Travel Advisor: Vanessa Cole

Travel Advisor: Vanessa Cole

The owner of the company, Vanessa Cole, lived in Puerto Vallarta for 10 years and Cancun for 2 years. She has worked in Luxury Villa Rentals since 2001.

Puerto Vallarta: Shopping With Heart

Thursday Marina Market

We love to take a Thursday trip out to the Marina in high season. The Marina Market was once a small shopping experience that we enjoyed before dinner at one of the fine marina restaurants. We would buy some vegetables and sometimes pick up bread or sweets from one of the bakers. This market has grown significantly and we now find we must arrive much earlier than we once did, if we want to partake in all the fabulous booths and peruse the many vendors. The Marina Malecón has been a favorite stroll of ours for the past two decades and a drink up in El Faro is often a highlight. There is much to see from up in the lighthouse and it is a great place for watching the changes in the north part of Puerto Vallarta. The Thursday Market opens at 6 pm and merchants stay open until 10 pm or until they have sold all their products, which frequently happen with the food booths.

What’s truly delightful about this market is that every item is made locally. Not only is nothing imported, every item is handmade, and you will most likely have a chance to meet the person or people who crafted your purchases. We have adorned our home and body with such items as remarkable jewelry, lovely handbags and fine clothing; gorgeous baskets and paintings; wonderful holiday decorations and amusing Day of the Dead pieces. The marvelous Huichol art is here, too, of course and they do such a great job of wrapping purchases for travel.

Fruits and vegetables are organic and a variety of bread can be found, including several grains and gluten free. We often buy dinner at the market these days, and take it home to cook or reheat. These are excellent chefs who sell everything from fine meats and cheeses, to fancy liqueurs, pizza, cookies and cakes. With nearly 200 stalls, there isn’t time to take it all in.

We have been fascinated to find local hand rolled cigars that rival the most expensive found in town and at a very fair price. Ice cream, yummy cups of corn, and the typical Mexican nieves de garrafa (snow cones) are also available.

The atmosphere at the Thursday Marina Market is very festive with live music, strolling Mariachi and visiting musicians. We love the family ambiance with a mixture of locals, ex-pats and tourists.

Que es cómo es.


Thanks to our Guest Blogger Adam Garcia for this great article!  (Opinions expressed are his own…)


About Vacation Villas of Mexico Founder, Vanessa Cole

The founder of the company, Vanessa Cole, lived in Puerto Vallarta for 10 years and in Cancun for 2 years. She has worked in Luxury Vacation Villa Rentals since 2001.

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Vanessa earned a degree from the University of Texas in Austin, majoring in International Business and Latin American Studies.  Fluent in Spanish, she has worked and traveled all over Mexico and South America.

This is the type of experience you can count on to assist you with your vacation villa rental in Mexico…. [su_button url=”https://www.vacationvillasofmexico.com/contact-vacation-villas-of-mexico/” target=”blank” style=”glass” background=”#7796ab” size=”7″ wide=”yes” icon=”icon: calendar”]Contact Us Today![/su_button]

More to explore

Pesky Critters

Mosquitoes Puerto Vallarta is not free of mosquitoes. What are they good for? Absolutely nothing,

Find A Villa