The movie director John Huston did NOT discover Mismaloya!

Around 600 B.C. the area now known as Mismaloya was a kingdom called Xalisco, and Nayarita ruled as King. Nayarita fought to keep this cove in his possession because it was considered the most beautiful spot in the kingdom of Xalisco. Later, as other tribes explored these lands they opened up a well-traveled trail to the Nahuatl Empire, known today as Mexico City.

In 1524, Francisco Cortés de San Buenaventura and a small band of conquistadores were commissioned to conquer the central regions of Mexico; traveling the mountainous areas along the coastline of the Pacific, they are thought to be the first foreigners to view the vast panorama of what is now known as Puerto Vallarta.

While exploring the valley and shoreline, Cortés and his troops came upon scores of Indians prepared to protect their lands. As the Spaniards werefew, Cortés knew he could not win a battle nor was he able to negotiate surrender by the Indians.

Prepared to order a retreat, Cortés was persuaded to fight on with fewer than a hundred men. Carrying a flag with a Holy Cross imprinted on one side and a rendering of the Immaculate Conception on the other, the Spanish conquistadors readied themselves for battle against the well-armed Indians.

As legend has it, just as Cortés was about to give the order to fight, a miracle occurred. A brilliant ray of light forming a halo pointing to the Holy Virgin illuminated the sign of the Holy Cross. Both the Indians and the Spanish, awestruck, withdrew from battle. To commemorate this event, Cortés named the site "Valle de Banderas", and today the bay is known as "Bahía de Banderas" - the Bay of Flags.

In 1541, the settlements around the bay were named for the first time. When the Spanish explorer Captain Don Pedro de Alvarado disembarked in Mismaloya, he named the entire area “Las Peñas", after the massive rocks that guard the entrance and serve as landmarks of Mismaloya Bay. It was not until 1918 that the city was officially named Puerto Vallarta, in honor of the Governor of Jalisco, Don Ignacio L. Vallarla.

For three centuries the Spaniards ruled Mexico. In 1821 the Mexican people won their freedom from Spain and created o vibrant new nation.

Almost 150 years later, in 1963, movie director, John Huston came to Puerto Vallarta to film Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana." The film was shot in Mismaloya. It was an event that changed Puerto Vallarta forever. The legendary Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton love affair attracted both reporters and tourists and, by the time the film was released, Puerto Vallarta was transformed from a simple fishing village to a world class touristdestination. Today, Mismaloya is still considered a "must-see" stop for visitors to Puerto Vallarta