Discover the Past of Puerto Vallarta at the Maritime History Museum Cynthia Zepeda - Amstar
go to original June 7, 2013

The Maritime History Museum in Puerto Vallarta is located at the south end of Puerto Vallarta’s Boardwalk, el Malecón, and right next to an open-air theater.

This museum in Puerto Vallarta shows the maritime history of our country, Mexico, from the Spanish Conquest to modern times.

The Maritime History Museum opened in November 2006 and normally has around 150 visitors but in the high season, this number rises up to 600. This museum in Puerto Vallarta is set in a building that used to be the Port Authority Office, the Navy Hospital, and the Naval command headquarters.

The permanent collection displays paintings, miniatures, photographs, documents, cartographies, and navigation instruments in five different rooms. Other valuable items you can find in the museum include historical weapons, like muskets. The interesting thing is that only the first musket in the isle is Mexican, while the rest are from foreign origin.

Miniature of a boat in the Maritime History Museum in Puerto Vallarta – photo by Me Gusta Vallarta

In general, the collections reflect discoveries made in the Southern Ocean, expeditions to the Philippines, the return of the Manilla galleon Nao de China, and the defense of several fleets.

This museum also tells the story of the settlement that would later become Puerto Vallarta. The story of San Blas and the origins of the Mexican Navy are displayed in the museum as well.

Even gastronomy can be part of this cultural visit in Puerto Vallarta if you go to the restaurant located in the last floor and savor some of the local cuisine.

The Maritime History Museum in Puerto Vallarta is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm. Saturdays and Sundays it opens from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and from 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm.