HIDDEN BEACH IS BEAUTIFUL
Mexican oasis hidden inside cave
PUNTA DE MITA, RIVIERA NAYARIT, MEXICO
We were already 20 minutes into our trip to the otherworldly Hidden Beach when our escorts arrived. Dolphins, surfacing just metres from our boat.
Everyone shrieked. Our guide, Eduardo, cut the engine on the two-level boat, so we could enjoy the sight.
Six dark-grey dolphins frolicked long enough for everyone to scramble for their cameras and then were gone, slicing through the blue-green waters of the Pacific Ocean.
“We see them all the time,” Eduardo said casually as he restarted the motor.
I had the feeling the dolphins were foretelling anything but a casual day at the beach.
If I’d wanted a lazy day, I would have pulled up a hotel beach chair at the Iberostar Playa Mita. It was tempting at 8 a.m. to do nothing more strenuous than decide which way to face the chair, towards the Sierra Madre Mountains or the never-ending beach.
But the promise of seeing something extraordinary lured me from the comforts of the resort to the Marieta Islands in search of The Beach.
Eduardo knew exactly where the cave entrance to the beach was, but when we got there, it was hidden by the high tide.
We had no choice but to wait for the tide to go out and I took full advantage, snorkelling, kayaking and swimming into the natural caves of the three closest islands. The water was warm and clear and I saw many fish.
Uninhabited and about the size of a football field, most of the Marieta Islands have high rock faces and small, sandy beaches. Tourists are limited to the beaches, as the islands are a national park and protected by the Mexican government. The major benefactors of this are the marine life and the tourists who come to see them.
But this was just a tease for the site I had come to see — Hidden Beach. So why were we waiting? The entrance to the cave is only swimmable when the tide is low enough for you to see where you are going.
Finally, the tide had receded after lunch enough to see the entrance, and Eduardo gave us the go-ahead.
With a life-jacket on, I made the 10-metre swim from the boat to the passageway. It’s not for the faint of heart or novice swimmers (10 of 30 people on our boat didn’t attempt it.) The current was pushing us and even though the six-metre passageway is wide enough for three people to swim abreast, I was wary of the rocks jutting out on both sides. I’m five-foot-10 and couldn’t stand up inside.
But there was light at the end of the tunnel.
The passageway opened up to teal waters lapping gently on a white sand beach, all within a cave. Blue skies filled the cave with sunlight through a large hole in the roof. At once intimate and beautiful, it was surreal and spiritual — except for the swimmers taking selfies.
It was hard to leave this perfect oasis, and not just because that meant swimming against the current — hunger can be quite motivating.
To sate our appetite, we went to the coastal town of Punta Mita, where lunch at Mariscos Tino’s Restaurant Bar was red snapper, freshly caught.
The chef brought the fish straight off the boat to the table for approval, then carefully scaled, cut, marinated and barbecued it in the outdoor kitchen as we watched him do his meticulous work. Finally, paired with sautéed vegetables and a bed of rice, it was lunch.
On the way back to the resort, our driver indulged the shoppers among us with a stop in Sayulita, an eclectic surf town where local and foreign vendors sell jewelry, souvenirs and art — and bargaining is necessary.
A few souvenirs in hand, I returned to Iberostar Playa Mita with just enough time to get refreshed before heading to the open-air bar, Sea Soul. Here we watched a magnificent sunset as the sun sank behind the mountains.
The hotel is decorated with Huichol artwork, which features colourful tiny beads and intricate details. The showstopper is a twometre-wide beaded jaguar head in the lobby. Made by six Huichol artists, this stunning piece greets all who enter Iberostar Playa Mita.
Back in my room, I sat on the balcony overlooking the beach. I ordered room service because I needed a snack before dinner and enjoyed a drink from the mini-bar while catching up with the Internet world — love the 24-hour room service and free Wi-Fi.
My dinner options ranged from Nopal — an international buffet restaurant — to four themed restaurants: Pacific Express (gourmet à la carte), Tsuba (Japanese), La Bahia (Mexican steak house) and Cuate Pancho (local Mexican cuisine).
I made a reservation at Tsuba, then joined other diners around an iron griddle and watched the culinary show. While we sipped miso soup, chef Jesus Alberto Dominguez whipped up teppanyaki while performing an anxietymaking (for me, but routine for him) knife show.
Next was a live performance of Chicago, followed by a stop at the disco, where the beautiful people danced to a mix of salsa, reggaeton, merengue and Top 40 hits.
Those who preferred to watch sat on the comfortable couches or chairs inside the club.
The party was still going when I made my way to my room, half expecting a Cheshire cat to cross my path.
It wasn’t long before I nodded off into a blissful no-dream sleep; I’d already been down the rabbit hole and it was fantastic.