Yelapa is an isolated town that is on the Pacific coast in the Mexican state of Jalisco several miles south of Puerto Vallarta.

Jeff took us to Yelapa four years ago when we visited Puerto Vallarta for the first time. Like Las Animas, Yelapa is a small isolated village that is accessible only by boat. Actually, it is even more remote because it is a lot farther down the coast.

We left home at 7:50 am. After three different buses, we arrived at Boca de Tamatlan. At Boca, we got a water taxi to Yelapa, arriving at Yelapa at 10:30 am.

The nearly three-hour ride was half the fun. I love the buses, so a couple of hours on the buses is no big deal. The 30-minute high-speed boat ride along the Pacific coast was to die for. The entire trip is something like 70 kilometers (50 miles). It cost $2.00 US for the buses and $6 US for the boat ride for each of us. That is insane!

At Yelapa, we stopped in at Fanny’s, one of the half-dozen beach restaurants for Desayuno (breakfast). I had huevos rancheros and Wanda had Mexican eggs. Both were excellent. The beach itself is great, but with the multitude of boats bobbing in the surf, it isn’t conducive for swimming.

Water taxis between Boca and Yelapa were frequent and affordable.

Although the boat was full, the big 300 hp Yamaha outboard made it practically fly.

Approaching Yelapa.

We got out on the beach side of the town. The main part of the town is across the bay.

As soon as we landed we were greeted by this string of pack horses bringing cargo to the dock for transport.

Stopping at Fanny’s beach restaurant, a comfortable spot for breakfast.

Breakfast: Mexican scrambled eggs and huevos rancheros. Both included hash browns and refried beans.

Fanny’s kitchen.

Yelapa’s beach.

The jungle river that reaches the beach.

The hike into the village was fun. The town is built on the side of a mountain. Finding the narrow stairway that leads to the main road into town is a challenge. Did I say, “main road?” It is a narrow path, but it is paved, sort of. Only horses, dirt bikes, and ATVs can navigate the narrow pathways that weave their way around town.

And the pathways are mind-bogglingly vague in how and where they go. It’s worse than getting lost in a cul de sac subdivision. But, it only adds to the charm.

A small residential area hangs off the steep hillside on the beach side of Yelapa.

It was difficult to locate the pathway to Yelapa proper on the other side of the bay. It started along the cement walkway under the roof in this photo.

The route to Yelapa then climbs up the hillside between these two buildings.

Once on the main pathway to downtown Yelapa, the views are wonderful.

This is the one and only route from the beach to downtown Yelapa.

The route is lined with murals.

Horses, ATVs, and dirt bikes provide transportation in this wonderfully lazy community.

The downtown streets.

The street is the stairway on the left.

Flowers are everywhere.

Public bathrooms on Yelapa’s waterfront. They cost 10 pesos ($1 US) to use - twice as much as the baños in Boca.

Wanda and I certainly applauded the sentiment displayed in this colorful sign celebrating all colors and cultures.

The Pollo Bollo (Chicken Bun) Restaurant has a good reputation with an odd name.

The street, on the left, goes through a laundromat. Yes, that is a laundromat.

We had two goals: 1) Find the town’s pier. The water taxi makes two stops in Yelapa, one at the beach and one in town. The beach and the town are at opposite ends of a fairly large bay. Going back to Boca, we wanted to leave from the town pier. 2) Find the illusive water falls. Four years ago, Jeff tried to find the water falls. We walked for miles and never found anything of the sort. This time, armed with Google Maps, we were determined.

The town pier required us to squeeze down an alley squashed between two buildings. It couldn’t have been wider than 18” wide. We barely believed the sign that pointed the way through the tight alley to the pier.

The water falls also presented a challenge. The labrinth of pathways didn’t seem to lead anywhere. They just eventually looped back around on themselves. Once we found the actual pathway, I was astonished that there weren’t signs pointing the way. The entire length of the pathway to the falls was lined with street vendors. You’d think that they would do all they could to lead potential customers their way.

The falls, named Cascade Falls, were very tall. Being the dry season, the water was a mere trickle. I underdstand that in the rainy season, this falls can be quite impressive.

We talked to a couple from Oregon that were staying at an airbnb. They reported that the restuarants in Yelapa were outstanding. Most don’t open until suppertime, so we weren’t able to evaluate them ourselves.

Surprisingly, as the signs states, this is the route to Yelapa’s main pier.

Yelapa’s town-side dock.

We finally found the walkway to Cascade Falls. It was lined with street vendors.

On the water taxi ride back to Boca we witnessed a couple of whales break the surf. The boat driver stopped for a good 15 minutes to let us marvel at them. What majestic animals. With the added whale-watching, the trip took about 45 minutes. The boat ride was the highlight of the day.

The return trip boat to Boca gave us whales and a pirate ship. The ride lasted 30 minutes.

Thar she blows.

After landing at Boca, we took the bus to Mismaloya, the next village down the road towards Puerto Vallarta. Mismaloya is a bit wealthier than Boca. There are several nice resorts literally hanging off the steep cliffside overlooking the town. The beach and harbor is set up just like Boca. A mountain river widens just before emptying into the ocean. This is where many boats are tied up.

To reach the beach, you have to walk through a gaunlet of beach resaurants. We got hustled by Pancho, the owner of Pancho’s Restaurant. He had the same woodfired grill that the restaurant we loved in Las Animas. That did it. We ordered the grilled shrimp on a shish-kabob.

Pancho’s margarita was expensive at 150 pesos ($7.50 US), but it was gigantic and doubly powerful. The giant shrimp were simply the best shrimp that I have ever eaten. They were perfectly fired-roasted, as were the veggies on the skewer. We were blown away. I have to figure out how to recreate them.

The bus dropped us off at Mismaloya.

Mismaloya’s harbor.

The connecting bridge between the two sides of Mismaloya split by the river.

Mismaloya’s beachfront. Los Arcos, the rock islands in the distance, are a great snorkeling and diving area. We snorkeled there two years ago.

These two guys were excellent musicians and played everything from traditional Mexican ballads to pop. The guy on the left played rhythm guitar while the guy on the right continuously filled in with terrific leads, often in a Flamenco style. Their tight vocal harmonies added to the total musical experience. They didn’t come cheap. They wanted 100 pesos ($5 US) for a song.

A lost abandoned baby bird was stranded on the beach. I wondered if he/she would survive.

We decided on supper at Pancho’s Restaurant. Like our restaurant in Las Animas, it was the wood-fired grill that attracted us.

We split the fire-roasted shrimp shish-kabob. It was the best shrimp I have ever eaten. The big chunks of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, and green peppers were also delicious.

The musical duo hit us up for our 100 pesos donation. Expensive, but the rousing tune they performed was a delight.

This plaque, located below the giant iguana statute in Mismaloya, brags that “in this paradise location they filmed the movies”: The Night of the Iguana, The Scarlet Buccaneer, and Work Restored in October 2020 (must have been a documentary).

The return bus rides were unremarkable. We were toying with the idea of taking a quick dip at the beach when we returned to Bucerias. It was fairly late when we reached Bucerias, so we skipped it.

Dave and Wanda

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