Vallarta Style Architecture Tour: Guillermo Wulff, Freddy Romero and the Houses of Old Hollywood

Vallarta Style Architecture Tour

Walk Gringo Gulch to Playa Los Muertos and see the houses of Freddy Romero and Guillermo Wulff.

Vallarta style means white walls, red clay tile roofs, exposed brick, cupolas, wrought iron and terraces facing the bay. It grew out of the mountain town architecture brought down from San Sebastián del Oeste, Mascota and Talpa, and took shape in the 1950s and 1960s, when a few builders began mixing that tradition with modern materials [1][4].

The builders

Walking route, stop by stop

1. Matamoros and Mina (Romero)Four Freddy Romero houses at this corner, described as still in excellent condition [1]. Private homes, view from the street. Pins: Romero 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 16 sit around this corner on the 2013 thesis map; approximate.
2. Hacienda San Angel, Miramar 336 (Romero)Romero’s first project, Las Campanas, is now part of this hotel, along with Villa Bursus, the house Richard Burton bought in 1977 (per our Gringo Gulch guide). Hotel and restaurant, so you can go in as a guest or diner. Pins: Romero 1 (Conjunto Las Campanas) and 20 (Casa Bursus), approximate, from 2013 thesis map.
3. Casa Kimberly and the bridge (Wulff)The house tied to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, now a boutique hotel and restaurant. Burton commissioned the bridge over Zaragoza; Wulff most likely built it, based on Burton’s wishes [7]. Open question: sources give 1957 and 1961 for the house and do not clearly say Wulff built it.
4. Gringo Gulch lanesRomero era houses such as Casa Caracol (Romero 17, on Calle Cuauhtémoc) and Casa Maria, and houses that listings credit to Wulff, line these streets. Many have a small plaque naming the builder. Private homes, view from the street.
5. Mercado Municipal Río Cuale (Zohn)Alejandro Zohn’s two level market from 1978 [5][6], good for browsing crafts. Lost heritage: Wulff’s second project was the original Hotel Molino de Agua building [W]. The owner of PuertoVallarta.net knows first hand that it was torn down years ago and replaced by a large new building.
6. Playa Los Muertos: La Palapa and El Dorado (Wulff)Nelly and Guillermo Wulff opened La Palapa in 1958 and El Dorado in the early 1960s. They were Wulff businesses; our sources do not say who built the buildings. Finish with sunset near the pier.

Map

Romero projects on the map

These 22 Romero projects come from the location map in Marie France Arel’s 2013 thesis for the Universidad de Guadalajara [10]. We placed each pin on the footprint drawn in that map, so positions are approximate. Most are private homes, many with a small plaque: please view them from the street.

1. Conjunto Las Campanas (1953), Now part of Hacienda San Angel (hotel), per our Gringo Gulch guide
2. Casa de Berenice y Ed Starr, Private home, view from the street
3. Casa Amarilla (1955-1956), Private home, view from the street
4. Casa del Cielo (1958), Private home, view from the street
5. Casa del Faro (1958), Private home, view from the street
6. Casa Mirador (1958), Private home, view from the street
7. Casa de la O (1958), Private home, view from the street
8. Casa del Puente (1959), Private home, view from the street
9. Casa Tabachín (1960), Private home, view from the street
10. Casa Meche, Private home, view from the street
11. Casa de Panchita, Private home, view from the street
12. Casa de los Portillos, Private home, view from the street
13. Casa Los Arcos (1963-1968), Private home, view from the street
14. Casa del Cerrito (1967), Private home, view from the street
15. Casa Azul Cielo, Private home, view from the street
16. Casa del Sol, Private home, view from the street
17. Casa Caracol (1969), Private home, view from the street, Calle Cuauhtémoc
18. La Casona (1969), Private home, view from the street
19. Casa de los Sueños, Private home, view from the street
20. Casa Bursus, Now part of Hacienda San Angel (hotel), per our Gringo Gulch guide
21. Casa Amelia, Private home, view from the street
22. Casa Almendro, Private home, view from the street

By car or bus

South: Mismaloya

Ruins of the Night of the Iguana hotel set, built in 1963 under art director Stephen Grimes, with Wulff supplying sets and housing. Access changes, check locally.

North: Marina Vallarta

The Puesta del Sol condominiums and the golf club, both built by Wulff, and a city plaque in his memory at the roundabout between them (we have not checked it is still there). See Marina Vallarta.

Stay in one

Casa Panorámica in Amapas (owner site says Wulff built it in 1971 [8]) and Villa de los Leones in Conchas Chinas are vacation rentals. Credits come from rental and owner sites only.

Which places can you visit?

• Go inside: Hacienda San Angel, Casa Kimberly, Mercado Río Cuale, La Palapa, El Dorado, Marina Vallarta Golf Club, Puesta del Sol, Casa Panorámica and Villa de los Leones (rentals), Casa Tabachin (rental, please check) [9].
• From the street: the Casa Kimberly bridge, the Mismaloya set ruins, and every private home on this page.

More history and sources