GOLDEN AGE BUDGET TRAVELLERS: BUDGET TRAVELLERS FROM LOS AYALA VISIT BOCA DE TAMATLAN, MEXICO

BOCA de TAMATLAN VISIT Article and pictures by

John and Doreen Berg

Boca de Tamatlan – Day One

Before we leave for home we are spending three nights in Boca de Tomatlan. We have been wanting to hike a beach trail located in Boca for a couple of seasons. On our first day in Boca we were up early to finally hike the Boca beach trail. The trail is mostly man made using rocks and cement. Not an easy path to walk as the route follows the beach with its ups and downs complete with irregular steps and surfaces. You need to pay close attention to where you are stepping or a fall might

result. Plus, we were in sun for most of the 2 1/2 hour hike. Saying this it was still an enjoyable hike. Three bottles of water later we arrived at Los Anamas, our destination and enjoyed a beach-side lunch before boating back to Boca. We were leaving the beach village just as the large tour boats started to arrive from Puerto Vallarta with their hordes of tourists. The quiet setting was soon gone and the beach lounges started to fill. Leave early on your hike to enjoy the trail’s quiet beauty and to enjoy a dip at one of the isolated small sandy alcoves. Glad we made the effort to hike the trail and scratch it off our bucket list! Returned to our casa via water taxi and spent the rest of the afternoon reading and relaxing.

After our large lunch we decided on beef tacos for a smaller evening meal. Found a taco stand located on the main street which seemed to be the only taco restaurant open or could be the only one in the village! We ordered three beef tacos to share. The tacos were delicious and we were hungrier than anticipated so we had a second order of two. Ice cream cones from the parlour next door completed our dining experience! Short walk back to Casa de Piedras brought our first day to a pleasant close.

Boca de Tamatlan - Day Two

After a beach breakfast we boarded a taxi panga for a 15 minute ride to Yelapa. Yelapa is a small beach village that as noon approaches becomes crowded with tourists boating from Puerto Vallarta. We, like most visitors, walked to the falls returning to the beach for lunch.

was not as exciting as we expected. We were glad to have visited Yelapa but felt the tourist information and reviews flattered the village. In the afternoon we returned to our casa for a rest. Yelapa and later walked back to the wharf to catch a panga going to Maraika Beach Club for dinner and music. We arrived finding yachts anchored out front and a young crowd enjoying the good life. We were dining from a balcony table overlooking the beach which provided us with an opportunity to people watch! Made for a rather unexpected and fascinating evening! For dinner we shared guacamole and a grilled red snapper while being entertained with dinner music then climbed aboard the Maraika Beach panga for a short ride back to Boca before dark.

Boca de Tomatlan – Day Three

After a leisurely morning breakfast we said our goodbyes and drove a short distance south of Boca to visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. We enjoyed a warm walk viewing hundreds of beautiful plants and trees. The gardens are well worth a visit. We drove to Puerto Vallarta to enjoy a delicious lunch with Klaus and Italia, our friends from Los Ayala. Spent the afternoon chatting to catch up on numerous events. Evening found us walking to the Puerto Vallarta harbour to locate a favorable restaurant. From the many dining choices we selected the Porto Bello Restaurant as it was packed with diners.

We thought not all those people could be wrong and this proved to be an excellent choice as our fish meals were decadently presented and delicious tasting. Splurged as we both ordered desserts to top off the meal! Now we will spend a further two days in Puerto Vallarta visiting the historical area and walking the malecon before flying home.

The winter season seemed extremely busy for us although we did not undertake any extended trips to the interior. Guess we will leave that for next year. However we did make it to San Blas with our granddaughter, Lisa. Family members, Bob and Carolyn visited in February for two weeks. Not sure just how much they enjoyed their stay as both were ill for a period of the visit. Despite their rumbling stomachs they did as much as they could to enjoy the sun and surf. Needless to say we enjoyed their company and hope they will attempt a second visit.

This season there was a marked increase in the number of hikers using the Los Ayala Trail Network.

The well maintained trail system is made possible by such people as Bill, Lori, Mike and the many volunteers who gave so freely of their spare time clearing each trail. We were again happy to call El Delfin home over the past four months enjoying our interactions with the owners, the staff and our co-renters. The season was another gratifying experience in lovely warm sunny Los Ayala, Mexico.