History of Puerto Vallarta

History of Puerto Vallarta

Take a walk down memory lane and, consequently, let Hacienda San Angel, which has a past filled with glamour and romance, take you on a flashback to the past. Moreover, we will never forget the spirit of those who founded Puerto Vallarta and contributed to its magic, which has continued to thrive over the past century. In addition, Puerto Vallarta’s history is as rich as its culture.

Las Peñas

Puerto Vallarta was originally called Las Peñas in the early 19th century. Its neighboring towns thrived due to mining and agriculture in San Sebastian del Oeste, Talpa de Allende and Mascota.  

The real story regarding the founding of Las Peñas, Puerto Vallarta today is that it was founded by Guadalupe Sánchez Torres on December 12, 1851, as Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe.

Puerto Vallarta grew alongside these high-in Sierra towns that are still hidden gems, one of which, San Sebastian, has recently been awarded one of Mexico´s most magical towns. Puerto Vallarta transformed into a small fishing village and served as a landing spot to receive goods to send inland.   

From 1925 until 1935, the Montgomery Fruit Company operated in the area around Ixtapa, providing an essential source of employment. 

Did you know? The first airplane service arrived in 1932 in Puerto Vallarta.

Richard Burton

Puerto Vallarta became a vacation destination for residents of the Sierra Towns by the mid-1950s, and most of the original settlers were those who left the mountain to enjoy life by the sea! 

The late Richard Burton purchased the Hacienda San Angel’s main villa as a Valentine’s Day gift for his wife, Susan, in 1977. He fell in love with Puerto Vallarta while filming John Huston’s The Night of the Iguana in the mid-1960s. The cult classic film put Puerto Vallarta on the map as a favorite vacation spot for the international glitterati. Perched on the hillside above the famed Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Church, the villa, aptly named Casa Bur-Sus, embodied coastal charm and Mexican architecture.

Janice Chatterton

In 1990, entrepreneur Janice Chatterton purchased Casa Bur-Sus from Susan Burton to use as a vacation home. After splitting her time between San Francisco and Puerto Vallarta for ten years, she relocated to Puerto Vallarta. Eventually, the renovation of Casa Bur-Sus soon became a newfound passion for Chatterton. So became Hacienda San Angel, and its original eight-room property debuted in 2003. Since opening the Hacienda, she has purchased and renovated several additional neighboring villas. The result? A spectacular property connected by lush interior courtyards filled with fountains, bougainvillea, and sculptural details brimming with ancient beauty.

The Hacienda 

Staying at Hacienda San Angel will take you back to the good old days of glamour and old Hollywood!

Thanks for reading about the history of Puerto Vallarta and Hacienda San Angel.