Mining was one of the first activities in the region. Thanks to visionary men like the promoters of Unión in Cuale, this little fishing village would become the paradise we know today.

There are men who revolutionized life in Puerto Vallarta. Explorers who had a vision of what would one day become: a treasure in the Pacific of Mexico.

The Sierra Madre not only had mines of gold, silver and valuable metals; it possessed impressive potential thanks to its beautiful beaches, fertile soil and hard-working people. These qualities remain in force today.

This is an important month in the history of Puerto Vallarta. We remember those men who made our city known throughout the world today.

Alfred W. Geist: A Foreigner with a Vision 

According to the chronicler Carlos Munguía, in June 1899, the North American citizen Alfred W. Geist acquired 90 % of the shares of the Unión mining company in Cuale. In this way, control of the mines and the land where the police station of the town of Las Peñas, today Puerto Vallarta, was located, remained in their hands.

Union in Cuale, a hidden treasure in Jalisco

Which one, this mining company, born in the mid-19th century, had acquired nearly 60,000 hectares. This land stretched from the mining town of Cuale to the Bay Of flags. The objective was to enable a port that would allow access to an endless number of satisfiers: machinery and tools for mining, salt for the benefit of silver, groceries and other objects such as clothing, wine, furniture and luxury objects for the mountain population. .

At that time, the government of President of the Republic, Benito Juárez, had sold him the property, on the condition that he populate the land and make it produce. From this commitment, the Las Peñas ranch, today Puerto Vallarta, was born.

These men had the vision of generating development in the region and making this region what it is today, a tourist destination of international stature. The place where we all want to live.

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Juan Manuel Gomez Encarnacion

Professor and Licentiate in Spanish Language and Literature; National Prize for Children's Literature 2002 and author of multiple books. Chronicler of the City of Puerto Vallarta.

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