Lita Aguirre: While Lita Aguirre wasn’t actually born in Puerto Vallarta, she has felt a bond with the city for as long as she can remember. “On my father’s side, I’m a descendant of don Guadalupe Sánchez, the founding father.

Juan Manuel Gómez: The city’s chronicler is very important to Puerto Vallarta. For many years, Carlos Munguia was responsible for documenting the city’s history, and his work left a profound mark on local society. After he passed away, Juan Manuel Gomez Encarnacion was chosen.

Renee Perez: I didn't think any grown woman could be so cute and perky, but Renée is like a ray of sunshine, bursting with enthusiasm about her family, her work and the world around her. And I guess that's part of why she brings out the best in each and every one of her theater students at the American School.

Fernando Baños: This true Renaissance man includes art, literature, history and humanities in his repertoire. Every week during the Malecon sculpture tour Fernando Baños meets the public at the foot of his “Millennium” sculpture, created under his artistic name, Mathis Lidice.

Best New Use for an Old Building: Maritime Museum: When in downtown Puerto Vallarta, you can visit Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, stroll the Malecon and enjoy a beautiful sunset. And now you also can visit the Maritime Museum, which is sponsored by the Mexican Navy and opened its doors to the public last year.

Best Way to Reward Your Favorite Restaurants: Readers’ Choice Poll: Just ask Debbie Eagan, whose popular Banana Cantina won Best New Restaurant hands down last year. “This survey had a big impact on our fledgling business, the buzz about it on the message boards giving us that all important push.”

Best Local Guide: Bay Vallarta: Having published magazines in Puerto Vallarta for almost 20 years, we like to think we can tell a good publication when we see one! Since its maiden appearance three years ago, this biweekly publication has pretty much tripled in size, positioning itself as an indispensable resource for Puerto Vallarta visitors and locals.

Best Place to be Generous: Altruism Festival: In just four years, this fundraising event organized by US Consular Agent Kelly Trainor and the Marriott CasaMagna has established itself as one of Vallarta’s most important and well attended.

Best New Reason to Take a Cruise: Maritime Terminal Expansion: It’s been a long time in the making but the completion of Puerto Vallarta’s Maritime Terminal expansion to accommodate three full-size cruise ships at a time is nothing but breathtaking.

Best New Artistic Getaway: San Sebastian: The completion of the road to San Sebastian del Oeste immediately brought that picturesque mining town into view for local artists. Small planes bring daily visitors who tramp the cobblestone streets of the historic town, while others choose horses to explore the wooded hills, scene of those very silver mines and oh-so-many stories.

Best New Road to Explore: Puerto Vallarta - Talpa Highway: Cutting through the Sierra Madre Mountains is no easy task, and driving through the new highway that connects Puerto Vallarta with Talpa is a true testament to the enormous engineering challenges that had to be overcome.

Best Reason to Explore the Bay: New Docks: Let’s face it: Getting on or off a small motorboat (or panga, as we call them) without the use of a dock is not for the faint hearted, particularly on a windy day. And yet, we’ve seen people using them regularly to explore Puerto Vallarta’s South Shore.

Best Place to Develop a Green Thumb: Botanical Gardens: Historically, a garden was not only an escape from the enclosed interiors of impersonal construction, but also a way of creating an Eden by including Mother Nature in the embracing environment. Bob Price of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens focuses on “bringing native Mexican plants into safe contact with us so we can see them face to face.”

Best New Reason to Fly: Airport Expansion: Recent upgrades at Puerto Vallarta’s international airport, named for former Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz (1964-1970), have greatly improved the quality of service offered to national and international travelers arriving to our paradise.

Best Place to Mingle and Support a Worthy Cause: Banana Cantina: Everybody has to eat, right? So why not do it where there’s a party going on with local celebrities? And your presence makes a difference because it’s in aid of worthy charities. Setting an altruistic tone we hope is contagious, this community-minded restaurant is the place to be Wednesday nights during high season, when guest hosts spice the night with fun and patrons enjoy award-winning Mexican food.