History of Puerto Vallarta, Pre-Hispanic until 1800 (part 2)

The of Puerto Vallarta area appears on mapas and in sailing logs as a bay of refuge for the Philippine trade as well as for other coastal seafarers. Smuggling and pirate operations and pirate contravention efforts by the government involved the area. Banderas Valley and beaches along the Bay of Banderas served as supply points for ships seeking refuge in the bay during the 1600 and 1700s.. The area also served as a point where smuggled goods could be sent on to the Sierra towns near Mascota, evading the customs operations at San Blas, Nayarit. It is known that a shipyard was built on the bay in 1644 (probably where Mismaloya is located today) and two ships were built for Bernardo Bernal de Pinadero that would be used in the colonization of Lower California.

In ship's logs and documents from the 1700s constant references are made to whaling ships and fishing boast that harbored in the bay. At the time, Banderas Bay was also known as Humpback Bay (Bahia de los Jorobados) because of the number of humpback whales that were seen in the bay.
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History of Puerto Vallarta, Pre-Hispanic until 1800

Not much is known about the history of the area prior to the 1800s. Archaeological evidence exists of continuous human habitation from 580 BCE probably by the Aztatlan culture which dominated Jalisco, Nayarit and Michoacan from approx. 900-1200 CE.

The bay (Banderas) has been known since the early 1500s by Spanish soldiers, during the expeditions to Baja California (or island of pearls, as they called it), landed on the bay's beaches in order to supply their ships with water, firewood and fresh food. There are many chronicles from that time that mention the beauty of the coastline, the fertility of the land and the safe harbors that the bay offered ships.

Missionary and conquistador accounts chronicle battles between colonizers and the local peoples. In 1524 a battle between Cortes and an army of 10-20,000 Indians resulted in the Spanish taking control of much of the Ameca valley. The valley was then called Banderas, or Flags, after the colorful standards carried by the natives. During the 1500s safe harbors all along the Pacific Coast were a vital necessity so that ships returning from the Philippines would have a place to find refuge in case of attack by pirates. These harbors were also necessary during the long journeys, to and from the Orient so that ships could be repaired if necessary and crews could take on provisions. One of the first to propose a settlement on Banderas Bay was Captain Pedro de Unamuno after the trip he made in 1587 from the Philippines. Famous navigators like Sebastian Vizcaino, Lopez de Vicuna and Gonzalo de Francia more than once landed on these beaches and also proposed the establishment of a colony, but their petitions never received any attention.

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