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From Shamanic Rituals to Drag Queens, A Vallarta Experiences Adventure Awaits You
By Zia Ahmad
[This article on Ezeqkiel Lozano originally appeared in our Fall print issue. You can view the PDF of our summer print issue here.]
Tucked between Sayulita and San Pancho, about forty-five kilometers north of Puerto Vallarta, is Playa Malpaso, a beach known for its stunning beauty and rich cultural folklore. Locals believe it once was a sacred space for native Indians, where they’d witnessed a deer jumping into the fire, symbolizing the meeting of death and new life.
Today, a shaman visits the site, makes offerings to the gods, and prays.
This is the type of experience Ezeqkiel Lozano—the entrepreneur behind Vallarta Experiences—promises to deliver to his clients which goes beyond the hikes and breathtaking views and discovers the essence and history of a place.
Ezeqkiel, a lover of photography and travel, has embarked on several personal and business ventures. Still, one common theme binds them: his relentless pursuit of a deeper human connection, spirituality, and cultural exploration.
He refers to his business ventures as his children.
“I have four kids,” he informed me the day I joined him at Juicy Drags, one of his offspring, “and the fifth one is on its way.”
Ezeqkiel and his husband moved to Puerto Vallarta four years ago from Mexico City, where they still run an Airbnb and manage Brains and Play, a training and certification business for adults to improve strategy, brain activity, and talent enhancement using Lego blocks. Like children playing with toys, participants bring out their creativity that aims to transform human behavior in a positive direction, Ezeqkiel said.
“Before coming to P.V.—our first visit—we considered moving to Bali, Indonesia, as our happy place”, Ezeqkiel recalled.
But they fell in love with the mountains, the beach, the sand, and the brilliant blue of the Pacific surrounding this magical town. Soon, they set roots in P.V. by opening Juicy Drags, their third child, a smoothie bar & bistro, also a safe space for anyone looking to explore drag with makeup, wigs, and costumes.
Ezeqkiel knew there was more to the city than the parties and lounging by the beach. And despite his love for the alluring LGBTQ+ scene in Zona Romantica, he began exploring nearby areas around P.V. such as Bucerias, Punta Mita, Sayulita, and San Pancho to the north, Chimo and Yelapa to the south, and San Sebastian in the mountains.
He longed to embrace human experiences and cultures, not just visit famous landmarks. This inspired him to create Vallarta Experiences, combining his love for photography and travel into a new business venture he described as his “fourth child.”
“I wanted to show Vallarta not just through my eyes, but through my love of the city,” he said as he sat down after handing me ice-cold water that warm summer day. “Vallarta can be anything you want it to be,” he added. “Just be happy.”
Aside from the hikes to the Malpaso beach and visits to historical places like San Pancho, Vallarta Experiences has incorporated alluring offers such as Drag Queen Friday and Katrina For A Day that separate it from similar businesses.
With the spirit behind Juicy Drags, Drag Queen Friday aims to allow clients to connect with their inner feminine selves—a two-day experience where they accompany a seasoned drag queen who assists with exploring their character in drag. The following day is about having an experience as a drag queen.
A client, a trained opera vocalist, loved it so much, Ezeqkiel said, that they decided to be an opera singer in drag by having their show in P.V. soon.
If drag is not your thing, you can choose to be a Katrina for a day and have a photoshoot session, according to Ezeqkiel.
Vallarta Experiences makes the experience even more fun by including the Red Door Mobile Bar in these adventures.
Ezeqkiel has seamlessly incorporated his passion for photography into his business. From capturing spontaneous moments of the humans of Mexico City through street photography to now focusing on seizing the expressions of his unsuspecting clients of all ages and body sizes—male and female, nude or clothed—he engages them in deep conversations, bringing out their true emotions seconds before pressing the camera button. He loves seeing the joy on their faces as he shares the results with them later.
Ezekiel says it is enchanting to witness them overcome any insecurities and enjoy the freedom nudity delivers in an artistic fashion. Vallarta Experiences has many bookings on the calendar, and Ezeqkiel plans to expand his business beyond P.V. to other cities such as Guadalajara & Tequila.
But he isn’t done yet. His next adventure, his fifth child, will be a joint venture with one of his best friends, Juan Carlos—the Xiekari Healing Center & Spa—a space specializing not just for the body but for the healing of the mind and soul.
So get ready to meet a shaman and a medium—who will transport you to a realm beyond the human mind’s comprehension—because that’s what Ezeqkiel Lozano, a lover of nature and culture, aims to bring to the already magical town of Puerto Vallarta. A deep spiritual awakening.
More Information: Website
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