Native Village of Yelapa

Village of Yelapa

Inviting Beach at Yelapa

Heading for a Restaurant in Town

Meeting our Friendly Waiter

We departed Paradise Village Marina on January 10th in the afternoon, stopping at Puerto Vallarta for fuel before continuing our southbound journey. With acceptable sea conditions and light wind, we headed for a cove on the southwest end of Banderas Bay to visit the unique village of Yelapa. The cove at Yelapa is deep, has a narrow shelf, and is susceptible to ocean swell even on calm days so anchoring here is risky. A sailboat which had been washed ashore in the not too distant past, lies stuck in the sand and serves as a somber reminder of the challenges. Thankfully the village of Yelapa has installed a few buoys to entice boaters to visit. As we entered the scenic cove, a panga came out to greet us and directed us to a buoy located near a rocky shoreline; we were assured that the buoy was sturdy and would hold our boat. We tied on and watched for a while to confirm that we were being held in place. After about 40 minutes, our panguero returned to take us into town. Yelapa is indeed a charming and fascinating place to visit. Surrounded by tropical rugged mountains, Yelapa can only be reached by boat or by horseback along a rough trail from Chacala. The territory of Chacala and its neighboring villages, including Yelapa, was granted to the indigenous people by King Philip II of Spain in 1581. The land is owned by the community collectively and the heritage of families living here goes back centuries. Yelapa's sandy crescent beach is lined with palapa cafes and the village consists of narrow stone walkways winding around shops, cafes, and homes tucked in the hillside. We headed for the cafe recommended by our panguero who led us along some narrow winding stairs. After reaching the café near the community church, he introduced us to our waiter. Our waiter had a great sense of humor, asking if we wanted to sit indoors (pointing to a covered patio) or if we wanted a window seat (pointing to a table overlooking the creek) - we chose the window seat. As we sat enjoying the tropical setting, we saw three pack animals loaded with large timbers sauntering up the steep pathway near the cafe. Perhaps the timbers would be used as forms for pouring concrete, the material of choice for homes built in Mexico. Homes in Yelapa now have electricity which arrived for the village only recently in 2001! After dinner we continued exploring the village and discovered more shops, cafes, and a well stocked grocery store. Heading further up the hill, we entered the tropical forest, passing several quaint homes and guest houses. The trail was urging us on but the setting sun was fast approaching. It was time to turn around and head back into town. We were glad we had brought our headlamps, but would we find Richard, our panguero? Sure enough he was waiting for us and directed us to the concrete pier for a ride back to our boat in the dark of night as lights from the village twinkled along the shoreline.