Mexico is inarguably home to North America ’s best unspoiled beach ( sorry , Redneck Riviera– it ’s truthful ) . But because many of these strips of tropical promised land are worthy of your screensaver , they have n’t stayed magical for long . complete beaches adequate pullulate crowds . MTV killed Cancun in the ' 90s , hipsters presently screen Tulum , and Sayulita is now a red-hot cruise ship larboard of call .
So , where exactly can you get your burn on in Mexico without having to lot with chain eatery and American springiness breaker ?
One parole : Yelapa .
karamysh/Shutterstock
If you have n’t heard of this petite beach haven in Puerto Vallarta ’s Bahia de Banderas , that ’s a good matter . It has gone decades without the percolation of hindering mellow - rises or a mass inflow of tourist . Some say it ’s Mexico ’s last reliable beach town , and we ’d agree . So much so that we put together these eight reason why it ’s absolutely the country ’s top unexplored stretch of moxie .
You can only get there by boat
Twenty mil south of Puerto Vallarta , Yelapa is so off the radar you may only arrive by boat . Most travelers rent a private charter from Boca de Tomatlan or take a H2O taxi from Los Muertos Beach , and they often stop en route at Majahuitas , a democratic snorkel diving stain . And when visitors do finally get in in Yelapa , the boat pulls right up onto the beach . Who ask a dock ?
There are no chain restaurants, bars, or hotels
The only business in town are topically run and include about a 12 beach bars / restaurants and a handful of small hotel . Unlike other " undiscovered " beach towns , which may have an OXXO gas station or Subway , Yelapa still feel " pre - tourism boom " retro , without any souvenir store , to iron heel .
Did somebody say beach pies?
What really put Yelapa on the function for locals is not tacos or chimachingas or even Mayan observance – but pies . Yes , new - baked pies . Two local bakersstrut up and down the beachdaily sell a miscellanea of flavors , from coconut to cheesecake . They are like the ice rink ointment trucks of Yelapa , and visitors can grade a slash for a mere $ 2 .
All the fresh seafood, none of the inflated prices
It ’s a town of villager who make their money foraging and sportfishing . All the seafood you eat there is caught fresh from local waters , and sold well below typical refuge prices .
It’s a hotspot for raicilla
You may not know that raicilla , a type of once - bootlegged mezcal , is all the rage in Mexico . lately re - discovered ( it ’s been around pre - Spanish days ) , raicilla is reportedly double as strong as mezcal or tequila and known to cause mild hallucinations ( view yourself warned ) . It ’s not well-to-do to discover in Puerto Vallarta , but it pours freely in Yelapa . Salud !
It’s not overrun with tourists
Sure , beach bums who have been come to Yelapa for decades argue that there are now more holidaymaker than ever , but that ’s not saying much . And while some booze cruises often drip their passengers off for a few hours , Yelapa remains decidedlynotoverrun . The beach is long and blanket , visitor sprawl out , and it ’s still far enough off the beaten path that there are n’t any high - end restaurants for Anthony Bourdain to deem the best in Mexico . At least not yet .
The beach: gorgeous and perfectly bareboned
The crescent - shaped stretchability of sand straddles hobo camp and sea and is line with lounge chairs , a few umbrella , and nothing else . Just steps inland are a handful of thatch - roof , al - fresco bars and some swaying hammocks under the ribbon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . From anywhere you kick your feet up with Pacifico in hired hand , you hear the crash waving and little else .
Bob Dylan used to hang there
OK , regardless of whether this is a selling point or not , it ’s truthful . Bob Dylan , Dennis Hopper , and even dudes like Roland Emmerich ( who directedIndependence Day ) have all escaped the crowd on this unexplored beach at one compass point .
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Jimmy Imhas traveled to 115 country in 10 years . He writes about it . Sometimes . Instagram : jimmyim , Twitter : dieselmad .
Flickr/Ernest von Rosen
Flickr/Ernest von Rosen
Flickr/Bruce Bortin
Flickr/Owen Lin
Flickr/Ernest McGray, Jr.
Flickr/Ernest von Rosen
