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 News from Around Banderas Bay | April 2008 
Yelapa: A Strange and Exotic Piece of Paradise
 Luke Sheldon - PVNN
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| | Only accessible by sea, Yelapa is an isolated beach and village near the southern point of Banderas Bay that attracts backpackers, hippies, Yoga fans, and those with a desire for exploration and something out of the ordinary | | |
Yelapa is an isolated beach and village that attracts backpackers, hippies, Yoga fans, and those with a desire for exploration and something out of the ordinary. It has recently lured stars such as Gisele Bundchen, Barbara Streisand and Hilary Swank, but the real reason to visit is to be emerged in an atmosphere of easy camaraderie with fellow visitors.
At the same time Yelapa has an otherworldly air born from its isolation and quirky settlers. Yelapa is a small village near the south point of Banderas Bay and a short ride by water taxi. The bay is only accessible by boat and the ride toward the community is stunning. They take you along a coastline of jungle, dramatic rocks, and beautiful open ocean.
When the boat slides up on to the beach and your feet first touch the sand you begin to feel like you've landed in an exclusive resort for those willing to commit to the isolation. Our first concern was to find somewhere to pitch a tent, which we managed with no hassle and for no cost.
Rooms and houses are spread along the beach to take in visitors at a very reasonable price, with nightly rates ranging from around $400 pesos for a double room to $1500 pesos for a large house.
The other tourists are real characters and a sample of the friendliest people on earth. The beach has a few art studios, a Yoga centre, and more than enough sun beds and deck chairs.
The view of the ocean is absolutely beautiful with steep ancient mountains rising from water and a seamless joining of horizon and the Pacific. A look behind reveals a dense forest-covered mountain landscape, exotic and prehistoric looking.
We ventured some distance along a path that can also be traveled by horse, toward a waterfall idyll. The pool that it cascaded in to was warm enough and very inviting and if you were to walk underneath the waterfall you would receive an amazing and refreshing massage. Most visitors simply come for peace and tranquility, and they are served it without problem.
The food is hit or miss, even though the main stretch of beach is lined with at least eight identical looking restaurants with identical looking menus. Our first meal had luke warm chicken in otherwise tasty enchiladas and the meat was of dubious origin. We found out the hard way that the fish is far fresher and tastier.
The village is only accessible by steep and demanding stone steps unless you depart the water taxi at the second stop. We found a very beautiful outdoor restaurant with a barbecue.
Most of the locals are extremely friendly and accommodating and there are several shops and night life activities, such as belly dancing and discos. It is easy to get lost on a first visit due to a winding and constantly splitting path. In fact the whole town is inexplicably perched on a steep hillside adding to the charm and exotic nature of the place.
In the evening, we returned to the tent having collected some firewood and built a small fire. Looking up at the night sky revealed a view so full of stars that it almost seemed unbelievable. We also heard about the full moon events attended by quite a few of the locals and settlers who celebrate around bonfires.
It's a rare sort of town that you feel happy saying hello to everyone you cross paths with but Yelapa has that atmosphere. The village takes in refugees from the big-city stress and nurses their wounds. You discover that many people go there for a short break and decide to stay much longer, and they in turn welcome the new arrivals to the peaceful community.
After staying even a short while, we began to see another side to Yelapa. We saw a pack of dogs attacking a cow, and whilst walking along the beach at night I was warned off by several growling dogs, not with the intention of attacking me but intimidating none the less.
This wasn't the only reason visiting Yelapa seemed like being part of a movie, but the other reasons are harder to put a finger on and need to be experienced first hand. People go to relax, honeymoon, fish, paint, or explore, and find out that it is not only stunningly beautiful but also ideal adventure territory. |
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