Best Reason to Bring a Laptop: Wi-Fi Everywhere: You need not be confined to your hotel room or condo when it comes time to connect your laptop or iPod Touch to the Internet. An increasing number of venues now offer free wireless Internet access to their clients. So whether you’re catching up with your office, sending photos of your vacation to your family, checking your email, or updating your blog!

Best Reason to Go for a Swim: PV Lifeguards: Twenty guardian angels are now looking after the well-being of residents and tourists alike who turn Puerto Vallarta’s most popular beaches into their daily playground. Established in 2006, thanks to a partnership between federal and municipal governments, the program includes an increasing number of lifeguards from the local firefighter squad undergoing intense training.

Best Public Art Installation: The Art of Chase: “Recuerda Quién Eres” (Remember Who you Are), reads the message in a colorful mural located on the right just as you enter El Centro from the north. It was created by Chase, a successful Belgian artist, along with his talented colleague, Blue. In just 10 days, these graffiti artists transformed four previously neglected public walls around town, covering their rough surfaces.

Best People to Thank When We're Out and About: Our Waiters: Vallarta restaurateurs take wait staff training quite seriously. And they should! After all, even the finest culinary creation can be marred by uneven service at the table. Sometimes we fail to take notice, but all it takes is a trip to other tourist destinations to appreciate the unparalleled service we receive at Vallarta restaurants.

Best New Tribute to Puerto Vallarta: Hymn to Vallarta, Love for One's Roots: In 1967 a young lady named Yolanda Guadalupe wanted to pay tribute to Puerto Vallarta, the town where she was born. At the time, she was far away, attending high school in Mexico City. At just 16 years old, this pensive girl found a unique way of expressing her love for what was then a small town: writing a song. That is the beginning of the story behind the “Hymn to Vallarta.”

Best New Trend Among Artists: Affordable Art: The rules that dictate the value of specific works of art are as clear-cut as the true meaning of Mona Lisa’s dubious smile. That said, we praise the increasing number of local artists that are diversifying the scale of their works, both in terms of size and price, without losing their essential qualities, thus opening the possibility of starting and building an art collection to a broader audience.

Best New Publication: "Vallarta Lifestyles" Digital Edition: In view of the environmental impact of printed materials and the quickly diminishing supply of trees in our world, the virtual edition of “Vallarta Lifestyles” invites you to experience magazine reading in a new and “green” way.

Best New Paved Roads: Sayulita and San Sebastian: These two popular daytrip and overnight destinations have been begging for discovery for years. New access roads make this easier than ever. If driving to Sayulita, consider taking the Punta Mita route instead of Carr. 200 Norte. Once on the Punta Mita road, take a right onto the new Litibu road that connects with the recently paved Sayulita back entrance.

Best New Maritime Adventure: Sea Lion Encounters: The Vallarta area is well known for animal adventures such as swimming with dolphins and whale watching, but you may not know that you can now interact with sea lions and even go snorkeling with them.These grand whisker-faced creatures are extremely social, comical and mischievous by nature. They love to interact and play with humans, and being close to them is an exhilarating experience.

Best New Animal Conservation Group: Guacamayas Siempre: Guacamayas are as emblematic in Mexico as bald eagles are in the United States. Can you imagine Mexico without the guacamayas (Military Macaw)? Well, neither can Bob Price, founder of the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens, or any of the other members of the newly formed conservation group Guacamayas Siempre (Guacamayas Forever).

Best Nautical Shopping: Zaragoza Marine: “Like being a kid in a candy store” is the feeling marine enthusiasts experience when they step into the new Zaragoza, which has been described as the most extensive chandlery (marine supply store) on the west coast of Mexico. Starting as a hardware store more than 40 years ago, Zaragoza has almost anything a maritime aficionado could desire and is a proverbial “nautical Wal-Mart.”

Best Local Young Actors: Young, yet experienced, these four Puerto Vallarta residents are part of our city’s Municipal Theater Group, directed by Alberto Fabian. Combined, they have spent decades on stage, garnering awards both in and out of Puerto Vallarta. What are their goals and role models?

Best Karaoke Bar: La Regadera: Who could forget Cameron Díaz’s memorable performance at a karaoke bar in the romantic comedy “My Best Friend’s Wedding”? Since then, many of us have chosen to belt out our favorite songs while gathered with friends at the local karaoke bar, a perfect way to kick off a lively evening. In Puerto Vallarta, the best place to indulge is La Regadera at Morelos 666, El Centro.

Best Festival Graphic Designer: Vallarta Wine Fest, Jalisco and Nayarit: Both elegant and convincing, the visual concept Vallarta Wine Fest implemented during its first two years has been pivotal in bringing the event to the forefront of Puerto Vallarta’s culinary activities. The campaign was designed by Cadena + Asociados Branding, under the direction of Ignacio Cadena’s son, who anchored the concept under a unifying theme: “A Cultural Fiesta.”

Best Example of Neighborhood Empowerment: Pat may and Her Sewing Group: Hidden away in the traditional Mexican town of Jarretaderas, just minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, is an unsung hero named Patricia May. For the past six years, she has been bringing bolts of donated fabrics, sewing machines and notions from the USA to give to local women. Every Saturday afternoon, they meet at May’s house for a sewing class, where they learn new skills.

Best Do-It-Yourself Class: Tile Mosaic at A Broken Art: Tile mosaic artist Christy Beguesse found her niche. Just this season alone, approximately 300 individuals walked through her Bucerias studio doors, participated in either a half-day or a two-day course, leaving with a finished project in their hands. “The most empowering part,” Beguesse glows, “is having learned that a couple of my students went back home to Canada and opened their own mosaic art studios!”

Behind the Scenes at a Tortilla Factory: Few things in Mexico are as emblematic and timeless as the humble corn tortilla. Made by hand since pre-Columbian times, this thin, unleavened flat bread is the star ingredient in popular dishes such as chilaquiles, enchiladas, quesadillas, tostadas and tacos. The process of making tortillas has remained essentially the same since its origins. Corn kernels are soaked in limewater, causing their skin to peel.

Best Huichol Promoter: Jacinto López Ramírez: Jacinto Lopez Ramirez, a Huichol artist and shaman, passed away in 2007, leaving behind a legacy of traditional Huichol art forms. In the late 1960s, he was one of the most significant influences on the commercialization of bead art, currently practiced by many Huichol artists, including his wife, Angelita, and most of his seven children.

Hot Spot: El Anclote: El Anclote means “the small anchor,” and this special neighborhood at the entrance to Bahía de Banderas on the exclusive Punta de Mita peninsula does indeed fulfill its name, serving as the “town” and focal point for activities and dining outside the nearby fashionable hotels and estates.

Great Markets Around Vallarta: Colorful and chaotic, the market, also known as el tianguis, is one of the most important shopping venues in Mexico, as in many parts of the world. Whether you need hair ribbons or a lethal machete, an embroidered tablecloth or a set of tires, a live chicken or the pot to cook it in – it’s likely to be at a local tianguis.