
When my mom and I embarked on our Holland America holiday cruise to the Mexican Riviera, little did I expect to discover a rich and vibrant art scene in the towns we visited. Warm breezes greeted us as we arrived in Cabo at the tip of Baja after two days of calm cruising at sea. Instead of getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of touristy Cabo, we joined a group tour of San Jose del Cabo, about twenty minutes north. This bite-size artist colony is a collective of creatives oozing with bright-colored buildings, pedestrian malls lined with jungle animal sculptures, and boutiques of hand-crafted beadwork figures—so much local talent packed into this little, walkable town.






The beaded artwork intrigued me, and I discovered that it had been passed down for generations by the Huichol, an Indigenous people from Nayarit, Jalisco, and Zacatecas. Each piece represents a spiritual or cultural aspect of their life. First, the artist makes the form from paper mache, wood, or clay. Sometimes, they paint it to determine where to place the beads. A thin layer of beeswax is molded onto the work and is the adhesive for the beads. Using a needle, the artist picks up the beads and gently presses them into the beeswax, creating a mosaic-like pattern. One artist told me her beads came from Czechoslovakia. The process is intricate and time-consuming. I have a new appreciation for the hours and sometimes weeks spent on these meaningful expressions of art.

Our last stop was in Puerta Vallarta, a city I now would love to return to. Five of us hired Pancho, an animated sixty-three-year-old tour guide, to show us the highlights. Pancho drove us high in the hills for spectacular ocean views while telling stories of his interactions with famous movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who used Puerta Vallarta as their hide-away in the ’60s.

Pancho introduced us to Lázaro Cádenas Park, located in a section of town called Zona Romántica. The multiple mosaic pieces that graced the park spoke to my heart. A local artist, Natasha Moraga, donated her talent in mosaic art to create a place for community to gather. The colorful and almost confetti-like benches and gazebo invite locals and tourists to relax and enjoy a quiet moment while admiring her creations.


Lázaro Cádenas Park
Puerta Vallarta’s signature is the Malecón, or waterfront promenade that lines the Bahía de Banderas, an enormous deep blue bay that stretches twenty-six miles to the ocean. We happened to be there on a balmy Christmas day, the beach lively with families enjoying the sun-splashed beach. I was immediately drawn to the towering boardwalk sculptures, each delivering a meaning or message and created by resident and international artists. Pancho provided facts about each sculpture, its significance, and the artist behind it. Incredibly impressive.

Caballero del Mar, the boy on the seahorse by Rafael Zamarripa, is the welcome symbol of Puerta Vallarta.

The Millennia by Mathis Lídice depicts the evolution of humans. At the top is the future: a woman releasing a dove of peace.
Beachside restaurants line the other side of the boardwalk, serving up salsa-drenched fish tacos and salt-rimmed Margaritas with a bonus view of the art and lapping waves. Mexican music blaring from the bars contributed to the vibrant energy. What’s not to love? Pancho gave me his number and told me to return for an in-depth tour of hidden places known only to locals. I just might take him up on that offer.


Restaurant decor and a sailboat sculpture on the pier.


Me and my tour guide, Pancho, and the Church of Our Lady Guadalupe. Check out the crown!
As our trip came to a close, I remembered why I travel: to unlock the secrets of a community and its people. This time the art unlocked me.

“Mexico is a mosaic of different realities and beauties.”
– Enrique Peña Nieto
Ciao,
