Tom Colvin: It is difficult to have a conversation in Puerto Vallarta about the local jazz and blues scene without Tom Colvin’s name being mentioned. A gifted harmonica player, writer and photographer, Tom’s relationship with Puerto Vallarta began as love at first sight, and quite possibly, as is often the case with musicians, first sound. Having accepted an invitation to visit a friend, he found the condo of his dreams during his first trip and took ownership within a year.

Marina Living: Lights twinkle on soaring masts against the twilight sky, as boats rock gently in their moorings and buoys chime soothingly in Vallarta’s sweet breeze. It’s a beautiful scene, and one that can be easily enjoyed in the Bahia de Banderas without ever boarding a boat. Dockside life can be enchanting from the terrace of a marina home.

Food for Both Body and Soul: Puerto Vallarta is a sensualist’s dream. Neither sight, sound, touch, smell nor taste is ignored in the natural and man-made beauty that surrounds us. The surf’s symphonic rush, the sun’s majestic descent, and the flora’s amazing spectrum of hues combine with palate-titillating cuisine and soul-stirring works of art at several of its finest restaurants to delight even the most seasoned epicure.

Mortgage Financing: Have you seen that perfect property on the bay, but you’re not quite prepared to cash in your US or Canadian investments to make it yours? Are you set to make the move to Puerto Vallarta, but just a bit shy of ready cash for a condo? Now you can stock up on suntan lotion, because mortgage financing has come to Mexico.

The Attraction of Fairway Homes: Residing on a beautiful golf course and owning prime Costa Vallarta real estate is any golfer’s dream. As the sport fast becomes a favorite pastime for many seniors, snowbirds and year-round residents, this dream is becoming a reality for many.

Livin' La Vida Loca: Not every dog - or every person, for that matter - learns to respect different cultures and make interesting friends by gypsying around the world. But thanks to Nancy and Lee "Lencho" Chapman, that’s exactly what I’m doing and you can, too, via the pages of the wonderful travel scrapbooks they´re putting together about my adventures.

Omar Alonso: “I’m going a thousand miles an hour,” says Omar Alonso on any given Tuesday, as he readies his gallery for the weekly Wednesday Old Town Art Walk. Across the street at Galerie des Artistes, which he also oversees, preparations are underway for an art show opening to take place the following day.

Francisco Quintero: “A man of few words but tremendous talent, Francisco Quintero can possibly best be described as Vallarta’s Michelangelo,” say Joe and Claire Guarniere of Galleria Dante, which represents his powerful works. “He is one of the most talented sculptors I have ever seen,” adds Joe.

Joe & Claire Guarniere: The success this American-Canadian couple has achieved in Puerto Vallarta proves that amazing things can happen when you love what you do, who you do it with, and do it very well indeed.

The Munguías: This town recently bid farewell to a couple who contributed immeasurably to making Puerto Vallarta the wonderful place that it is, Carlos Munguía Fregoso and his wife of 41 years, Elena Rose Castell.

Eating Bugs is Both Trendy and Traditional: In pre-Hispanic Mexico, my mom's admonition to "Eat your vegetables because they're good for you" would have been "Eat your bugs" for exactly the same reason. And while potatoes, peas and carrots were the staples in our house, grasshoppers, ants and worms were the equivalent in this part of the world.

A Mango: Should someone call you “un mango” in Mexico it’s definitely a compliment, as only the hunkiest guys referred to that way since it conjures up such a sensuous image - the sultry tropical air here perpetually permeated with the pungent sweet smell of this succulent fruit.

Leona Vicario & Guadalupe Sanchez: Puerto Vallarta is growing by leaps and bounds, and consequently places of interest are increasingly spread out. So it’s refreshing to find an atmospheric corner in the heart of the city, just three blocks up from the oceanfront Malecon, where you can happily amuse yourself all day and evening long!

The Heart of Collecting: Vallarta is amassing an impressive collection of art collectors, and “Lifestyles” has interviewed a number of them for previous articles. The collectors featured in this issue let their interests take them far afield, and the galleries

Five Musical Moods: When it comes to live music in Puerto Vallarta, there is something for just about every live-music lover to enjoy. Here are five musical options you won’t want to miss.