Cultural tours are being sponsored this year to the Guadalupana, the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico by BelleCora Press & Retreats of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Two one-week tours scheduled for December 1-7, or December 7-14 are offered and include housing in Puerto Vallarta, some meals, orientations and tours with a cultural anthropologist, as well as time for sight seeing and sitting on the beach.
The celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, known as the Guadalupana, occurs each year from December 1-12, throughout Mexico. A visually rich experience of pilgrims moving to their local church of Guadalupe with gifts, images of the virgin, costumes and music, the celebration often culminates on the evening of December 12 with fireworks. Many travelers are familiar with the celebration in the central plaza of Mexico City, where the original Cathedral of Guadalupe stands. However, no where in the country is the celebration any more festive than Puerto Vallarta.
An additional amenity of the Guadalupana is that the folk-art and handcraft shopping, always good in Puerto Vallarta, is increased during the Guadalupana by the pilgrims who come from rural areas to bring their gifts to the Virgin. They also bring handcrafts from their villages to sell and trade. A variety of unique items and a stress free shopping experience are the result, a great way to finish out your Christmas shopping list.
For information on the BelleCora sponsored tours, go to http://www.bellecora.com/
