“The Boy on the Seahorse” sculpture better known as “El Caballito” is one of Puerto Vallarta’s most beloved icons. Sculpted by Rafael Zamarripa in 1960, the original small bronze was first installed at Las Pilitas on Playa Los Muertos but was swept away by a storm. Zamarripa later created a larger replica that was placed on the Malecón in 1976, inaugurating a legacy of public art along the seaside promenade. The piece is rich in local symbolism: the seahorse represents the sea that shaped the town, the smiling boy embodies hope and welcome, and the charro hat honors Jalisco’s proud cultural roots.
In 2002, during the violent passage of Hurricane Kenna, the original seahorse sculpture was again torn from its setting and carried out to sea—only to be discovered in the water close to shore half buried under the sand by Peter Olsen, owner of Vallarta Shores Hotel, he arranged to get the sculpture out of the water, oversaw its restoration to its original glory, and the work now greets visitors on Los Muertos Beach, prominently displayed in front of Vallarta Shores Hotel for everyone to enjoy.
Born in Guadalajara in 1942, Zamarripa—an accomplished choreographer, painter, ceramist, and sculptor—gave Puerto Vallarta not just a work of art but a beloved mascot: a small boy astride a seahorse whose presence continues to anchor the town’s sense of place, resilience, and welcome.