Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta for $203

Puerto Vallarta is an absolute delight. Unlike some other tourist destinations in Mexico (yes, I’m talking about you, Cancun), it has managed to maintain some of its small village charm despite growing into a world class place for visitors.

Puerto Vallarta was originally called “Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe” (”the rocks of Saint Mary of Guadalupe”), but that was kind of a mouthful so eventually it became Puerto Vallarta (just so us gringos can show how good we are at rolling our “r’s”). The town is where the John Huston-directed movie version of the Tennessee Williams’s play The Night of the Iguana was filmed and after movie audiences saw how cute a place it could be for Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor they flocked there in numbers. According to Wikipedia: Today, there is a statue of Huston in the park on La Isla Rio Cuale in the center of the city. A nearby plaque dedicated on the 25th anniversary of the film’s release honors Huston’s contribution to the city’s fame.

Even if you aren’t a John Huston fan, you should make the journey to Puerto Vallarta. For a limited time you can fly there from L.A. for a mere $203. You won’t find a cheaper flight than that and you won’t find a better place in Mexico to visit.