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    The crowned bell tower of the Guadalupe church rising above a downtown Puerto Vallarta street, Jalisco

    Photo by Feedmepaperr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The red-brick façade and towers of the Parroquia de Guadalupe, Jalisco

    Photo by Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The white and gold interior and main altar of the church, Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Jalisco

    Photo by Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

    Landmark Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Municipality of Puerto Vallarta Banderas Bay

    Puerto Vallarta's brick parish church with the crown-topped bell tower that defines the city skyline; the goal of the December 1-12 pilgrimages.

    From Puerto Vallarta: 5 min by car (5 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    How to get to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

    • From Puerto Vallarta: about 5 min by road (~5 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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    Popular tours to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

    Puerto Vallarta Highlights Private Tour ★ 4.5 (4) 4 h From US$111

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    About Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

    The Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is Puerto Vallarta's main Catholic church and the image most people carry home from the city: a red-brick bell tower topped by an open crown, rising above the rooftops a block inland from the Malecón, just behind the main square. It is dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patroness, which fits a town whose old name was Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe.

    It took most of the 20th century to finish. A small rustic chapel stood here first; in 1915 Father Francisco Ayala had it pulled down to build something sturdier, and the parish counts October 12, 1921, the date of its first Mass, as its founding, which is why it celebrated its centenary in 2021-22. Work stopped during the Cristero War (1926-29), resumed in 1930 with the dome, and by 1940 the body of the church was done. The main bell tower was completed in 1952 and the crown was added in the mid-1960s; the façade and the smaller side towers were not finished until 1987. The mix shows: neoclassical lines in the nave, Renaissance-style towers and, on top, the crown that local legend links, without evidence, to the one worn by Empress Carlota. The original crown fell during the strong earthquake of October 9, 1995, centred off Colima; a temporary fibreglass copy stood in for it until the present crown was put up.

    Inside it is bright and simple: whitewashed walls with gilded mouldings, stained glass and a gold-trimmed altar holding the image of the Virgin. Masses are held daily, with services in English on Saturdays and bilingual Mass on Sundays. From December 1 to 12 the Fiestas Guadalupanas fill the centre: about 400 processions of neighbourhoods, hotels, companies and families walk to the church with floats, folk dancers, mariachis and fireworks, and on December 12 the Peregrinación de los Favorecidos can draw up to 20,000 people. The festival is recognised as intangible cultural heritage of the state of Jalisco.

    How to get to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 5 min, 5 km

    The church is in El Centro, a block inland from the Malecón behind the main square (Plaza de Armas) and the town hall. City buses marked "Centro" from the airport, Marina Vallarta and the hotel zone (22 pesos, January 2026) stop a few blocks away; from the Zona Romántica it is a short walk north across the Río Cuale.

    Directions to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

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    From the nearest cities to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Open daily. Mass is held in English on Saturdays, and in Spanish and English on Sundays; check current times with the parish. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    On December 12 the day starts at midnight with the mañanitas to the Virgin; in 2025 the parish programme had Masses at 1:00, 4:00 and 6:30 a.m. (dawn Mass), the big Peregrinación de los Favorecidos from 11:00 a.m. and a closing Mass at 8:00 p.m. Telediario · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    The Fiestas Guadalupanas run December 1-12, with about 400 processions to the church and the biggest, the Peregrinación de los Favorecidos, on December 12 (up to 20,000 people). Expect crowds and closed streets downtown. Visit Puerto Vallarta (tourism board) · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe: what to see and do

    Look up at the crowned bell tower from the streets that climb from the main square.
    Step inside to see the gilded altar, the stained glass and the image of the Virgin.
    Come between December 1 and 12 to watch the evening processions, with dancers, mariachis and fireworks.
    Combine the visit with the Malecón, the main square and the Los Arcos amphitheatre a block away.

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    Places to stay in Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

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    Tours & activities

    Look for tours of the area around Sayulita that stop at Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

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    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 36 km more to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 41 min by road from Sayulita, the base for Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

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    Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

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    When to go to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe warm

    Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe shares the climate of Sayulita, 36 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.

    See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sayulita

    Palm-shaded street of shops and stalls in the center of Sayulita, Nayarit warm
    Nayarit Sayulita

    Sayulita is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.