Colourful Architecture and History in Gringo Gulch

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The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Touring a picturesque Puerto Vallarta hillside neighbourhood with an interesting history

Gringo Gulch is a residential area in the historic downtown area of Puerto Vallarta known for its views, architecture, and colourful history. It is located uphill from the main square just north of the Cuale River.

View from Gringo Gulch in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
The view

It got the “Gringo” part of its nickname from the mainly English-speaking foreigners who bought homes here in the 1950s and 1960s, before Puerto Vallarta was the tourist mecca it is today. At the time, this was the only accessible hill for building a home with a view. Since then, bridges and improved infrastructure have opened up other hill areas for development. The “Gulch” part of its name comes from the dip toward the river that occurs at the southern portion of the hill. That dip offered views to the south of Banderas Bay as well as to the west, making this a preferred area for the expats.

On a walking tour with Sandra of Puerto Vallarta Walking Tours, I learned more about the architecture and history of the neighbourhood. Note that as of January 2024, it looks like she may not be offering this particular tour anymore, but you can explore on your own or follow up with her to see if the tour might be available again at some point.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: plaques identify homes by Wullf and Romero

Gringo Gulch started to develop as an expatriate neighbourhood in the 1950s. Two builders played prominent roles. Plaques identify the homes these two built. Fernando “Freddy” Romero is credited with developing the “Vallarta Style” of red-tiled roofs, white-washed adobe walls, and wrought iron decorations. Romero was a bit of a “Romeo” and preferred to build homes for rich widows. Guillermo Wulff was a Mexico City engineer who also built many homes in the area. He introduced the cupola as an architectural element.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: cupola

As we walked, Sandra pointed out various architectural elements.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Lots of iron work on this house
The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Clay tiles used on roofs and for ventilation
Clay tiles used for roofs, ventilation and decorative purposes
The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Part of old stone wall left unplastered to reveal brick behind
A gap was left in the wall plaster to reveal parts of the old stone wall
The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: old and new construction side by side
Older and newer construction side by side
The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:
This door frame is a typical construction technique used when extra support is needed

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:

Many of the buildings have the bottom portion of the outside wall painted a different colour than the rest of the wall, which is usually white. This is not merely a decorative decision. During the summer rainy season water splashes up this part of the wall and mold forms. The mold needs to be regularly scraped off and the wall repainted. Keeping that section a different colour means the entire wall need not be repainted.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: the view
The view here includes the crown of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

The movie industry and a juicy Hollywood scandal played a significant role in the development of Gringo Gulch. Builder Guillermo Wulff played a role in that too. In the early 1960s, he convinced movie director John Huston to shoot “The Night of the Iguana” in Mismaloya, an isolated cove eight miles south of Puerto Vallarta, where he had obtained a 90-year land lease. There were no facilities or hotels at Mismaloya. The cast and crew stayed in Puerto Vallarta. They and the movie equipment travelled to and from Mismaloya every day via boat.

The cast included Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr. Elizabeth Taylor was not in the film, but she was in Puerto Vallarta with Richard Burton. Their steamy extramarital affair drew paparazzi and news coverage from around the world.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Casa Kimberley
Casa Kimberley

Puerto Vallarta did not have much in the way of hotels in the early 1960s. Elizabeth Taylor was unhappy with her accommodations. John Huston let Burton and Taylor stay in his rented villa Casa Kimberley and rented another villa for himself. Richard Burton ended up buying Casa Kimberley for Elizabeth Taylor as a birthday present. At the time, Casa Kimberley was a two-story building. It is now a boutique hotel and the current owner has added floors.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: The Little Bridge of Sighs
The Little Bridge of Sighs

Richard Burton also purchased a villa for himself on the other side of the street. Guillermo Wulff built the bridge, originally painted pink, connecting the second stories of the two villas. It is said to have been inspired by the “Bridge of Sighs” in Venice. There are stories of Richard Burton being trapped in his apartment after one of Burton and Taylor’s famous fights because the apartment had no street entrance of its own and Elizabeth locked the door on her side of the bridge. Supposedly, friends threw bottles of liquor up to Burton on the bridge.

