Side Trips

Yelapa: Robinson Crusoe Meets Jack Kerouac

It's a cove straight out of a tropical fantasy, and only a 45-minute trip by boat from Puerto Vallarta. Yelapa has no cars and one paved (pedestrian-only) road, and only recently acquired electricity. It's accessible only by boat. Its tranquility, natural beauty, and seclusion make it a popular home for hipsters, artists, writers, and a few expats (looking to escape the stress of the world, or perhaps the law). A seemingly strange mix, but you're unlikely to ever meet a stranger -- Yelapa remains casual and friendly.

To get there, travel by excursion boat or inexpensive water taxi. You can spend an enjoyable day, but I recommend a longer stay -- it provides a completely different perspective.

Once you're in Yelapa, you can lie in the sun, swim, snorkel, eat fresh grilled seafood at a beachside restaurant, or sample the local moonshine, raicilla. The beach vendors specialize in the most amazing pies you've ever tasted (coconut, lemon, or chocolate). You can tour this tiny town or hike up a river to see one of two waterfalls; the closest to town is about a 5-minute walk straight up from the pier. Note: If you use a local guide, agree on a price before you start out. Horseback riding, guided birding, fishing trips, and paragliding are also available.

For overnight accommodations, local residents frequently rent rooms, and there's also the rustic Hotel Lagunita (tel. 322/209-5056 or -5055; www.hotel-lagunita.com). Its 29 cabañas have private bathrooms, and the hotel has electricity, a saltwater pool, a primitive spa with massage, an amiable restaurant and bar, as well as the Barracuda Beach lounge and brick-oven pizza cafe, plus a gourmet coffee shop. Though the prices are high for what you get, it is the most accommodating place for most visitors. Double rates run $120 during the season and $90 in the off season. Special rooms are available now for honeymooners, for $150 (MasterCard and Visa are accepted). Lagunita has become a popular spot for yoga retreats.

An alternative is the fashionable Verana (tel. 800/530-7176 or 322/222-2360; www.verana.com). See the hotel listing for details.

If you stay over on a Wednesday or Saturday during the winter, don't miss the regular dinner-dance at the Yelapa Yacht Club (no phone). Typically tongue-in-cheek for Yelapa, the "yacht club" consists of a cement dance floor and a disco ball, but the DJ spins a great range of tunes, attracting all ages and types. Dinner ($6-$13) is a bonus -- the food may be the best anywhere in the bay. The menu changes depending on what's fresh. Ask for directions; it's in the main village, on the beach.

Nuevo Vallarta & North of Vallarta: All-Inclusives

Many people assume Nuevo Vallarta is a suburb of Puerto Vallarta, but it's a stand-alone destination over the state border in Nayarit. It was designed as a megaresort development, complete with marina, golf course, and luxury hotels. Although it got off to a slow start, it has finally come together, with a collection of mostly all-inclusive hotels on one of the widest, most attractive beaches in the bay. The biggest resort, Paradise Village, has a full marina and an 18-hole golf course inland from the beachside strip of hotels, plus a growing selection of condos and homes for sale. The Mayan Palace also has an 18-hole course here. The Paradise Plaza shopping center, next to Paradise Village, amplifies the area's shopping, dining, and services. It's open daily from 10am to 10pm. To get to the beach, you travel down a lengthy entrance road from the highway, passing by a few remaining fields (which used to be great for birding) but mostly real estate under construction.

A 16-mile trip into downtown Puerto Vallarta takes about 30 minutes by taxi, costs about $20 to $25, and is available 24 hours a day. The ride is slightly longer by public bus, which costs $1.50 and operates from 7am to 11pm.

Bucerías: A Coastal Village

Only 18km (11 miles) north of the Puerto Vallarta airport, Bucerías ("boo-seh-ree-ahs," meaning "place of the divers") is a small coastal fishing village of 10,000 people in Nayarit state on Banderas Bay. It has caught on as an alternative to Puerto Vallarta for those who find the pace of life there too invasive. Bucerías offers a seemingly contradictory mix of accommodations -- trailer-park spaces and exclusive villa rentals tend to dominate, although there's a small selection of hotels as well.

To reach the town center by car, take the exit road from the highway out of Vallarta and drive down the shaded, divided street that leads to the beach. Turn left when you see a line of minivans and taxis (which serve Bucerías and Vallarta). Go straight ahead 1 block to the main plaza. The beach, with a lineup of restaurants, is a half-block farther. You'll see cobblestone streets leading from the highway to the beach, and hints of villas and town homes behind high walls.

If you take the bus to Bucerías, exit when you see the minivans and taxis to and from Bucerías on the street that leads to the beach. To use public transportation from Puerto Vallarta, take a minivan or bus marked BUCERIAS (they run 6am-9pm). The last minivan stop is Bucerías's town square. There's also 24-hour taxi service.

