Although Puerto Vallarta’s cobbled pavements and “holey” sidewalks won’t land you in jail, one of them might send you to the hospital if you don’t watch your step, especially at night. “Pedestrian beware” is especially good advice on Mexican streets, where it is rumored that some drivers speed up rather than slow down when they spot a tourist stepping off the curb. Falling coconuts, especially frequent on windy days, constitute an additional hazard to unwary campers and beachgoers.
Driving Mexican country roads, where slow trucks and carts block lanes, campesinos stroll the shoulders, and horses, burros, and cattle wander at will, is hazardous—doubly so at night.