bronze sculptures of the malecon

There are a lot of things that impress me about Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The beautiful vistas, the gentle waves of the beach, the amazingly creative culinary scene, the fabulous street food, the chocolate, and above all for me … the abundant street art. This post is devoted to the bronze sculptures of the Malecon (boardwalk), a collection of statues and sculptures that runs from the Hotel Rosita in the north for 11 blocks south along the beach through Puerto Vallarta’s vibrant downtown area.

The Millenia statue behind the historic Hotel Rosita was placed in its striking location overlooking the north end of the beach in 2001. It is a creation of artist Mathis Lidice and represents the passage of time.

This close-up of the head of the Millennia Statue located behind the Hotel Rosita shows the structure of the work’s provocative design. This piece of art is officially referred to as a statue (perhaps because of its height) but it really is a sculpture as it a unique piece of art that is an artful creation, vs that of a statue which is defined as a replica of a real person or animal.

the malecon sculptures combine traditional with contemporary art

The Boy on the Seahorse statue is one of the more traditional pieces of art you’ll find along the Malecon, and probably the most photographed piece of art in Puerto Vallarta. It was erected in 1976.

The bronze sculptures of the Malecon marry traditional bronze sculptures that you’d expect to find in a seaside venue with some of the wackiest and most other-worldly sculptures you are likely to find in Mexico–or anywhere else on the planet. I loved them all, but was somehow eerily attracted to the work of Alejandro Colunga of Guadalajara. I was pleased to see some of Colunga’s work in Guadalajara as well, but the striking seaside setting in Puerto Vallarta really make the sculptures come to life.

The Rotunda by the Sea (pictured above) is a surreal collection of bronze sculptures by Alejandro Colunga that was installed in 1996. In all, The Malecon sculptures number about 20 pieces of original that were installed over a 35-year-span (from 1976-2011) to inspire and tantalize you while you meander along the beautiful beachside boardwalk that hugs the shore of Banderas Bay.

Do you have a favourite among the Malecon sculptures? I thoroughly enjoyed each of the Malecon sculptures and if I had to pick one as a favourite, the one below would be it. This captivating sculpture is called Nostalgia, and is a tribute of love from Mexican artist Ramiz Barquet to his wife. You can’t help but feel the love that was put into this work of art as you walk by it, lean against it and enjoy the very touchable art form that has adorned the Malecon since 1984.

Many thanks to the North American Travel Journalists Association for holding its 2015 conference in Puerto Vallarta, and to Visit Puerto Vallarta and its partners for covering the costs of my travel. If you haven’t been to Puerto Vallarta in a long while–as I hadn’t prior to my long-overdue visit in May, 2015–you will be surprised at the abundance of street art this lively resort town has to offer.