For a completely different experience while you're in Puerto Vallarta, consider stepping back in time with a visit to the Huichol village of San Andrés Cohamiata- or, in the Huichol language, "Tatei Kié."

If you're wondering who the Huichols are, they are an indigenous culture living in small communities in the Sierra Madre mountains in the states of Nayarit and Jalisco. Due to their long-standing resistance to change and deliberate isolation from the influences of the modern western world, the Huichols have done what no few other pre-columbian civilizations could: maintain their traditional culture.

Dating back thousands of years, the Huichol people really are living in the past... and that's just how they like it. They have retained their societal structure, their political system, their language and their religion. Living off the land, the Huichols hunt and farm, their main staple being corn. In fact, their lives and festivities revolve around the yearly cycles of their corn crops.

There are a few excursion companies in Puerto Vallarta that will offer expeditions - either by air or by bus - to discover the simple and peaceful Huichol lifestyle in San Andrés Cohamiata. The village, a cluster of single-room homes with thatched roofs, is a living museum of an ancient culture. Artisan crafts have forever been a part of the Huichol civilization, namely pottery, embroidery, beadwork, woven goods and the yarn paintings- while you're in San Andrés Cohamiata, see how they are made and buy some to take home. Crafted in vibrant colors, these yarn paintings depict the symbols and forms of the traditional Huichol culture and religion and are certainly unique mementos of your travels.

Vallarta Adventures
Av Las Palmas 39, Marina Vallarta
Tel: 297 1212
Website: www.vallarta-adventures.com

Puerto Vallarta Tours
Tel: 222 4935
Website: www.puertovallartatours.net