Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

For years, vacationers who discovered the charm and beauty of Banderas Bay tried to keep the "good news" from spreading further than their closest friends. The arrival of a major studio film company and two of the world's best-known stars (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) quickly changed Puerto Vallarta into one of Mexico's major Pacific resorts. The addition of luxurious hotels, however, does not detract from the lush green mountains rising sharply from the shore. Puerto Vallarta offers the delights of long, white sand beaches, temperate waters and riotous mariachi bands.