Discover the quiet side of Mexico at Yelapa
A water taxi away from Puerto Vallarta is a town full of walking adventures
Puerto Vallarta can be a noisy place. The tourist mecca on the Pacific side of Mexico is charming for its cobblestone streets in downtown El Centro and its ancient and affordable city buses.
But the roar of those smelly old buses on narrow streets is compounded by the numerous speed bumps along the highways where all vehicles gear down (no one seems to drive automatics) then roar loudly away.
So, taking a day trip to the vehicle-free town of Yelapa is a treat for the ears, nostrils and eyes.
While there is rumoured to be a rustic road into Yelapa, really the only way to get there is by boat. There are guided tours for about $100 per person, but it was more of a adventure to get there the way the locals do — by bus and water taxi.
Janis and I stayed at Costa Sur, a delightful older hotel a few kilometres south of Puerto Vallarta. All rooms have waterfront balconies, there’s a terrific man-made lagoon and great food on site. To top it off, the bus stops right across the street.
For a mere eight pesos each (about 53 cents Canadian) we hopped on the orange bus that runs from El Centro to Boca de Tomatlan (known simply as Boca). A short steep walk down a cobblestone street took us to the water taxi that runs once an hour.
Boca Harbour, along with many other bays along the southern shore, has a beautiful white sand beach cluttered with (mostly) blue panga boats. (Pangas were designed by Yamaha for a World Bank project in the 1970s. Most in Mexico, coincidently, seem to be equipped with Yamaha outboards.)
We paid our 180 pesos ($12) each for the panga water taxi and climbed aboard, complete with Janis’ walker.
A half-hour later we roared up to the beach in Yelapa and two tourists jumped out, getting only slightly wet. Then the boat roared across the crowded bay, swerving between the parked pangas, much like the taxi drivers on the streets of Puerto.
Along with the other passengers, we were dropped off at a small dock on the south side of the bay at the famed but, unfortunately closed, Cafe Bahai.
Other passengers quickly dispersed, so we were on our own to wander the tiny cobblestone “streets” — not much wider than a sidewalk — uphill through beautifully painted houses and a few small shops.
Having no idea of where we were going, Janis bounced and lifted her walker along the rough cobblestones until we discovered a sign pointing to the waterfall.
Yelapa — which means “place where two rivers meet” is famous for a 50-metre waterfall into a pool that purportedly provides a refreshing swim on the El Tuito River. So famous, in fact, that the entire route is lined with vendors selling everything from silver to Yelapa T-shirts and rosewood carvings.
Struggling up the ever steeper hill was too much for Janis, so I hiked the last couple-hundred metres alone to the non-existent waterfall (only a tiny trickle ran over the rock face into a muddy pond that no one in their right mind would plunge into).
With our non-existent Spanish, Janis was skilled at identifying locals who love to practice their English, so a young woman directed us back down the hill to the “road” to the beach.
Since there are no cars in Yelapa, all the roads are narrow pathways where small horses carry most of the freight (and some tourists), accompanied by an occasional ATV or motorbike.
Unfortunately, the road to the beach in Yelapa is up over the top of a mountain. (When you’re pushing a walker uphill over cobblestones in 30 degree heat, it feels like a mountain.)
Despite the struggle, the trip was worth it as we passed gorgeous old houses, vibrant flowers, tiny shops and, sadly, too much garbage.
Finally, down the other side of the hill a sign directed us toward the beach — only to lead us to what passes as a river, with a trickle of water flowing slowly through the sand.
With advice from a local schoolboy who spoke perfect English, we took off our shoes and hauled the walker through the ankle deep water to the “road” on the other side. This led past some rather run-down houses until we spotted a narrow alleyway with the ocean, sand and beach umbrellas visible at the other end.
With great relief and rumbling bellies (we hadn’t expected a two-hour adventure before getting breakfast) we grabbed a table at Rogelios where we ordered water, marguerites and the local Raicilla.
Raicilla, like Tequila, is made from the root of the Agave plant in primitive stills. It produces a strong clear liquor with a distinct smokey taste and is often simply called moonshine. We took small sips as we devoured our tortilla soup and bacon wrapped shrimp.
The liquor may have contributed to Janis’ delight with Clara, who stopped by with her jewelry case of silver that led to the purchase of blue turtle bracelet — bought by credit card on this remote beach where electricity was only installed a few years ago.
Fortified with food and drink, Janis happily accepted an ATV ride to the water taxi dock — this one at the La Lagunita Hotel just a short distance away and not back over the mountain we climbed earlier.
Back at Boca, we still had to face the steep and hot hike uphill to get the bus back to Costa Sur, where the roar of traffic returned.
For those who want to spend more time in the quiet of Yelapa, there are lots of places to stay and a variety of eateries, horses to rent other activities. Just be prepared for the unexpected.