EXPERIENCING THE MAGIC OF THE EL TUITO VILLAGE

This weekend I decided to make a day trip to one of the beautiful villages that surroundPuerto Vallarta. One of these so-called “pueblitos” is El Tuito, an idyllic little dorp of approximately 3,500 inhabitants located to the south of Puerto Vallarta. To get there, one can take a “El Tuito” bus from downtown. It only takes about 60 minutes, time well spent admiring nature and the view of the mountains. I would advise everyone to go to the town square, which is easy to recognize since all villages have a central square with a wooden pavilion for celebrations.

The first thing I did was look for a nice restaurant, in order to experience the local cuisine. I found the perfect place, right in the middle of town. If you are new to Mexico like me, you may not know all the different dishes and be able to decide what to eat. A good idea is to order a little bit of everything and share meals with your friends or fellow travelers. By doing this, I was able to enjoy various delicious dishes and broaden my horizons of Mexican culture. One of my discoveries on this day was a tasty drink called “Agua de Guayaba”, which is one of the many refreshing drinks made with natural fruit flavour. Another surprise for the traveler are the grey tortillas, which you won’t find in Puerto Vallarta. The unusual colour has its origin in the local corn strain called “maíz negro,” black corn. Together with the local cheese and salsa, it is just as delicious as the rest of the dishes.

El Tuito is a little village with big history. The original inhabitants were the indigenous Nahua people. After the arrival of the Spanish, the town was the venue of many historical fights and conflicts. Today it is a rather unknown beautiful piece of earth where the few tourists who visit can appreciate the tranquility, the incomparable beauty of mother nature, and the authentic Mexican way of life. There are no official tourist programs or activities, but strolling about the village, taking photos of the lovely coloured houses and enjoying some fine food means a perfect day off. And if you are brave enough to practice some Spanish, the likeable inhabitants will gladly chatter with you. Also, since El Tuito is situated in the mountains, the weather is really nice. Still warm, but a few degrees less than in Puerto Vallarta and with wind I found very refreshing. For me it was a relaxing day in the midst of nature and will be a memory I won’t forget. I recommend it to everyone!