Los Muertos Pier and anchored boats under red evening sky, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Of piers and pangas

Opened in 2013, the sleek, stylish Los Muertos Pier serves Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as the flashier sequel to two much simpler predecessors. The first was a ramshackle wooden structure built to ferry camera equipment for the 1964 film 'The Night of the Iguana,' later replaced by a simple, sturdy concrete outcrop. The latest pier is a tourist attraction in itself, but it's also a gateway to further fun in the sun: Small skiffs known as pangas flock to and from the lower dock, offering passage directly from the pier to many of the region's beaches. Once the bustle dies down in the evening, the fleet can be seen anchored near the pier, typically framed by one of the city's signature sunsets.