Medical Care in Puerto Vallarta

Cornerstone Hospital accepts various types of foreign health insurance and traveler's insurance and is American owned. The other recommended, privately owned hospital is Hospital San Javier Marina. Although most small towns have at least a clinic, most travelers would be more comfortable traveling to the major hospitals than using these clinics.

Farmacias (pharmacies) are the most convenient place for such common medicines as aspirina (aspirin) or jarabe para la tos (cough syrup). You'll be able to find many U.S. brands (e.g., Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol, etc.), but don't plan on buying your favorite prescription or nonprescription sleep aid, for example. The same brands and even drugs aren't always available. The Sanborns chain stores also have pharmacies

as do the Cornerstone and San Javier Marina hospitals.

Pharmacies are usually open daily 9 AM to 10 PM; on Sunday and in some small towns they may close several hours earlier. In neighborhoods or smaller towns where there are no 24-hour drug stores, local pharmacies take turns staying open 24 hours so that there's usually at least one open on any given night—it's called the farmacia de turno. Information about late-night pharmacies is published in the daily newspaper, but the staff at your hotel should be able to help you find an all-night place.

Hospitals & Clinics

Cornerstone Hospital (Av. Los Tules 136, next to Plaza Caracol, Zona Hotelera. 322/226-3700. www.hospitalcornerstone.com). Hospital San Javier Marina (Blvd. Francisco M. Ascencio 2760, at María Montessori, Zona Hotelera Norte. 322/226-1010).

Pharmacy

Farmacia CMQ (Calle Basilio Badillo 365. 322/222-2941. www.cmq.com.mx).