A sofisticated and well-read man born in the DF, Xavier had discovered this jewel on the Pacific coast a few years before the filming of Night of the Iguana.

When he bought Villa Leonarda in the 1950s, it was one of the oldest standing buildings in Vallarta, with the original structures going back to the late 1800s.

Seduced by its whitewashed adobe walls, hardwood beams and red tile roofs, Xavier refurbished the property and installed colorful tile floors, built the bathrooms and worked his magic throughout the two buildings divided by the large patio and pool area.

Sergio Toledano, his nephew, has maintained the atmosphere that charmed the celebrities whom he knew so well. He remembers director John Huston spending the afternoons in the villa playing poker, and recalls asking Liz—who was probably wearing one of uncle Xavier’s creations—if she and Richard would be his godparents for Holy Communion.

In fact when the paparazzi chasing Liz and Richard spread the rumor that the glamorous couple had adopted Sergio, Puerto Vallarta was catapulted to fame and on the road to become the world-class destination it is today.