Gringo Gulch

Gringo Gulch is the hillside rising behind downtown, just north of the Río Cuale. It's cobblestone lanes, shady staircases and white, red-tiled houses clinging to the slope, with stone walls and wrought iron.

The name came naturally: in the 1950s Americans and Canadians began buying homes in this ravine, and “gulch” fit the terrain. Many of those houses were designed by architect Fernando “Freddy” Romero, who arrived in Vallarta in 1952 and helped shape the so-called Vallarta style: adobe, clay tile, local ceramics and ironwork.

Fame arrived in the 1960s. During the filming of John Huston's “The Night of the Iguana”, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor stayed in the neighborhood and later owned homes here. In 1964 Burton had a bridge built over Zaragoza street to join the two houses; Taylor kept the property until the 1990s. Today it is private property run as a hotel, but you can see the bridge from the street.

People live here, so walk it quietly and stay off private property. To head down, the Iguana Bridge, with its tiled steps, drops you onto Isla Cuale.

Getting there: From the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe downtown it's a short uphill walk; Zaragoza street takes you to the Burton–Taylor bridge. From Isla Cuale, climb the Iguana Bridge, which comes out on Cuauhtémoc street.

When to go: In the morning, before the heat builds: it's nearly all uphill.

Cost: Free (public streets)

Tips: Bring water and shoes with good grip; cobblestones and steps get slippery when wet. Don't wander into driveways or entrances: these are private homes.

Accessibility: Steep slopes, staircases and cobblestones; not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers.