Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Located in the city's center, the Malecón is the jewel of the town; a considerably more than one mile long seawall, or boardwalk, that stretches from Los Muertos beach in Viejo Vallarta at the south end to Hidalgo Park at the north end.

Those who know the history of the recent transformation of the Malecón know that one of the key objectives was to follow the global trend of creating a pedestrian-friendly space in the city's center.

The new Malecón is a wide, brick-lined, pedestrian-friendly, traffic-free boulevard with plenty of benches for people to sit on and lots of trees for shade. A place for romance and excitement. A place where you will find enough things to do and see to keep you fascinated today and also provide you with memories that will last you a lifetime.

Strolling along the promenade, one passes numerous Puerto Vallarta landmarks, attractions and statues, like one of this beach town's most beloved pieces, the Friendship Fountain, with its three dolphins; the Seahorse, and the Xiutla Dancers by Jim Demetro; among other monumental sculptures by world-renowned artists.

However, over time, for various reasons, some of the sculptures have been damaged. And now, one of these public art works has completely disappeared from Vallarta's Malecón II.

The first thing that turned up missing was her golf club, but now the entire Lorena Ochoa sculpture is gone. Today, all that is left of this iconic statue is the base where the Mexican athlete was once immortalized, and a fairly rusty commemorative plate.

What happened to the Lorena Ochoa sculpture is a mystery. Some think that she was washed out to sea by a large wave crashing over the retaining wall, while others believe she was stolen. One thing is for sure, the statue of one of Mexico's most revered athletes will be missed.