Puerto Vallarta’s Día de los Muertos is a lively, unforgettable celebration of life, culture, and remembrance. Photo / Getty Images
Puerto Vallarta’s Día de los Muertos is a lively, unforgettable celebration of life, culture, and remembrance. Photo / Getty Images
Visiting Mexico to experience Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is considered cultural appreciation, not appropriation - and something everyone should put on their wish list, writes Erika Ebsworth-Goold
In Mexico, the first two days of November usher in the country’s legendary Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. It’s a colourful whirlwind of festivals and flowers, parades and picnics, providing joyful remembrances of, and for, the dearly departed.
Perhaps it seems strange, or even a touch macabre, to party with the deceased. But scratch beyond the surface and you’ll find the Mexican Día de los Muertos experience is well worth considering for your travel wish list.
The legendary party got its start thousands of years ago. The Aztecs, the rulers of central Mexico, believed in celebrating instead of mourning those who had passed away. They used skull iconography to honour their dead loved ones throughout the year. When Spanish invaders reached Mexico in the 16th century, the Catholic Church forced indigenous people to convert and assimilated their religious practices. Aztec rituals commemorating the deceased shifted to the Catholic holidays All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2, eventually becoming what’s now known as Día de los Muertos.
During a visit to Mexico at this special time, you’ll see versions of the Aztecs’ decorative skulls, or calaveras, at every turn. The brightly coloured ornaments are constructed of plaster, wood and even sugar. Many revellers take the motif a step further, wearing vivid skeletal makeup or masks. It’s considered cultural appreciation, not appropriation, for visitors to adopt the fashion as well. If the spirit moves you, feel free.
Skeletons also take centre stage in the streets, from life-size papier-mâché versions to minis made of plastic. They are constant reminders of death’s presence, and that life should be lived to the fullest.
Many revellers take the motif a step further, wearing vivid skeletal makeup or masks. Photo / Getty Images
A family affair
The notion of family is central to Día de los Muertos. The festival’s traditions focus on honouring the dead, so their living relatives take the revelry straight to them. In cemeteries, entire generations gather to clean graves, place flowers, and even dine and drink. It’s commonplace to arrange lavish spreads around and even on the graves, for a spiritual sharing of the feast. Music is played and pan de muerto - sweet bread baked into the shape of bones - is often served. Other snacks are chased with champurrado (a thick, sweet hot chocolate) or perhaps boozier options. It’s a poignant communing with the dead, during a time of year it’s thought they are the closest to the living.
A more intimate family activity is the building of ofrendas, special altars dedicated to the souls of ancestors and other loved ones who have passed. They include photographs of the dead, their favourite trinkets, sweets, and candles. Cigarettes, beer and liquor are also often included, so the dead can enjoy their preferred vices as well. Most ofrendas are festooned with flower garlands, including those made with cempasúchil, Mexican marigold. The brilliant orange bloom is believed to attract the spirits with its strong scent and bright petals.
Ofrendas, or altars, include photos, trinkets, and favourite foods to welcome back the spirits of loved ones. Photo / Getty Images
Día de los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta
The Pacific coast city of Puerto Vallarta has grown into a top tourist destination well-known for its white beaches, nearby mountains, and friendly, laidback vibe. Tourists flock to the former fishing town to enjoy luxe accommodations, wellness offerings and eco-travel activities.
PV is also a prime location to take part in the Day of the Dead. You’ll find celebrations throughout the city, particularly in the historic downtown area and along the Malecón, a 12-block seaside boardwalk. Here, music, community altars and art displays are cheery nods to the country’s rich cultural heritage. Bonus: it’s pedestrian-only, so you can explore freely and safely.
Thousands pack the streets for Puerto Vallarta’s commemorative Dead is Alive parade. Mobile mariachi bands provide the event’s soundtrack, drumlines the beat. Community groups march and dance along the route, clad in long, sweeping dresses and dapper cowboy suits. Parade participants and many of the spectators also wear elaborate makeup in the calaveras style, each with his or her own creative twists. It’s must-attend event during the Day of the Dead.
Watching the entire party from 28m above: the Great Lady of Malecón. Dressed in her finest gown and stylish hat, this elegant, towering skeleton gazed down at the crowd, a reminder for all that life is indeed short.
Día de los Muertos skeletons, or calacas, are a constant reminder to celebrate life while it lasts. Photo / Getty Images
Join the party
Even if you don’t know a soul—living or dead—in PV, it’s still easy to attend an authentic Day of the Dead bash. Many Puerto Vallarta hotels and resorts throw lavish soirees that fire up after the downtown parade winds down. Courtyards, lobbies and even ocean fronts are transformed into gorgeous displays dedicated to the dearly departed, with elaborate shared ofrendas. At the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa, staff invited me to bring a photo of a family member to be included. My late grandmother was placed front and centre in one of the stunning altars. It was a touching gesture that made me truly feel included in this special tradition. I know my abuela would have loved it, too. This wasn’t a time for tears or sadness. Rather, it was the liveliest of evenings, and one I won’t soon forget.
Expect Día de los Muertos celebrations, no matter where you post up, to stretch late into the night. You’ll likely be treated to live mariachi music, traditional dancing, delicious food, Mexican sweets, pinatas, and of course, plenty of adult beverages.
The days after …
Day of the Dead in Puerto Vallarta. Photo / Getty Images
There’s plenty to see and do in Puerto Vallarta after the Day of the Dead. Consider extending your stay a few days to better acquaint yourself with the city and its friendly people. Take a boat tour to reach the Las Caletas swimming cove, or head to Marietas Island for excellent snorkelling. If the mountains are more your scene, PV’s got you covered with the nearby Sierra Madres. For a moderate hike, head north about 40 minutes to Monkey Mountain. There aren’t actual monkeys, but the ocean views are incredible. Love Hollywood lore? Stop by Casa Kimberly. Now a nine-suite luxe hotel, it’s the place Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton stayed while filming The Night of the Iguana in the early 1960s. The actors had side-by-side casitas in town, and Burton eventually built a bridge connecting their homes. The savvy construction project allowed the superstar couple to carry on their passionate extramarital affair, without the paparazzi’s prying eyes and cameras.
Of course, you can’t visit Mexico without a proper taco tour. Vallarta Eats Food Tours starts with breakfast birria, and shepherds guests to seven additional stops. It’s the perfect way to get a true taste of PV, see the city’s different neighbourhoods and learn the unspoken rules of taco engagement. (Hint: It’s bad luck to eat fish tacos after 5pm, don’t dress your taco with dairy products, and don’t even think about grabbing a fork!) You’re guaranteed not to go hungry.
Last but certainly not least, be sure to sample some of Mexico’s most famous export, tequila. A formal tasting is a terrific way to introduce the uninitiated to the spirit. Pairing the aged liquor with dark chocolate is a south-of-the-border treat to be enjoyed year-round, not just during Día de los Muertos.
Romantic zone skyline from Casa Kimberly. Photo / Getty Images
