The Quiet Side of Paradise

The Quiet Side of Paradise
article by Nick Gallo from the Sunday Vancouver Sun

Puerto Vallarta Alternative: Rincón de Guayabito & Villasbuenavida
Cancun Alternative: Isla Mujeres
Los Cabos Alternative: Todos Santos
Ixtapa Zihuatanejo Alternative: Troncones

Nick Gallo is a Seattle writer with a special fondness for Mexico.

Don't be put off by Mexico's big beach resorts. Dive right into the tourist maelstrom and wade out to its palm-studded fringes

Nick Gallo Citizen Special
Saturday, December 06, 2003

Psst ... Here's an open secret: Mexico's major beach destinations are getting big, crowded, and pricey -- $200-a-night chain hotels, $400-a-week rental cars, eight bucks for a rum-and-Coke at the swim-up bar.

Ay, caramba. So, what's a sunseeker supposed to do? Don't give up on Mexico. There's still much magic in the land, but you have to work harder to find it. One strategy: Dive right into the tourist maelstrom and wade out to its palm-studded fringes.

As mega-resorts such as Cancun and Puerto Vallarta boom, development is spinning off into surrounding towns that are now vacation destinations in their own right. These "seaside secrets" aren't exactly undiscovered. In fact, many started out as popular spots for day-trippers. Now, they've developed enough infrastructure -- pleasant, small hotels; good, clean restaurants; ATM machines -- to make even middle-class, middle-aged gringos feel comfortable.

"Our town is friendly, safe, tranquil," says Karen Hofstad, owner of Villas Buena Vida, a pretty hotel in Rincón de Guayabitos, 90 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. "Everyone's always telling us: 'You're like Puerto Vallarta 30 years ago.'"

The "alternative" trend is growing, says Patti Kilpatrick, manager of Solsierra Destinations, a U.S. wholesale travel company. "People find a cheap air fare into a major resort area, then go straight to some quiet hideaway."

But the smaller enclaves aren't for everyone, she cautions. While they're fun, they don't rock. Forget nightlife, action, or la vida loca; this is la buena vida -- life as sweet and simple as the popsicles at town zócalos.

Here's a look at a few top choices:

Cancun Alternative:
Isla Mujeres (www.isla-mujeres.net)

A hippie outpost in pre-Cancun days, Isla Mujeres isn't new, and boatloads of Cancun daytrippers descend on this seven-kilometre-long sliver of an island every day. But once the party boats return to the glitzy highrises in late afternoon, Isla re-claims its original role as a laid-back beach town in enchanting surroundings.

The Island of Women, or Isle of Topless German Girls, as some wags call it, is popular with Europeans, moderate-budget travellers, and easygoing visitors who enjoy "kinder, gentler" vacations. Its small downtown has a cosy, contagious energy radiating from colourful buildings and bougainvillea-lined streets, good for strolling and poking around small shops that sell jewelry, clothing and folk art.

Isla is touristic, but the hustle is low key, amiable and as easy to handle as the mo-peds and golf carts that transport travellers around the island. (There are very few cars.) In the evening, travellers linger over leisurely dinners at outdoor cafés along Avenida Hidalgo.

What to do: Get out on the water. This is the Caribbean where the sand is sugar-soft and the hues of blue-turquoise, sapphire and azure will strain your Crayola-box vocabulary. Take a dip in Playa Norte's gentle, shallow waters. Snorkel at Garrafon National Park, though you can avoid crowds by hiring a boatman near the ferry dock to visit more remote spots. At Dolphin Discovery, you can swim with dolphins.

Don't miss: Isla Contoy. Practically uninhabited, this neighbouring island and national bird sanctuary welcomes you to a pristine beach and 100 species of birds -- herons, pelicans, frigates.

Where to stay: Two posh hotels -- the elegant Hotel Villa Rolandi (www.villarolandi.com) and the ultra-romantic Hotel Secreto (www.hotelsecreto.com) -- service the five-star crowd. Old standby Na Balam Hotel (www.nabalam.com) saves you a few pesos and offers casual luxury amid 31 beach cottages and lush gardens. Its popular restaurant, Zazil-Ha, serves Mayan and vegetarian cuisine.

How to get there: A 15-minute taxi ride takes you from the Cancun airport to Puerto Juaréz, where express ferries shuttle you to Isla Mujeres. They depart frequently and cost about $3.50 (all prices in U.S. dollars).

Puerto Vallarta Alternative:
Rincón de Guayabitos (www.villasbuenavida.com)

North of Puerto Vallarta, a strand of sparkling beach towns -- Bucerias, Sayulita, San Pedro -- dot the Pacific coast. But the nicest mix of beach-idyll elements -- stunning sand, cheap prices, don't-worry-be-happy attitude -- is a little farther north in Rincón de Guayabitos, nestled on the small Bay of Jaltemba, about an hour north of Vallarta's airport. Shielded from the Pacific, Guayabitos is blessed with a sweet bay -- gentle but zippy enough for boogie boards -- and a two-kilometre stretch of blissful sand.

Formerly grassland, the town was built about 30 years ago to be a beach resort for middle-class Mexicans. Developers put up bungalows equipped with kitchens to feed families, but the resort idea fizzled. "For more than two decades, this town slept like a baby," says Jorge Castuera, the local pharmacist. "Then a few years ago, it woke up."

Now, the long, lovely beach hosts a few, new hotels (nothing more than four storeys high) and vacation-recreation bustle (parasailing, banana boat rides), but Guayabitos still moves at a slow, uncomplicated pace. Vendors bring you freshly grilled fish on a stick. Kids romp in the surf. Tourists from Guadalajara fill the air with Spanish. Neighbouring La Peñita, a congenial, working-class town, adds markets, bakeries and another slice of Mexican life.

