YELAPA!!

YELAPA

While anchored out in La Cruz we bumped into some people we first met in San Diego, Chris and Shawna on SV Sirena. They are from Texas so we refer to them as the “Texans”.

SV Sirena anchored at Yelapa

We ended up making plans to go to Yelapa for a couple of days and sailing over together with the Texans. We set out Saturday, March 12 for Yelapa. We did not exactly sail with the Texans because they have a 55’ sailboat that far out sails our 37’ sailboat. AND…we were towing our dinghy behind us, which was like towing a drogue. Not a good idea. It really slowed us down. We learned not to do that again.

The winds were pretty light when we first left the anchorage at La Cruz so we had full sails up. BIG MISTAKE. Banderas Bay is a lot like San Francisco Bay in the way that the winds change in an instant from light to extreme and are always unpredictable especially in the summer months. Anyway, as we were half way between La Cruz and Yelapa the winds piped up to 20kts. The rails dipped in the water and we had to reef, which was a chaotic experience with sails flapping and the boat bobbing up and down in the wind waves. Finally we managed to reef and have a more comfortable sail the rest of the way.

SV Sirena (the Texans) arrived about a half an hour before us, which was good because they could tell us how to enter the bay and where to get a mooring ball. The Texans had a crewmember with them, Rob, who was also on board. He joined them in La Cruz to do the Puddle Jump with them. “Puddle Jump” is a term referring to the migration of cruising sailors from the West Coast of the Americas to French Polynesia.

So, we picked up a mooring ball just after we entered the bay of Yelapa with the help of a restaurant owner (also a mooring ball fee collector) and a fellow sailor who was moored next to us, Josh (we met him last year in San Diego and again in Cabo this year. He is originally from Tiburon). There was a fee of 20 US Dollars per night. This is the first time in 5 months that we have had to pay outside of a marina.

That evening the Texans invited us to meet them on the beach for dinner. We jumped in our dinghy soon after the invite and met them at the only restaurant that was still open on the beach. We were the only ones seated at the restaurant. 

Side Note: I have such fond memories of Yelapa. My first time there, I was about 13 years old and I was with my mother, Grandmother, and one of my sisters, Jennifer.  When we were there, which was forty something years ago, there was not much there at all for tourists. I only remember one little Palapa on the beach that had one table with four chairs and we were seated at it. That was it.  The second time I was there was in my late 30’s with our entire family. I was on a trip with both of my parents, siblings, their spouses, my kids, nieces & late nephew, Ian. We chartered a Trimaran from PV at that time and then all swam to shore. The tourist scene was starting to progress at that time with a few more restaurants and activities for tourists but not terribly crowded. Nonetheless, It was one of the fondest memories I have with my family. So I have wanted to stop and anchor in Yelapa since we left San Francisco Bay.

This time the scene was much different. The beachfront was heavy with people and restaurants and small fishing pangas anchored just beyond the surf.  In the evenings though, things quiet down because the tourists are taken back by boat to wherever they came from.  That’s one unique thing about Yelapa and that is that the only way you can get there is by boat. 

After dinner on the beach, we went to our dinghy’s to get back to our boats. It was dark out and the surf had picked up and waves were crashing right on the sand and within seconds of each other. So, Chris, Shawna & Rob offered to help get me, Rick and Harley through the surf and on our way before getting themselves in their own dinghy. I initially thought how great…and was thanking them profusely. But then it turned out to not be such a great idea. They had us get in the boat right at the shore in hopes of keeping us dry, but we kept getting crashed by waves and then we’d start all over again getting into the dinghy only to be thrown out. At one point as we were just meeting head to head with the crest of a wave, and the dinghy was straight up in the air, me clinging to the tip of the dinghy hoping not to be thrown out, Harley got catapulted from the boat all the way back to the beach (I’m surprised she goes anywhere with us anymore!). Finally Rick and I made it into the dinghy just past the breaking waves but Harley was left on shore. Chris and Shawna said they’d bring her, but we said to just let her come swim out to us, which she did. Poor little Harley..such a treacherous journey! She’s such a trooper.

Our friends back on shore had no problems getting in their dinghy because they walked the dinghy beyond the waves then got inside their dinghy. You just have to plan on getting wet, which we should have done. We were drenched by the time we got back to our boat.

The next morning after a surprisingly pleasant nights rest, I say surprisingly because we’ve heard how Yelapa is only a good place for a day sail due to being so rolly, we met our friends on the beach for a 6-mile roundtrip walk to the waterfall.  This was a very cool walk on dirt trails & cobblestone roads through quaint little villages. We saw lots of horses, donkey’s, cows, chickens, and dogs…always dogs in Mexico. The homes were small and crafted from wood, cinder block and palm leaves and tarps usually with a clothesline attached with colorful laundry drying.  Even though these people have small makeshift dwellings, they were all out raking the dirt or sweeping their doorways taking pride in what was theirs.  The surroundings of these homes were lush and beautiful backing up to a river.

Rob getting directions to the waterfall written in the sand

Crossing the river over to the trail to the waterfall

This cow snorted at me and stomped it's front leg when I took it's picture which had me running away.

The walk was fun for me snapping pictures along the way and just taking in the beauty and observing a minimalistic way of living.  I guess we fall in that minimalistic category living on a sailboat.  No complaints!

Once we got to the waterfall, we all slowly got into the water, which was so cold it sort of took one’s breath away. But after you were in, you got used to it and it felt pretty refreshing!  We were the only ones there for a while, then a few small groups started to appear and enter the water. At that point, we all dried off, ate a small snack and then walked back to the beach.

Rob, Rick, Chris and Shawna

Rick found the gate that leads to the waterfall

Rob

Rick, Rob, Harley and I did a little more exploring through town and had a bite to eat overlooking the water.

This woman walked this horse quite a ways to find a place to climb on

Rob texting Sirena to let them know we took a detour 

Notre Isle is the 2nd boat in

This is at the other end of the beach. It's a view from a small hotel overlooking their pool and the bay.

That night we had dinner on SV Sirena…BBQ’d hamburgers. It’s not what I usually eat, but when in Rome…

As soon as I got back to the boat, my stomach started to bother me. I’m figuring from the burger. But I assumed it would go away by morning.

That evening was a rolly night and VERY uncomfortable! Swells were on our beam repeatedly. We did not sleep a wink. In the wee hours of the morning, Sirena found she had drug her mooring ball half way out of the bay. They cut loose from the ball upon noticing and left the bay and headed out towards PV. We untied from our mooring ball as soon as we woke up and left as well.

We met up with Sirena for a brief moment in front of the Malecon in PV. We rafted up with them for a short time, which was quite stressful!  Sirena went on to Marina Vallarta in PV and we motor-sailed along the coast back to La Cruz. I was feeling a little crummy most of the day.