YELAPA
SECLUDED, PRIVATE & DISCONNECT
Small secluded Yelapa is a quiet, beautiful place, a small cove surrounded by nature and jungle and bathed by the waves of the bay. It is most easily accessible by boat.
The word Yelapa is of Purepecha origin and means “the place where waters become a pond or come together.”
Artists and writers live to find places like these, the tranquility and privacy make it the perfect place for many of them and they flock from around the world to get here. The village is quaint, life is simple, the surrounding beauty irresistible, so much that many have decided to make it their permanent residence, and enjoy the daily inspiration of the sea, the local culture, nature, and mountains.
Yelapa is truly unique. A small village of about 1,500 native residents, now with electricity that arrives by wire and not by solar cell. There used to be only five phones no roads, vehicles, 300 resident/semi-resident Gringos.
Many years ago a few gringos discovered Yelapa and found it to their liking and moved in. In those days there were no brick or cement houses only Palapas, palm frond roofs on four or more posts with maybe some bamboo walls for privacy and a sleeping loft. If you were lucky you had bottled gas, shipped in by panga from Boca de Tomatlan, or just wood to cook on.
NEW! The Internet arrives at the Cafe Bahia, get your e-mail with your coffee or wine, at the pier in town. Open every day, ‘cept Thursdays, 9am – Sunset, Sun 9am-3pm. Homemade Icecream and Yelapa Maps.
It's a hotspot for raicilla You may not know that raicilla, a type of once-bootlegged mezcal, is all the rage in Mexico. Recently re-discovered (it’s been around pre-Spanish days), raicilla is reportedly twice as strong as mezcal or tequila and known to cause mild hallucinations (consider yourself warned). It’s not easy to find in Puerto Vallarta, but it pours freely in Yelapa. Salud!
It's not overrun with tourists
Sure, beach bums who have been coming to Yelapa for decades argue that there are now more tourists than ever, but that's not saying much. And while some booze cruises often drop their passengers off for a few hours, Yelapa remains decidedly not overrun. The beach is long and wide, visitors sprawl out, and it's still far enough off the beaten path that there aren't any high-end restaurants for Anthony Bourdain to deem the best in Mexico. At least not yet.
Transportation to the village departs daily from various locations in the Puerto Vallarta area.
Take the Boca/Mismaloya bus from the Bus Southbound stop on Basilio Badillo (see Map) 10 pesos, when you get off the bus walk down to the beach (use insect repellent on your legs, lots of noseeum’s on this beach), there you will find people waiting for a water taxi and a gentleman selling tickets, better to pay on the boat, to Yelapa 90 pesos.. From Boca de Tomatlan, the water taxi leaves about every 1 hour see Schedule
The Los Muertos water taxi leaves from the pier about every 2 hours from 9:30 AM till 6:00pm, 7 days a week, during high season, there maybe less in Low Season. 160 pesos one way.
Be aware that the last water taxi back to Puerto Vallarta leaves around 5:00 PM (to Boca) – miss it and you stay the night!
Tip: If you want to spend all day and avoid the crowds of tourist who arrive on the large boats around noon, leave boca early, 9 AM, and when you see the tour boats coming – hike up the river, where there’s a nice waterfall and swimming pool, all the tourists will go to the little one behind the village. Time your return to 2:30 PM and the boats will have left.
