When you stay in a luxurious villa rental Puerto Vallarta, you are surrounded with all the comforts of home, and then some. Your villa could very well be the nicest place you’ll ever sleep, and it gives you a unique perspective on what it means to visit Mexico and Puerto Vallarta. There is another, more traditional, side to this region, however, one you can only experience when you spend a day out of town, away from the hum of the city, in a quiet seashore fishing village.

Many visitors to Puerto Vallarta take a day trip to the village of Yelapa to get a taste of rural Mexico that is not too far distant from town, yet worlds away. This little slice of paradise is not surrounded by modern convenience, like electricity, highways and automobiles, which means you must arrive by water. Take a water taxi or purchase a seat on the Princesa Yelapa tour boat and step into a whole new kind of Mexico.

No Yelapa – looza

A day at Yelapa is a truly unique experience, a step into a small, quiet village, separated in spirit from many of the challenges of the modern world. Visitors won’t find diesel fumes and honking horns here; on the other hand, if they miss the last water taxi, they won’t find a way home until tomorrow.

That doesn’t mean you won’t have a long list of items on your Yelapa “to do” list. A visit might include a day at the beach, snorkeling or parasailing in Yelapa Cove; a delicious meal of freshly-caught seafood; and a ride on horseback to the waterfall beyond the village. Visit the shops and pick up something crafted from rosewood by local artisans. Whatever you do, bring cash because many merchants do not accept credit cards.

A number of artists and musicians make Yelapa their home, at least for part of the year, and they frequently perform in the local bistros; the restaurants and bars on the beach usually close when the last water taxi heads back to the city, but many in the village stay open for dinner.

Greening Yelapa

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that this little community struggles to manage the waste generated by increasing numbers of tourists; some locals have begun to encourage their friends and neighbors to recycle. A word to thoughtful visitors: if you haul it in to Yelapa, be courteous and haul it right back out when you leave.

When you get back to the gracious setting of your villa Puerto Vallarta after a successful day in the country, you may wonder at the difference in these two ways of life, rustic village and modern city. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and each opens a window on the culture and traditions found in this part of Mexico.



The author specializes in writing travelogues, tour diaries and travel reports. He is a huge fan of Puerto Vallarta and all the city has to offer. For further information on Villa Puerto Vallarta and Villa Rental Puerto Vallarta please visit at www.villaencantada.com/