Puerto Vallarta Coat of Arms: Description and Meaning

The Puerto Vallarta coat of arms was designed by the Jalisco painter José Manuel Martínez Peña. It was requested by the Puerto Vallarta City Council in 1968, on the occasion of the town’s elevation to the category of city. It was officially adopted on May 31st, 1968, when our city was celebrating the fiftieth anniversary as a municipality.

It is formed by four symmetrical quarters that represent the history of Puerto Vallarta and its economic and social trajectory.

Description

• In the upper left corner, there is a modest house by these ashore under the shade of a palm tree.
• In the lower left corner, there is an open book with inscriptions in its pages.
• In the upper right corner, there is a sailfish coming out of the sea, with the Banderas Bay and the Mismaloya Archs in the back.
• In the lower right corner, there are holding hands greeting in a friendly gesture.

The Code of Arms is framed by an anchor hanging from a wire.

Meaning

The austere construction represents the origins of the town. It is in honor to the first settlers. Puerto Vallarta was founded on December 12th, 1851 by Guadalupe Sánchez, who baptized the new town as “Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe.”

Currently, the main financial activity of our town is the tourist industry, which is represented by a sailfish (a very popular species in the beautiful Banderas Bay), as well as the Mismaloya Archs (a swimming or scuba diving spot, identified as one of the main tourist attractions in our destination).

The open book represents the General Constitution of the Mexican Republic, paying homage to Ignacio L. Vallarta, who gave name to Puerto Vallarta on May 31st, 1918.

The hands represent the act of the residents, who always give a hand with friendliness and sincerity to all of visitors.

The anchor framing the code symbolizes that the city, in a poetical way, is the daughter of the sea.