The Awakening of a Sleepy Hideaway – Rincón de Guayabitos

by Nick Gallo 

Nick Gallo is a Seattle writer with longtime travel experience in Mexico.

Ten years ago, my wife and I were traveling down Mexico’s Pacific Coast and stopped for dinner in a small town when we stumbled upon a little travel magic.  

Happy enough to find a meal, we sat under a palapa restaurant and were treated to wondrous fresh seafood, a lovely bay with perfect light – golden and buttery, turning everything warm – and the cheerful sounds of Mexican kids frolicking in the water. We vowed to return, but never did. 

This year, we decided to try. Unsure whether our Shangri-la-like remembrance was more fantasy than fact, we rented a car at the Puerto Vallarta airport and headed north on Highway 200. For an hour, we traveled through lush agricultural valleys before signs for our destination appeared: “Rincón de Guayabitos.” 

The first sights were not auspicious. Turning off the highway and entering town, we passed tin-roofed stands of tacky beach gear and trinkets. I groaned, preparing myself for another case of paved-over paradise. 

But moments later, the beach appeared. Again, we had arrived in early evening when the sky was the color of orange sherbet and the air warm enough to provide levitation. The gentle bay and palm-backed beach were just as gorgeous as we had remembered it. And, amazingly – as if central casting had been called – there were the children: Dozens of happy kids riding “bananas” – towed inner tubes – while others stood knee-deep in the water and dared the waves: “Más alto, más alto.”  

Best of all, it was fairly uncrowded. I couldn’t resist the thought – was this one of those unspoiled Mexican hideaways everyone is always looking for? 

Shielded from the Pacific on the small Bay of Jaltemba, Rincón de Guayabitos actually was born with a “waiting-to-be-discovered” tag attached to it. Built from scratch about 30 years ago, Guayabitos was designed to be a beach resort for middle-class Mexicans. It rose up from grassfields with two- and three-story hotels, most of them featuring bungalow-style rooms equipped with kitchens to feed families. 

But the resort never took off. “For more than two decades, this town slept like a baby,” said Jorge Castuera, the local pharmacist. “Then, a few years ago, it woke up, and now it’s starting to boom.”   

“Boom” may be a stretch, but things definitely are perking up.  

Guayabitos has about 3,000 year-round inhabitants, a figure that doubles or triples during winter.  

For many years, snowbirds from the U.S. and Canada have flocked to one of the numerous trailer parks here. But recent growth has been sparked by a younger crowd – American and European – who stay at the Decameron Los Cocos, an all-inclusive hotel – or one of the handful of small, deluxe properties that have opened on the northern part of the beach.

Thus, this was one of our first surprises – Guayabitos has plenty of “gringos.” But, they seem to go about their fun and business without overwhelming the place. Moreover, the atmosphere changes on weekends when Mexican families from nearby towns arrive toting grandma, musical instruments, and plates of home-made tamales. “It’s the best of both worlds,” Connie Lund, a traveler from Minnesota, told us. “You get to mingle with locals on the weekends, but then it’s peace and quiet the rest of the time.” 

An easygoing vacation was what we were after. Every morning, we’d start the day by going to the beach, a two-mile strand of soft, cream-colored sand that lay just outside our hotel. We’d buy a heaping plate of tropical fruit and a tall glass of fresh orange juice for about $2, add a few bolillos, fresh-baked rolls, and sit down to enjoy the morning sights.  

We’d see fishermen throwing their lines into the surf. There’d be beach vendors getting an early start – men carrying shrimp on weight scales yelling “camarónes”; women peddling handicrafts, children selling dulces (sweets). One morning, my wife took out her sketch pad and almost destroyed the local economy when the kids spent most of the day drawing pictures with her rather than selling wares. 

During the day, we swam, threw a baseball around, read our books. When we grew restless, we roamed to a different beach – Playa Los Ayala or dreamy Playa Chacala. When evening came, we’d find a little place to eat dinner – usually huachinango or fish recently plucked from the sea – then have a few drinks at a hotel bar and walk around town. (Guayabitos was safe, even at night, people assured us.) We’d turn in around midnight. 

If that sounds boring, well, Guayabitos might not be your cup of tea. “This place isn’t for everyone,” said Karen Bond, a visitor from Victoria, B.C. “My travel agent told me about a person who came here on her honeymoon and hated it. Nothing to do.” 

True enough, Guayabitos has little nightlife, shopping, or diversions. There’s a bit more activity in La Peñita, two miles north, where there are shops, bars, a disco, taquerias, a bank, and a bus station. Nevertheless, the area isn’t geared for the young and hormonal. 

Plenty of daytime activities kept us busy. One morning, we boarded a panga to go snorkeling at Isla Islote across the bay. The snorkeling wasn’t bad, but much more memorable were the upclose looks at humpback whales and mingling with dolphins.  

On another day, we drove north to San Blas, where we took a boat trip through  jungle and mangrove canals to a natural freshwater spring called La Tobara. An area of extraordinary natural beauty, it thrilled us with countless birds, iguanas, turtles, and crocodiles. 

Great stuff, but when our vacation wound down, the thing that almost caused us to miss our plane was, you guessed it, our beach. We couldn’t leave it. We spent our last hours latched to the waves, digging in the sand, and, of course, playing with the kids. It’s what Guayabitos is all about. 

If you go: First-class buses run several times a day from Puerto Vallarta to La Peñita. Cost: about $4.50 one-way. Taxis from the Vallarta airport to Guayabitos: about $50. Car rentals are available there. 

Guayabitos has very affordable lodging and food. Bungalows on or near the beach are readily found for $40-$50 night. But if you can afford it, consider a bump in class to stay in Villas Buena Vida (011 52 32 74 07 56; www.villasbuenavida.com), a year-old hotel opened by an Alaskan woman. She did it right – lovely rooms, stocked with traditional Mexican furniture, a pretty pool, and a genuinely friendly staff.