The people of Vallarta dance to the rhythm of traditions, including healing.
Puerto Vallarta is a young city where traditional medicine practices remain very much alive, connecting the past with nature. This is a distinctive characteristic of our city. The people of Vallarta dance to the rhythm of traditions, including healing, creating and recreating incredible legends that are part of our history. They enjoy and entertain themselves in countless ways with the culture, which has been in constant, gradual change since the city became a tourist destination. The collection of popular cultures has contributed to the cultural heritage that lives in the roots of a friendly and very conscious people, who embrace the ancestral knowledge of biochemistry, herbal medicine, and medicinal plants that heal without causing harm.
Another aspect to highlight is the strength of the popular and indigenous cultures that coexist in Puerto Vallarta. Dozens of different and diverse groups, members of the indigenous peoples from all over the country, come to live in Puerto Vallarta to sell their crafts and offer their traditional and holistic medical services. It is worth noting that Puerto Vallarta is where two different nations converge: the Nahuas and the Wixaritari, the latter considered the most important native group from Canada to Nicaragua for the way they have preserved their lifestyle, traditions, and worldview intact. They are also globally famous for their shamanic practices. In this privileged area of Jalisco, important traditions are inherited from our past, leaving us with healing practices and herbal medicine.
Far from luxurious offices and advanced clinics, there are healers who are guided by the knowledge of ancestral culture and oral teaching. These healers can provide comprehensive healing that even blends with cultures from other parts of the world, such as Ayurveda from India, Yoga, traditional Chinese medicine, and Latin American medicine.
According to the World Health Organization, therapies derived from traditional Chinese medicine alone, such as acupuncture, generated revenues of over $83.1 billion worldwide, nearly a third of the annual market for the pharmaceutical industry. The once-considered Far East, a mystical land of wise and respectful individuals, has given the world an endearing therapeutic approach. In Puerto Vallarta, there are dozens of acupuncturists who also practice homeopathy and Mexican herbal medicine.
However, holistic medicine is the most popular in Puerto Vallarta, especially among young people seeking inner peace and tranquility. These young people attend various retreats offering Mexican temazcales, Brazilian ayahuasca, and even therapies from ancient cultures where they teach healing through Power walks, meditation, and nature observation. Puerto Vallarta, a city endowed with beautiful landscapes, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, beaches, the sea, and many holistic centers, is an ideal space for the development of traditional medicine. Each year, it brings the most knowledgeable experts in the field to provide information to community members.