The island is much appreciated by naturalists, scientists, scuba divers, photographers, fishermen and those who seek adventure off the beaten track.
Stories by John Pint
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How to survive a bee attack—with a little help from Texas
Mention bee attack to anyone in rural Mexico and you will hear stories about people whose brush with bees ended either miraculously well or tragically bad.
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If tequila is king, raicilla is the queen: a visit to a rustic distillery in Jalisco
A visit to an artisanal distillery that produces raicilla, which uses a process that has distinct differences from other methods of making a mezcal.
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KidZania: Made-in-Mexico concept shows the value of role play in education
The author spends several hours following an eager six-year-old through the bustling city of KidZania in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
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The town of Tequila’s best-kept secret: the elusive Blue Falls
In the US it would be a national park with no-swimming signs and hundreds of tourists filing by just to get a glimpse of paradise.
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A muralist reminisces about the magical towns he has painted
Muralist Jorge Monroy painted an outstanding collection of watercolors of the Pueblos Mágicos. Many are currently on display in Guadalajara.
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Exploring the Río Verde canyon: high cliffs and hot showers
It could be considered western Mexico’s “forgotten river,” principally because it runs along a deep canyon, accessible only via a few steep roads.
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The remarkable Miss Adela Breton, explorer extraordinaire
Breton was an archaeological artist from England who fell in love with Mexico’s ruins and captured them in watercolors.
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Amparo: the rise and fall of one of Mexico’s most controversial mines
In the early 1900s, the Amparo Mining Company operated a successful silver mine and was making money hand over fist. Today it is an impressive ghost town.
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A week on the Sea of Cortez leaves the author happy to be on dry land
The second of a two-part series, in which sailing proves to be a marvelous experience for a landlubber from Guadalajara, Jalisco.
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A week on the Sea of Cortez, ‘the world’s aquarium’
Jacques Cousteau called it “the world’s aquarium,” and no wonder. A sailing trip reveals myriad species of marine life and birds.
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The Guachimontones of Teuchitlán, Western Mexico’s circular pyramids
What looked like nothing more than a heap of rocks was actually a highly organized society that had begun in 1000 BC and reached its apogee around 200 AD.
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Exploring the marble mountains of Casimiro Castillo, Jalisco
Petroglyphs, caves, hot springs — and a black soup of bat guano — in the marble mountains inland from Barra de Navidad.
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Visit to Vallarta Botanical Garden turns out to be a day to remember
Everywhere you go there is lush vegetation: sensuous tropical flowers, bizarre, creeping vines, gargantuan trees and an amazing multitude of orchids.
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Archaeologist uses new approach to understand Mexico’s ancient cultures
Ethnoarchaeology is a common-sense way of looking at ancient artifacts and buildings and puts a human face on them.
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Mexico’s Great Stone Balls, a geological attraction in the hills of Jalisco
Hidden away high in the Sierra de Ameca, buried in a great bed of volcanic ash, lie dozens of naturally formed gigantic stone balls.
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Barbie dolls for Christmas: 15 years of bringing joy to girls on the Pacific coast
Since 2003 the lives of thousands of girls in rural Mexico have been made brighter thanks to a retired Californian who loves to crochet.
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Spirulina, or ‘Aztec cheese,’ is Mexico’s pre-Hispanic superfood
This miraculous micro-algae was consumed regularly by the Aztecs as a common source of protein harvested from Lake Texcoco.
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It’s a hard hike to Jalisco’s most beautiful cave, but worth the price
La Cueva de los Monos in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve is considered by some to be Jalisco’s most beautiful cave, but hard to reach.
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The mortar makers of San Lucas: 600 years of experience makes all the difference
Some 300 local people follow the longstanding tradition of transforming hard basalt rock into practical appliances as well as works of art.
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Computer programmer uses information technology to help save forests
Computer simulations using artificial intelligence show how erosion from rainfall can affect forests and how to prevent it.
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Discover another world inside Guanajuato’s curious Parangueo Crater
A 400-meter tunnel leads to an enormous, shimmering white crater that was once a lake. It’s like walking on another planet.
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Fans of abstract art can find it in a gallery in the woods of Jalisco
Jalisco’s Center for the Study and Diffusion of Non-Figurative Art — or CIANF — was born in a private home in the rustic community of Pinar de la Venta.
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Search for the birthplace of tequila leads to impressive 18-century distillery
Many distilleries used to operate around Amatitán near Guadalajara, but the remains are difficult to locate.
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Exploring Amatitán, Jalisco, the town that made tequila famous
The small town of Amatitán is not designated a Pueblo Mágico but every visit seems to yield something curious and interesting.