Los Angeles Times - 08.09.2019

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico

— Visitors come here because the

prices are good, the food scene is

excellent and the weather is sel-

dom less than perfect.

But Puerto Vallarta is becom-

ing a victim of its success. Restau-

rants where you could walk in and

be served now have a weeklong

waiting list. The Saturday market

is almost too crowded to walk

through, and the noise never

stops.

The solution: Walk — or, in this

case, hike — away.

Head out of town for a trip

along Cabo Corrientes, or Cape

Currents, a 2,000-square-mile area

of bays, beaches and jungle. This

piece of Mexico, beginning at the

village of Boca de Tomatlán and

stretching along the southern

curve of the Pacific coast, is still

rustic and undisturbed.

If you’re in it for the burn, you

could hike the 5½-mile trail to

Quimixto in three or four hours.

Or you could take most of a day

to complete your trek, savoring the

beauty of secluded beaches and in-

dulging in a long lunch by the

ocean. That’s the adventure two

friends and I chose in early Febru-

ary.

Those with time could spend

the weekend, overnighting in one

of the small hotels along the pris-

tine coast or settling in for a longer

sojourn to truly disconnect.

Whether you take the fast route

or decide to linger, there will be a

green jungle path, blue skies and

the ocean at your side.

Bus to Boca

The day began for me and

friends Ray and Sue with a bus

ride down the coast from Puerto

Vallarta. The 30-minute trip

wound along miles of sandy

beaches and pink and white villas.

We caught the early bus to be

sure we could begin the hike in the

cool of the morning, so it was no

surprise that one woman had a

sleeping baby on her lap. The

bumpy ride, the ranchero music of

a guitar player and the frequent

stops — none of this disturbed the

little sleeper.

At Boca, the highway contin-

ues south from the Bahía de Band-

eras, or Bay of Flags, and skirts the

cape, leaving this section of the

coastline and its villages acces-

sible only on foot, by boat or by un-

mapped and unpaved narrow

roads. That fact has saved the area

from high-rise condos and big re-

sorts, at least for the moment.

The Cabo Corrientes hiking

trail is easy to follow, with a route

that hugs the coast. It begins

across a small footbridge over the

Horcones River at the end of Bo-

ca’s main malecón.

The first leg took us past homes

that overlook the bay and some-

times through strangers’ yards.

We stopped at Casa de los Art-

istas, a residential art school offer-

ing seasonal workshops and in-

struction. We joined the artists on

a terrace, with a view of the boats

and buildings of Boca, and lis-

tened for a few minutes to a tutori-

al on the principles of watercolor.

There were roosters, dogs and

cats on that first section of the

trail, but the noise soon disap-

peared as we climbed from Boca

and over the edges of the Sierra

Madre Occidental.

Then there was just the cool

jungle, the chatter of parakeets

and macaws, and the rhythmic

sound of the ocean.

We met two couples from Min-

nesota and a woman from Vancou-

ver, Canada, hiking on her own. We

stood aside to let a group of six fast

hikers pass, but traffic on the trail

was sparse.

From canopy to cove

The section of the trail between

Boca and Colomitos was the hard-

est, with some steep climbing and

uneven footing, but nothing the

average hiker couldn’t handle.

About 45 minutes in, we emerged

from the jungle canopy to the blue-

green water of Colomitos Cove.

Our reward was a cooling swim

with the woman from Vancouver

and a few others who had boated

in. On the point stood the Ocean

Grill, a popular spot to dine.

The Grill’s owner has a Great

Dane, Wilson, who sometimes

joins the swimmers on the beach.

The perrowas huge but friendly

and spent most of his time snooz-

ing under the tables at the restau-

rant.

From Colomitos on, the hike

was easier along a level path that

curved past isolated beaches.

The Beach Club at Maraika

was the next stop, one of my favor-

ites for a casual meal. The food

was simple but fresh — quesa-

dillas, tuna ceviche and tacos al

pastor. The cervezaswere cold,

the mojitos tart/sweet, and the ta-

bles shaded by palapasoverlook-

ing the beach. In front of us, frigate

birds and grey pelicans para-

glided on the wind.

The restaurant buzzes on Fri-

day nights, when a DJ and patrons

seem to materialize out of the jun-

gle to dance on the beach, but to-

day there was just us and three

other tables.