Burton and Taylor married in 1964, divorced ten years later, remarried in 1975, and divorced again in little under a year. Richard Burton purchased another villa in Puerto Vallarta in 1977 for his new wife Susan Hunt. That villa is now part of the Hacienda San Angel boutique luxury hotel.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: ceramic tile decorations
Hacienda San Angel: ceramic tiles cover the lower part of this building’s outside wall
The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Burton and Taylor statue at Iguana Restaurant
Bronze statue of Burton and Taylor done by artist Jim Demetro inside the Iguana Restaurant at Casa Kimberley

As we walked Sandra pointed out former homes of other famous residents, and told us about them and current owners.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: cobblestoned street and Chez Elena
Typical cobblestoned street with restaurant Chez Elena at near end: Peter O’Toole, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Anthony Quinn and Robert Shaw frequented Chez Elena

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: relatively plain white exterior

The exteriors, while attractive, are often quite plain. The interiors would have been more elaborate with tiled floors and courtyards. When you walk through the area, it may be possible at times to catch a brief glimpse of an interior through an open door.

Courtyard in Puerto Vallarta
We didn’t get into the courtyards of the private homes in Gringo Gulch, but this courtyard at the International Friendship Club gives an idea of the concept
The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: view of hills across Rio Cuale
View across the river into the hills – in the 1950s and 60s, the hillside would not have been dotted with buildings
The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Sandra of Puerto Vallarta Walking Tours
Sandra

Sandra has been conducting walking tours in Puerto Vallarta since 2009. Puerto Vallarta Walking Tours grew out of the informal tours she gave friends when they visited. There are several types of tours offered, not just the one of Gringo Gulch. Sandra told me she likes to add a new tour each year. Her latest addition is a chocolate tour.

The Gringo Gulch walking tour takes approximately 90 minutes. Note that there are some stairs and some inclines (like most of Puerto Vallarta). You can walk and explore Gringo Gulch on your own. I chose to take a tour to get more of the stories and history. Casa Kimberley is relatively easy to find on your own, but I wouldn’t have learned who lived at some of the other houses or heard the interesting story tidbits on my own.

The Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Me with the camera
I took a lot of photos on the tour. Sandra took this photo of me and my camera.

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PIN ITThe Colourful Architecture and History of Gringo Gulch, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: a walking tour


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20 Comments

    1. Ken, Gringo Gulch would make a good name for a dive bar. Fortunately the real neighbourhood is not a dive.

  1. We took several house walking tours when we were traveling in Mexico and I grew to love especially, the very plain exteriors (except for the wrought-iron grillwork) which concealed the often stunning interiors and private courtyards within. It looks like your walking tour was especially fun with the stories of long ago glamorous Hollywood actors and directors who frequented Gringo Gulch. The streets and whitewashed houses are lovely and your opening photo is terrific, Donna! Anita

    1. Doreen, there is so much to do in Puerto Vallarta. I didn’t do a food tour and it would be on my list for a future visit.

  2. I just love Puerto Vallarta! I don’t think I’ve been to Gringo Gulch, but it’s so pretty and scenic. I would absolutely love walking around the area, camera in tow.

  3. Gringo Gulch looks like a fascinating area to explore! I recall hearing about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s affair during “Night of the Iguana.” What a storied part of Puerto Vallarta!

    1. Debbra, there are lots of interesting stories – there must have been quite the goings on back in the day.

  4. Love the bronze of Taylor & Burton–it’s a classic pose just like they were a classic couple.

    1. RoseMary, it is a classic pose, isn’t it. Jim Demetro is a good artist – he has several sculptures in Puerto Vallarta.

  5. Thanks, I really enjoyed reading this history of Puerto Vallarta, its architecture and its celebs!

    1. Kristin, I’m glad you enjoyed reading this. It was a fun tour and fun to re-experience when writing about it.

  6. I’m glad you took a lot of pics — they’re great and really take me back to Puerto Vallarta. I was there back in the 80s — LOL! I had forgotten about all the Hollywood history there, especially Burton/Taylor – thanks for the reminder.

  7. Dear Donna, what a great article…and thanks for the exposure! Enjoyed showing you some of the Vallarta I love Hope to see you again for another one of my many walking tours. Sandra

    1. Sandra, I’m glad you liked the article. I certainly plan to take another one of your walking tours next time I’m in Puerto Vallarta.