federal and Local Law can determine holidays due
to local elections: in Puerto Vallarta November 12th.
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| Sales
Tax - Departure tax : |
There is a 15% tax applied to
all purchases, restaurant bills, store purchases, hotel
stays and excursions. You can request a tax refund. You can find affiliated stores and services at: Taxback
Additionally there is a 2% tax
on your hotel stay, this tax is gathered for promotion
of the tourist destination.
All guests departing by air must
pay departure tax. Sometimes it is paid at the
airport upon departure, other times, it is included
on airline tickets issued outside of Mexico (inquire
upon booking). The tax is charged for all visitors over
the age of two. |
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Telephone calls (both
local and international) are considerably more expensive
than in USA and other countries. A sizeable tax is added
to all international calls and most hotels add a service
charge for placing long distance calls. Ask the hotel
operator about these charges before placing a call.
Money saving tips:
- Limit long distance calls
- Bill the call to your international phone calling
card
- When possible use public telephones for long distance
(the ones clearly marked TELMEX)
- Purchase a "debit card" for local calls
within Mexico. These cards are accepted at all "LADATEL"
public phones found in most airports. Cards can be
purchased at airport shops and allow you to make calls
without fumbling for change. Rates to call the USA
using a LADATEL card run about $3/minute.
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| Puerto
Vallarta Time Zone : |
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| Water
in Puerto Vallarta : |
Do drink the water! Purified
water is standard in all hotels and restaurants. In
addition Puerto Vallarta's water authority (SEAPAL)
has received special recognition certifying the cleanliness
of the local water supply for five consecutive years.
If in doubt you can buy bottled
mineral water in almost any store and hotels offer them in your room if you prefer.. |
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1
centimeter |
= |
0.3937 inches |
(Degrees
Cº + 17.8) x 1.8 |
= |
Degrees F° |
(Degrees
F° -32) x 0.5555 |
= |
Degrees Cº |
1
foot |
= |
0.3048 meter |
1
gallon |
= |
3.7854 liters |
1
gram |
= |
0.0353 ounces |
1
hectare |
= |
2.471 Acres |
1
inch |
= |
2.54 centimeters |
1
kilogram |
= |
2.2046 pounds |
1
kilometer |
= |
0.6214 miles |
1
liter |
= |
0.2612 gallons |
1
meter |
= |
3.2808 feet |
1
meter |
= |
39.3696 inches |
1
mile |
= |
1.6093 kilometers |
1
ounce |
= |
28.35 grams |
1
pound |
= |
0.4536 kilograms |
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Mid-December to February:
During the day the weather is temperate and
you can wear light clothes. Warm clothes at night during
the local winter (that would be a light sweater or a cotton jacket. Temperatures go down before sundown around
6 or 7PM until 9AM aprox. when the sun comes back up again.
March to June:
Light clothes, there is normally a bit of wind and skirts
are not recommendable, specially short skirts and of
light materials.
July - Mid-October:
The rainy season begins, bring rain clothes along and/or
umbrellas, you can buy a cheap umbrella in town if needed. The weather is in no way cold in these
months, quite the contrary, temperatures up to around
32 - 34 ºC (90 - 93ºF) on some days, specially
in August and September and it is very humid, expect to sweat a bit, so bring extra shirts or blouses.
Mid-October - beginning
of December: The climate is temperate, no rain,
very little breeze and quiet, light summer clothes are
recommended and at night you can also use long sleeve
blouses or shirts when going out to a restaurant or
bar at night. |
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