Música Mexicana: Seven Artists to Consider: Just as Mexico is turning heads on the silver screen, thanks to young performers such as Salma Hayek and Gael García Bernal, Mexican musicians are crossing the border and finding success and popularity all over the world.

Live Music Options in Puerto Vallarta: From colorful and lively performers bouncing from one city bus to another all day long, to sassy vocalists crooning jazz standards into the microphone at a local lounge, live music abounds in Puerto Vallarta.

Jazz in Puerto Vallarta: A number of professional jazz musicians have found their way to our destination, some as tourists, others to work for a season or two, and then there are those who have chosen Puerto Vallarta as their permanent residence.

Lenny: Music a la Carte: About four years ago, while I was having dinner at Daiquiri Dick’s, Lenny appeared with his guitar, offering music table to table. At the request of my companions, I ended up singing Sabor a Mi in harmony with this talented artist. I recently  had the opportunity to interview him in the very same restaurant.

Music: Movers and Shakers: We cannot possibly do justice to the increasingly vast and varied live music scene here in Puerto Vallarta in a single installment. Like waves on the sand, every year seems to come and go, leaving behind new and memorable performances by talented performers from all walks of life.

South Side Hot Spot: We dare you, double dare you, to say the name Basilio Badillo to the person next to you without hesitating — or peeking at its syllabic pronunciation below. Because this happening north-south street, also coined “Restaurant Row” and “Calle de los Cafés,” is one you will definitely want to discover again and again.

The Viva Girls: A Dash of Class and a Lot of Marketing Savvy: Surprises happen in Vallarta when you least expect them, like when having dinner at a nice restaurant, say. And suddenly, four gorgeous women in capes glide in, appearing before you smiling broadly ...

Best Place for Free Entertainment: Around the Main Square: Vallarta offers an abundance of free concerts, plays, movies, dance performances and much more all around the bay. But when it comes to consistently conveying Vallarta’s vibrant cultural manifestations, nothing beats our Main Plaza beside City Hall and the oceanfront Malecon right across from it at the Los Arcos outdoor amphitheater. And here’s what our senior photographer, Eduardo Solorzano, saw when he wandered there awhile.

Best Place for Free Mariachi Music: Tequila’s Cafe: By day, Tequila’s Café on the Malecon offers a panoramic view of Banderas Bay, complete with the spectacle of humpback whales cavorting in the crystalline waters during the winter months. By night, patrons can enjoy some of the best mariachi music around, ideally while dining on the restaurant’s romantic wraparound balcony perched one story above the street action, just opposite the seahorse sculpture.

Best Looking Female Impersonator: Ida Slapter: We met because of a tin-foil tiara. I was wearing it while celebrating something or other at the Red Cabbage five years ago, when in sauntered Shane Clabaugh with his entourage. As beautiful as any woman, eyes startlingly blue and the longest legs I’d ever seen, he took my breath away.

The BEST of Vallarta 2006: Vallarta has come of age in so many aspects recently that chosing topics for this annual Best Of Section is becoming both more challenging and more rewarding. Our editorial team has selected things that remind us there is so much to be discovered here.

Best New Dance Craze: Tango: Whether you speak English, Spanish, Swahili or all three is irrelevant when it comes to learning tango, the hot, sensuous dance that originated in 19th-century Buenos Aires and has taken PV by storm since tango instructors Barbara and Al Garvey moved to town two years ago.

Best After Hours Club: The Zoo: If you are a night owl, the Zoo is the place for you. With a 4 to 6 am curfew and an unbelievable atmosphere, the party just never seems to end. The Zoo is Puerto Vallarta’s favorite after-hours club, and on Saturday nights it is packed with both tourists and locals. Located at Paseo Díaz Ordaz 630, on the Malecon, it is the first choice for late-night dancing, socializing and partying. Prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is great, the security is good, and access to taxis in the wee hours is no problem.

Best Musical Makeover: Los Bambinos: From travelling troubadours to overnight sensation, one of Puerto Vallarta's favorite musical groups, goes through a makeover. Check out one of their songs! (Audio)

Best Nightclub: Carlos O’brian’s: Having just celebrated 34 years in Puerto Vallarta, Carlos O’Brian’s, of the Anderson’s chain of restaurants, is without a doubt the best nightclub in town.

Best Place to Beat the Munchies After Midnight: Pizza Metro: Think of it as a late-night outlet for La Dolce Vita, its successful Malecon sibling. Open until 4 am, Pizza Metro is a tiny, but extremely popular, stop among the downtown nightclub crowd. Nothing beats a slice of pizza after a night of gallivanting around town. And with over half a dozen varieties to choose from, including vegetarian – a comforting spinach and mushroom combo – Pizza Metro hits the late-night spot.

Best La Cruz Connection: Philo’s: On a typical Thursday evening at Philo’s Music Bar on Calle Delfin in the heart of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, the musicians are tuning up while, in one corner of the palapa-covered space, a group of grinning Mexican children are playing “Simon Says” – in English.

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.

Fashionable New Wine Bars: Stylishly enhancing the options Puerto Vallarta offers, a fresh new trio of atmospheric wine bars is shaping the way people approach dining out and getting together with friends.

Lights, Camera, Action!: With those words Puerto Vallarta came of age, director John Huston's "The Night of the Iguana" putting us on the tourist map 40 years ago - albeit the acting out of actor Richard Burton with Elizabeth Taylor played a leading role.