Exploring Bucerías -- Come here for a day trip from Puerto Vallarta just to enjoy the long, wide, uncrowded beach, along with the fresh seafood served at the beachside restaurants or at one of the cafes listed. On Saturdays and Sundays, many of the streets surrounding the plaza are closed to traffic for a mercado (street market) -- where you can buy anything from tortillas to neon-colored cowboy hats.

The Coral Reef Surf Shop, Heroe de Nacozari 114-F (tel. 329/298-0261), sells a great selection of surfboards and gear, and offers surfboard and boogie board rentals, surf lessons, and ATV and other adventure tours to surrounding areas.

Where to Dine -- Besides those mentioned, there are many seafood restaurants fronting the beach. The local specialty is pescado zarandeado, a whole fish smothered in tasty sauce and slow-grilled.

Punta Mita: Exclusive Seclusion

At the northern tip of the bay is an arrowhead-shaped, 600-hectare (1,482-acre) peninsula bordered on three sides by the ocean, called Punta Mita. Considered a sacred place by the Indians, this is the point where Banderas Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and the Sea of Cortez come together. It's magnificent, with white-sand beaches and coral reefs just offshore. Stately rocks jut out along the shoreline, and the water is a dreamy translucent blue. Punta Mita is evolving into one of Mexico's most exclusive developments. The master plan calls for resorts, several high-end residential communities, and up to three championship golf courses. Today what you'll find is the elegant Four Seasons Resort, its Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, and a selection of luxury rental villas and condos. In 2008, a 120-room St. Regis Resort opened, along with Punta Mita's second Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course.

Sayulita: Mexico's Current Hot Spot

Sayulita is only 40km (25 miles) northwest of Puerto Vallarta, on Hwy. 200 to Tepic, yet it feels like a world apart. It captures the simplicity and tranquillity of beach life that has long since left Vallarta -- but hurry, because it's exploding in popularity. For years, Sayulita has been principally a surfers' destination -- the main beach in town is known for its consistent break and long, rideable waves. Visitors and locals who find Vallarta to be too cosmopolitan have started to flock here. You'll now find more real estate offices than surf shops, and more fine jewelry stores than juice bars, but Sayulita is still gently holding on to her charms.

An easygoing attitude still prevails in this beach town, despite the niceties popping up amid the basic accommodations, inexpensive Mexican food stands, and handmade, hippie-style-bauble vendors. It's quickly becoming gentrified with new cafes, sleek shops, aromatherapy-infused spas, and elegant villas for rent.

Sayulita is most popular for surfing. Any day, you'll witness an army of surfers seeking perfect swells offshore from the main beach. You may just as easily encounter a Huichol Indian family that has come down from the Sierra to sell their wares.

To get to Sayulita, you can rent a car or take a taxi from the airport or downtown Vallarta. The rate is about $70 to get to the town plaza. The taxi stand is on the main square, or you can call for pickup at your hotel. The trip to the airport from Sayulita costs about $60. Guides also lead tours to Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita, and other surrounding areas, including a Huichol Indian community.

Where to Stay -- Sayulita has several private homes for rent. One local expert on Sayulita rentals is Upi Viteri (upiviteri@prodigy.net.mx), who has access to some of the nicest properties.

Where to Dine -- If you are in Sayulita, chances are, you heard about it because of Don Pedro's, the most popular restaurant in town, in the heart of the main beach. More popular than fine dining in Sayulita, however, are the pervasive stands hawking cheap fish tacos and other street fare -- which are the best way to dine.

Surfing -- There are two main surf spots in Sayulita -- the most popular is the break fronting the main beach in the village, which is a right longboard break. A faster, left break is found just north of the river mouth, in front of the campground. Surf instruction and board rentals are available at Lunazul Surf School (tel. 329/291-2009), located at Marlin #4, where this street ends at the beachfront. The 90-minute surf lessons cost $40 for individual instruction, or $30 for group instruction. They also offer 2-day weekend clinics for $80 or weeklong clinics for $200. Included in all lessons is the use of a surfboard and rashguard. Board rentals through Lunazul are $20 for the day, or $140 for the week.

Nightlife -- Nightlife in Sayulita is as laid-back by night as by day, but options are plentiful -- ranging from rowdier bars to live music venues. The locals seem to gravitate to a different locale each night, so when you arrive, ask around to see where the evening's hot spot will be. One dependable option is the Buddha Mar (tel. 329/291-3869), located at Calle Marlin #8, on the second floor just next to Don Pedros (you can't miss the neon pink sign). Having recently changed its name from Buddha Bar to Buddha Mar, this cool ambient bar serves sushi and sashimi as well as luscious libations amid Buddha statues, pillowed banquettes, and lounge music. On weekends, there is often live music from 9pm until 1am, which tends to draw a dancing crowd. It's open each evening from 6:30pm until about 2am, or when the crowd abates. Housed upstairs under a big palapa next to the main plaza, Calypso (tel. 329/291-3704), at Av. Revolución 44, is a popular bar/restaurant serving simple Mexican dishes alongside a full collection of tequilas and other favorite liquors. Traditional Mexican music plays in the background. It's open daily from 5 to 11pm.