Puerto Vallarta has some of the finest shops in Mexico. The quality of the goods is superb and the variety surprisingly good. You'll find a wide selection of shops offering everything from fine art and exquisite folk art to furniture, designer clothing, and jewelry. As you walk the town's streets, you'll see artists working in their studios and workshops.

You can spend hours browsing the shops and boutiques of Isla del Río Cuale, along the malecón, downtown along Juarez and Morelos streets, and at the numerous American-style shopping malls. For traditional handicrafts, try the outdoor flea market at the Marina or Mercado Municipal Río Cuale (Municipal Market) along the banks of the river. Puerto Vallarta's four malls — Plaza Caracol, Plaza Genovesa, Plaza Iguana, and Marina Plaza — and shops stay open from 9 A.M. until 8 P.M. However, shops in Old Town often close between 2 and 4 P.M. for lunch.

For something really different, seek out the artwork of the Huicholes, the indigenous people of Nayarit, at galleries in Old Town. Their colorful yarn paintings and exquisite bead-encrusted sculptures of animals inspired during spiritual rituals while under the influence of hallucinogenic paote are treasures to behold. Frogs, iguanas, jaguars, turtles, and eggs join the more traditional snakes, wolves, scorpions, and deer. Sculptures start at $200 and can go for as much as $10,000.

If you're an art lover, you'll be in heaven. Fine-art galleries showing the works of famous Mexican and international artists seem to be on just about every street in town. A new exhibit opens every Friday night during the winter season.