Last Sunday (22nd Feb 2026), I was at home with my dog, Zac, watching the chaos unfold from a distance.
Zac was thrilled, if you asked him what he thought of Sunday, he’d say it was a very good day hanging out with dad at home. If he could, he would ask for that more often as he thinks I “work too hard”.
On Monday, although many people were out walking the streets, I decided to stay inside the building for another day. I had food. I had everything I needed. And I figured one less person on the streets made it slightly easier for the city to clean up the burned cars. Also, I knew Zac would appreciate another full day at home with dad.
By Tuesday, something shifted.
Markets, cafes, restaurants started opening. People were out walking and socialising. The energy in the air was optimistic and lively. In fact, it almost seemed as though some people had enjoyed the excitement of the Sunday events.
By Wednesday, life felt normal again.
From a real estate perspective, I wasn’t overly busy early in the week. One client reached out to say they were a little concerned about moving forward with their transaction. Fair enough. That’s understandable. I said let’s take a breath and let the dust settle.
But another client who had just purchased a unit at Avanti the week prior was full steam ahead and making their down payment.
Thursday, the phone started ringing again.
Showings were scheduled. Two showings at my listing in Palm On The Tree for Friday. Two at Avanti sales office. Two more for Saturday at other properties. I had a Pilates session and not one person brought up Sunday’s events. Not because they were avoiding the topic, but because it already felt like past news.
Friday? A completely normal day in Puerto Vallarta real estate for Paul Trimmer. Showings. A new buyer meeting to talk through the process of purchasing property here. Business as usual.
In less than a week, it felt like we were back to normal. To be honest, Zac was a little bit annoyed. He was back to having his dad coming and going all day between Real Estate appointments and taking phone calls.
Will tourism struggle a little? Probably.
Visitors coming to all-inclusive resorts may take time to feel confident again, especially after ridiculously dramatic international headlines.
This week, I ran my own informal “test.” I asked people in my building. I asked locals I know. Business owners. Seasonal residents. Friends. I asked variations of the same questions:
How do you feel about Puerto Vallarta now?
How do you feel about its future?
Would you still buy real estate here?
Every single answer was optimistic. Not one negative. Not one “I want out.” That says something!
Every Place Has Its Challenges. Let’s zoom out. In California there were wildfires. In Christchurch, New Zealand it took years to rebuild after the earthquakes. In the United States mass shootings happen often. Recently, In New Zealand, we’ve had severe flooding and landslides that have taken lives. All these events involved civilian fatalities. Sunday in Puerto Vallarta did not. No tourists were harmed. No expats were harmed. Was it momentarily scary, yes. Was it over after about 7 hours, yes.
So why does PV get the most dramatic headlines?
Because people around the world are fascinated by the cartel. It’s often the first question I’m asked by friends back in New Zealand. But the global fascination with cartel culture is a separate conversation entirely.
What Actually Happened?
This event was between cartel and the government and messages were being demonstrated. That’s it. I won’t pretend I understand everything about how cartels operate, because I don’t. And neither does the average commentator online! I can certainly form my own opinion like everyone does. The “man in the street” likes to think they “know how it all works”…
What I do know is this: For everyone, including the cartel, Puerto Vallarta is economically important. Tourism and expat investment matters. Stability matters. There’s a motivation from everyone for exactly that…
And the speed with which life returned to normal tells its own story. The narrative portrayed in some international media outlets was sensationalised, overly dramatic and often completely wrong. It’s click bate!
Don’t believe me? Reach out to any of your friends that were here on the ground in PV, that are regular visitors in PV, and that have always loved PV, ask them how they feel right now. I’m pretty sure they will all feel the same as I’m portraying in this blog article.
Let’s not forget something important. Many of us chose to live here. I chose to move here from New Zealand, a country consistently ranked as one of the best places in the world to live. Many of my clients have chosen Puerto Vallarta over their home countries as well. Why? Because life here is good. The lifestyle. The food. The community. The beaches. The climate (the climate is a big one – I know non of you want to go back to those winters…)
We are welcomed here. We build businesses here. We build friendships here. We build lives here.
One chaotic day, where no tourists or expats were harmed, does not erase the reasons many thousands of people vacation, winter, retire, and invest here every year.
Before making any rash decisions about Puerto Vallarta’s future, take a breath. Don’t add to the dramatic news headlines or false social media posts, especially if you were not here on the ground to truely understand what happened. Give it time. Let the dust settle. Consume balanced, grounded information. Every country has its challenges. From where I stand, one week later, Puerto Vallarta feels like Puerto Vallarta again. People are back at their favourite cafés, their favourite bars, their favourite beach clubs, living the life they signed up for. And from what I can see on the ground, that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Bring on week 2 of our great, normal Puerto Vallarta life!
Article By Paul Trimmer