What to do: Wiggle your toes in the sand. When you've stopped pondering the truly important questions in life -- are the best margaritas blended or on the rocks? -- then consider snorkelling (Isla Islote), whale watching (December to March) or ... searching for another beach. More than a half-dozen empty, unspoiled beaches lie within a 15-minute drive of Guayabitos.

Don't miss: La Tobara. It requires a two-hour drive to San Blas, but the payoff is this natural freshwater spring, reached via a boat trip through jungle and mangrove canals. The area teems with birds, iguanas and turtles.

Where to stay: Of several new hotels on the beach, the most charming is the gleaming-white Villas Buena Vida, (www.villasbuenavida.com), which has 45 airy, oceanfront rooms with cooking facilities -- most less than $100 per night -- a small pool and a cheerful atmosphere.

How to get there: First-class buses run from Vallarta's bus terminal near the airport to La Peñita, where you can grab a taxi to Guayabitos.

Los Cabos Alternative:
Todos Santos (www.todossantos-baja.com)

Hardly a secret, Todos Santos is the darling of the travel media, popular with the Hollywood set, and even famous in rock 'n' roll folklore. (The Hotel California here foists itself off as the improbable inspiration for The Eagles' 1977 hit by the same name.) Todos Santos wins attention because it's trying to pull off the difficult trick of blending a sleepy Mexican pueblo with sophisticated, North American transplanted culture.

Located on the Pacific side of the Baja, an hour's drive north of Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos may not wow you at first. Downtown consists of just a half-dozen streets that can be covered in 20 minutes -- and there isn't even any beach, never mind "mirrors on the ceiling" or "pink champagne on ice."

Set about a kilometre inland, Todos Santos is an old town -- it dates back to 1724 as a Jesuit settlement and was once a major sugar-cane producer -- with a cluster of brick, mid-1800s-era buildings, now restored and containing businesses. During the past decade, a sizable ex-pat community -- a vibrant art colony, in particular -- has taken root and now makes up about 10 per cent of the town's 5,000 residents. The newcomers add a splash of creativity -- art galleries, coffeehouses, bookstores -- to the native taco stands, mission church and farm economy. As might be expected, real estate prices have gone wild, but sleepy Todos Santos still hasn't exploded, probably because it doesn't border the beach.

What to do: On a dark desert highway, cool wind in your hair ... head downtown to see art. More than a dozen galleries show contemporary work by regional artists. The Galeria de Todos Santos can be counted on to present something interesting.

You'll also find upscale boutiques, folk-art shops, and the Casa de la Cultura, a humble museum with historic artifacts. Make sure to have a meal at Café Santa Fe, which serves excellent Italian food in a 150-year-old hacienda.

Don't miss: Punta Lobos. A kilometre or two south of town, a dirt road leads to this sandy cove where fishermen launch their panga boats into the sea. Like most of the area's beaches, this one is too rough for swimming, but it commands fantastic sunsets.

Where to stay: Just outside town, Posada La Poza (www.lapoza.com) wins the award for the most deluxe digs, seducing you with elegant rooms, Jacuzzis, and a whale-watching deck. Centrally located Todos Santos Inn (www.todossantosinn.com) counters with Old World décor, brick archways, and a wine bar surrounding a flower-filled courtyard.

How to get there: From Cabo San Lucas, head up Highway 19. Taxis from Los Cabos airport charge more than $100 for the 90-minute drive. Buses cost about $5 and depart from San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas.

Ixtapa Zihuatanejo Alternative:
Troncones (www.troncones.com.mx)

A decade ago, Troncones was simply an isolated beach 30 kilometres north of Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo where ex-Seattleite named Dewey McMillin ran a funky beach café called Burro Borracho. Today, the Drunken Donkey is still there, but it's got company. A few dozen B&Bs, guest inns and vacation homes have sprung up. They're here for one reason: Mexico's holy trinity of sun, sand and sea.

Backed by jungle-covered foothills, Troncones boasts five kilometres of beach that stretches to the village of Majahua. Just a bit north, the open sea presents world-class breaks, attracting serious surfers.

Not surprisingly, Troncones exudes a beach-bum, watch-the-world-go-by-from-a-hammock flavour. (Electricity arrived in town just four years ago.) While you can check e-mail in town, many bungalows don't have pools or TVs. Some don't accept credit cards.

What to do: Bask in the sun, though swimmers need to be careful of the Pacific's undertow. Playa Manzanillo is the safest beach. There are other activities: Snorkelling, kayaking, mountain biking, horseback riding on the beach. The highlight of the day often is dinner at one of the "barefoot-beach" restaurants, where the star is fresh-from-the-sea fish -- grilled huachinango (red snapper) is a treat -- and sweeping vistas of the sea.

Don't miss: Jaguar Tour company's jungle-adventure trip. A three-hour tour (about $50), it includes a nature hike, cave exploring, and a zipline canopy ride in the jungle.

Where to stay: Small, upscale properties and luxurious houses are popping up. Two good ones with rooms that cost less than $100 a night are: Casa Ki (www.casa-ki.com), set in a shady coconut grove with nicely furnished bungalows steps from the ocean,

and Eden Beach Hacienda (www.edenmex.com), also with pleasant rooms, along with a respected chef and the perfect angle for sunset dinners.

How to get there: From the Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo airport, it's a half-hour ride northwest on Highway 200. Take the turnoff for Troncones and follow the road three kilometres to the beach. A one-way taxi fare should cost about $45.

Nick Gallo is a Seattle writer with a special fondness for Mexico.
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Isla Mujeres, near Cancun.
CREDIT: Mexico Tourism Board

Posada La Poza in Todos Santos
Life is sweet when you venture away from the bustle of Ixtapa.
(A boat on the shore)
CREDIT: Mexico Tourism Board