August in the History of Puerto Vallarta Juan Manuel Gomez Encarnacion - Visit Puerto Vallarta
go to original August 6, 2016

Dear friends, the following important dates happened during the eighth month of the year in Puerto Vallarta:

On August 15th, 1932, the two beacon signals, also known as lighthouses, were inaugurated. One is on Calle Matamoros, and the other across the street from the Malecon.

Also in August, the open air Aquiles Serdan Theater, known today as the iconic “Arcos del Malecon” was built.

On August 20th and 21st 1970, Presidents Gustavo Diaz Ordaz from Mexico, and Richard M. Nixon, from the United States, met here to find solutions to the border problems in Valle del Chamizal and the Ojinaga Pass. During his visit, President Diaz Ordaz inaugurated the International Airport as well as other projects which made the tourist boom possible.

The highway to Puerto Vallarta from Compostela was built during this time, which became the bridge for economic activity and development in the Municipality.

Another important accomplishment was the connection of this coastal region to the Sistema Electrico de Occidente, electric grid.

During the visit of President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz on August 31st 1970, the decree of expropriation of 1026 hectares of the Puerto Vallarta Ejido was announced. Its purpose was to create the “Fideicomiso Traslativo de Dominio de Puerto Vallarta y Bahia de Banderas” which would regulate land ownership along the tourist area of this region.

Juan Manuel Gómez Encarnación - Professor and B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature; National Award for Children's Literature 2002 and author of numerous books. Currently Chronicler of the City of Puerto Vallarta.