The Malecón Sculpture Walk

Walking the Malecón doubles as a visit to an open-air gallery. The bronze sculptures are spread along the promenade, almost all facing the sea, and several are meant to be touched, climbed or sat on. The easiest way to see them is to start at the north end, at 31 de Octubre Street, and work your way south toward Los Arcos.

First up is Millennia (Los Milenios, Mathis Lídice, 2001), a 7.3-meter bronze spiral about the passage of time. Next come Origin and Destiny (Origen y destino, Pedro Tello, 2011) at Allende Street; Nostalgia (Ramiz Barquet, 1984) at Pípila, the second sculpture placed on the Malecón and the first paid for entirely by local residents; The Subtle Stone Eater (El sutil comepiedras, Jonás Gutiérrez, 2006), a bald clown holding an obsidian stone, at Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez; and the Unicorn of Good Fortune (Aníbal Riebeling), a seahorse turning into a unicorn as it leaves the water, at Leona Vicario.

At Abasolo you'll find Nature as Mother (La naturaleza como madre, Adrián Reynoso, 1996), the city's first interactive sculpture, built at ground level so kids can climb on it. At Aldama is The Rotunda of the Sea (La Rotonda del Mar, Alejandro Colunga, 1996): 16 bronzes, eight of them monumental, shaped like surreal chairs that everyone sits in for a photo. At Corona, In Search of Reason (En busca de la razón, Sergio Bustamante, 2000) shows three figures, two of them climbing a 6.8-meter ladder.

Closer to Los Arcos are Rain (Lluvia, Jovian, 2020), a swimmer with palms turned up as if catching the first drops, at the foot of the Malecón lighthouse plaza on Galeana; Triton and Mermaid (Tritón y Sirena, Carlos Espino, 1990) at Mina; and El Caballito (Rafael Zamarripa, 1976), the naked boy with a charro hat riding a seahorse, Puerto Vallarta's best-known tourism symbol. Since the 2011 Malecón redesign, several pieces, El Caballito included, stand somewhere other than their original spot.

Getting there: They're all on the downtown Malecón. To see them in order, start where it meets 31 de Octubre Street (Millennia) and walk south to Los Arcos, across from the main square.

When to go: Mornings bring good light and fewer people in your photos. At sunset the bronze silhouettes look great against the sky, but it's busier.

Cost: Free

Tips: At midday the bronze gets very hot, so keep that in mind before sitting in the Rotunda of the Sea or letting kids climb. Several have a small plaque at their base with the title and the artist's name.

Accessibility: All of them are on the flat Malecón walkway and can be seen without climbing any steps.