Hotel Languita

On Mexico's Gold Coast sits a quiet, rustic paradise: the seaside village of Yelapa.

By Todd Jones

THE BASICS: Though it has been a tourist destination for nearly 40 years, Yelapa feels like the land that time forgot. Nestled a few miles south of Puerto Vallarta between densely jungled mountains and the sea, the 1,500-person village is accessible only by panga, the local water taxi. It has no roads and no cars, and the electric grid and phone system arrived only three years ago. Life here moves to slower, earthier rhythms, not to the turbocharged hum of the 21st century.

THE YOGA: From mid-October 2004 through mid-May 2005, Yelapa's Hotel Lagunita (www.hotel-lagunita.com) will host at least 10 weeklong yoga retreats led by a variety of American teachers. Each instructor creates his or her own schedule, but a typical day includes a two-hour session in the morning and a second one in the early evening. The yoga room holds 20 students and opens onto the beach; its saffron-colored interior walls, pitched ceiling, and Mexican tile floor give it the feel of a simple rural chapel.

GETTING THERE: There are daily flights from most North American airports to Puerto Vallarta; from there, it's less than an hour by water taxi to Yelapa.

WHERE YOU'LL SLEEP: The Lagunita's cottages evoke the classic palapa, an open-sided, palm-frond-crowned shelter found on beaches all over Latin America.

Individual units vary: Many have a romantic, Swiss Family Robinson charm; others are more spartan and functional than quaint. Keep in mind that one yogi's rustic Eden can be another's primitive purgatory. If a five-star luxury hotel is your idea of vacation paradise, you'd probably be happier in a more upscale setting.

WHAT YOU'LL EAT: Three meals a day are served al fresco on the beach, under the shade of palapas. Starring fresh local produce and seafood, the menu focuses on traditional Mexican Pacific Coast cuisine. With advance notice, the kitchen can handle the needs of vegetarians and vegans; you can also sample the Thai, Italian, and Mexican fare at the village restaurants.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS: Despite its slow-paced charm, Yelapa doesn't lack for activities. The hotel offers spa treatments, including facials, mineral wraps, and massages. Grab some fins, a snorkel, and a mask to ogle sea life in the clear waters just off the beach. Guides can lead you on upriver hikes through the jungle to picturesque pools and waterfalls, and boat trips to offshore islands offer the chance to see nesting blue-footed boobies as well as huge manta rays, sea turtles, dolphins, and the occasional breaching whale.

HOTEL LAGUNITA
info@hotel-lagunita.com
+52 (322) 209-9055; www.hotel-lagunita.com.
Additional information about Yelapa is available at www.yelapa.com.

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