Check out the new things on the Chapala Malecon

Lake Chapala is the largest of ‪lakes and one of the favorite places for the people of Jalisco. Come and meet the new facilities in the boardwalk of ‪Chapala and pass the weekend in the company of family.

Jocotepec on the way to Tonala

Glen's GPS wanted us to take the along the Lake Chapala route rather than heading straight into Guadalajara on Lopez Mateos. We obediently obeyed without questioning why and will never know. Glen hadn't seen the new Jocotepec Malecon and I hadn't seen the newer work done there. It gave us a chance to stretch our legs and grab a beer.

The first thing we noticed was the lake level was way down. That tour boat that is usually tied up to the Malecon was a couple hundred yards away and the other little pier off to the left had a new extension.

They've added some nice touches to the park with much more grass, raised the level behind the walkway that used to flood, added a beach front walk, a kids playground to the far left and replaced all the water sculptures they removed for the Folklorico Festival they had a few years ago. Very nice job.

Tour boat

Pier extension

New fountain and bridge

Replaced water sculptures

Puerto Vallarta's History

During the first part of the 1800s, at the mouth of the Cuale River—then inhabited primarily by crocodiles—there were practically no human dwellers. Between the rugged sierra, the ocean and the powerful Ameca river, this beautiful piece of Mexican geography remained isolated from the rest of the world. The hubs of economic activity were up in the mountains, in the towns of Cuale, San Sebastián and Mascota, where silver mines abounded but where salt, an essential element for processing the metal, was not to be found.

In 1851 Guadalupe Sánchez, a boatman from Cihuatlán who used to bring salt from San Blas or the Marías islands to Los Muertos beach, became weary of waiting for the muleteers to come and pick up the load. Sometimes it would take them days to reach this solitary spot. As he was still a young man of 19 and had just married, Guadalupe saw it fit to establish himself in this beautiful place he would call Las Peñas. This, in a few words, could very well be the story of the founding of what we now know as Puerto Vallarta.

At the bottom of the page is a link to more Vallarta history than you may want to know

Beach Plaza on Playa los Muertos 1950's

Areal view of Vallarta in the 1950's

Vallarta Malecon in the 1950's

Virtual Vallarta Article

Jocotepec

Jocotepec is located in the state of Jalisco, approximately 40 kilometers south of Guadalajara and at the western end of Lake Chapala. Even at the elevation of 5130 feet, the presence of the lake provides for a year-round mild and pleasant micro-climate.

The village of Jocotepec (place of the plum trees) was founded in 1529. It is the county seat (municipio) for a number of smaller surrounding towns. It's a very typical Mexican town, and has traditionally been known for the quality serapes woven there. It features a large street market on Thursday mornings and an active mercado and plaza any day of the week.

Jocotepec is my favorite place to stay when I'm in the Lake Chapala area with a few inexpensive motels just east of town on the road to Chapala. We also have friends that live downtown.

Aerial view of Jocotepec


Jocotepec Plaza


Jocotepec Church on Plaza


Jocotepec Malecon on Lake Chapala