Wulff Legacy

Who are the founding members of the Wulff Gang in Puerto Vallarta?

November 9, 2022
Vista panorámica de Puerto Vallarta, pueblo, calles y mar.

Talking about the history of Puerto Vallarta without talking about the history of the Wulff family is almost impossible. It is that without a doubt “Wulff” is a well-known surname in our city, like other families they have become a very important pillar for the port and in this note we want to delve a little deeper into the founding members of the Wulff Gang, because Thanks to them, our Real Estate Broker, Alejandra Wulff, has indisputable knowledge and experience of Vallarta.

Ing. Guillermo Wulff, promoter of the coastal paradise at an international level

Foto antigua de Guillermo Wulff, hombre con bigote de perfil en Puerto Vallarta.

He arrived in Puerto Vallarta for the first time in 1956 with his family on the inaugural trip of Mexicana de Aviación on a flight from Mazatlán.

Upon arriving in Vallarta, he and his wife Nelly, also known back then as Nelly Wulff, fell in love with the beaches, landscapes and vegetation of the port, so much so that they decided to make it their home.

Having lived in different cities and being used to a different pace of life, the engineer was a pioneer in many aspects, he was the first driver in Vallarta, he got the first telephone exchange in the port to be installed and he put the now city on the map by presenting it to the director John Huston, who was scouting locations for his next film.

Wulff was the catalyst for the 4 Oscar-winning film The Night of the Iguana to take place on the beaches of Mismaloya and put Puerto Vallarta on the map as a tourist destination for the international press, getting actors and actresses like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor themselves bought properties in the port and fell in love with the place.

Nelly Galván Duque, woman pioneer.

Nelly Galván frente a la fachada de su tienda, Nelly’s, en Puerto Vallarta.

She was born in Mexico City where she met her first husband Guillermo Wulff. Upon arriving in Vallarta, it was the rustic landscape, the small streets and the essence of a typical little town that charmed Nelly, in addition to recognizing the great potential for development of the port, which since then had a promising future.

The founder of Nelly’s, the visionary woman began to develop in the fashion industry by creating one of the first embroidered clothing boutiques in the port. Nelly Galván considered the store one of her most important achievements, since it generated a source of employment for many, taking advantage of talents such as embroidery, employing more than 125 women over 30 years, making her work recognized and appreciated in countries like the United States.

In addition to venturing into the fashion industry, Nelly was also part of restaurant projects recognized to date in Puerto Vallarta, such as El Dorado and Las Palomas.

After several years of marriage, Nelly and Guillermo decided to separate and years after closing that cycle, she was reunited with a love from her youth: Ramiz Barquet, a renowned sculptor whom Nelly Barquet recommended to the then president of Puerto Vallarta, because he was looking for artists to decorate the boardwalk. He ended up producing emblematic works for the port and Nelly for this and more also became a benchmark in promoting art and culture for Vallarta.

Guillermo Wulff and Nelly Barquet were undoubtedly very important people for the development of Puerto Vallarta in different areas, through their love for the destination, they managed to do their bit to make this city even more beautiful and position it as a place that It has to be visited worldwide.

Foto antigua de Nelly y Guillermo Wulff frente a la tienda Nelly’s en Puerto Vallarta.

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