A glass of limonada

We dragged ourselves from the

beach chairs and headed out

again, enjoying an encounter with

a sleepy iguana sunbathing on the

rocks, empty expanses of sand

with only our footprints, and views

of the ocean.

Then, around a curve in the

coastline and up a set of stairs, we

arrived in Las Ánimas.

This busy fishing village at-

tracts day trippers who sit under

umbrellas and enjoy the sun and

seafood. It was a shock to leave the

quiet beaches and navigate

among the restaurants, bars,

beach chairs and trinket sellers.

It’s fun and a good place for a

rest or a cool drink, but if you’re

fleeing the crowds, as we were, Las

Ánimas is just a pit stop. We

stayed long enough for a glass of

limonada and then continued.

The last section of the trail

took about an hour and led to

Quimixto, a fishing village and our

final destination, where we

climbed to a waterfall for a chilly

swim. It was a challenge at the end

of a day of hiking, but the dip in the

pool at the foot of the waterfall was

an icy revival.

We had dinner at Los Cocos on

the beach — grilled fish and locally

caught shrimp — then hailed a

panga for a quick ride to Boca and

the bus back to Puerto Vallarta.

My yoga teacher, an expatriate

Russian physicist, claims Bahía

de Banderas is the intersection of

lines of energy similar to Sedona,

Ariz., or the Magdalen Islands in

Canada — an energy vortex whose

power can be accessed by those

who are receptive.

After a day along the coast on a

self-designed adventure — a day

that, despite the physical exer-

tion, felt akin to meditation — I

think she may be on to something.

FIND PEACE

AND QUIET

ON A HIKE

Tourists are flocking to Puerto Vallarta, creating

crowds and noise. The solution? Just walk away

By Barbara Ramsay Orr

LATIMES.COM/TRAVEL SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2019L5

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO PUERTO

VALLARTA, MEXICO

From LAX, American, Delta,

Alaska and Southwest offer

nonstop service to Puerto Vallarta,

and Delta, Aeromexico and Alaska

offer connecting service (change

of planes). Restricted round-trip

airfare from $280, including taxes

and fees.

From the airport it is easy to

arrange a taxi into the city. You can

also exit the airport, walk across

the footbridge and hail an Uber.

THE HIKE

The best times to hike the trail are

November to April, when

conditions are dry and the

temperatures are cooler. I would

rate most of the trail as easy, with

maybe one-third of it of medium

difficulty.

The bus ride from Puerto Vallarta

to Boca de Tomatlán costs 10

pesos (52 cents; exact change is a

good idea) each way. The boat trip

from Quimixto to Boca takes about

20 minutes and costs about $2.50

to $3.

WHERE TO STAY

Casa de los Artistas, 17 Ribera del

Rio, Boca de Tomatlán, Mexico;

artworkshopvacations.com. Open

November through April. This

small casahosts all-inclusive

seven-day artist retreats, with

classes and excursions to local

sites as well as hikes along the

coast, for $2,195 per person.

Casitas Maraika, Playa del

Caballo, Las Ánimas, Boca de

Tomatlán, Mexico; casitas

maraika.com. Maraika has six

casitas, simple in design but

artfully decorated. A casitafor two

is $125 a night, including

round-trip transportation by boat

from Boca.

.

WHERE TO EAT

Ocean Grill, Colomitos Beach,

Cabo Corrientes, Mexico;

WhatsApp only, (044)

3 22-111- 0157, oceanlivelove

grill.com. Lunch and dinner served

with superb views of the ocean

and the sunset. By reservation; no

drop-ins. Cash only, entrees from

$12. Closed Mondays.

Beach Club, Casitas Maraika,

Playa del Caballo, Las Ánimas,

Boca de Tomatlán, Mexico;

casitasmaraika.com. Classic

Mexican dishes. Lunch $15-$20.

TO LEARN MORE

Visit Puerto Vallarta,

visitpuertovallarta.com

A SHORE-HUGGINGtrail passes Boca de Tomatlán homes,

top, and Playa Escondida, bottom, on the way to Las Ánimas.

steep climbing, but offers the reward of a cool spot to take a dip.

Photographs byDania MaxwellLos Angeles Times