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First-Time Reader? ......here is the background to this series of blogs
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lobo/9/1233502800/tpod.html
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For this blog, click on SLIDESHOW and then the rectangle in the right corner to see photos in full screen format
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Mexico: 23 Destinations to Spend the Winter Months
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Rincon de Guayabitos
No. 8 of 23 Destinations (this is not a ranking)
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Rincon de Guayabitos - Nayarit Riviera
Part 2 of 2
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The Mexicans have taken a page from the French in naming various coastlines as "rivieras".

The "grand-daddy" of "rivieras", of course, is the French Riviera or the "Cote d'Azure" that is located on the Mediterranean coast in southeastern France . "Riviera" is a marketing term designed to attract tourists because it conjures up images of a beautiful coastline, warm breezes and vast stretches of fine sable sand and, in the case of France, topless sun seekers. Ironically if you have been to parts of beaches on the French Riviera, like in Nice for instance, there is a decided lack of fine sable sand as the beach is a pebble beach that can be murder on the feet.

The most famous of the Mexican Rivieras is the "Mayan Riviera" which has got to be the destination of choice for most short-term tourists in Mexico. It is located along the Caribbean coast, south of Cancun towards Playa de Carmen and Tulum. It is worth noting that the fine white sable sand beaches we saw south of Tulum where the best we saw in Mexico.

The Pacific coastline near Rincon de Guayabitos, located on Bahia de Jaltemba, is designated as the "Riviera Nayarit"- Mexico's Pacific Treasure. While the Mayan Riviera may be the destination of choice for foreign tourists, it seems the same cannot be said for the "Nayarit Riviera" .

http://www.rivieranayarit.com/maps

Rincon de Guayabitos is the main resort on the Nayarit Riviera and it truly is a "Mexican" resort as "gringos, expats, foreign tourists or whatever you want to call them" are far and few in between. That leaves the crowded beaches, at least during the holiday season, as the almost exclusive domain of Mexican families.

Crowded or not, we were pleasantly surprised by a beautiful wide beach of fine sable sand full of people of all ages enjoying a wonderful day by the ocean. This cannot be mistaken for the French Riviera where the words "skimpy", "thongs" "topless" or even "nude" might be operative. It seems Mexicans are conservative in their beach attire. Most people were content to just wear shorts and even a good part of the males that ventured into the water were wearing T-shirts. So we did not feel out of place in just strolling down the beach wearing shorts and a shirt . I must nuance my comments about Mexican beach wear by considering that it was January after all. But on the other hand, it was a warm sunny day with temperatures around 27 ºC with a surprisingly warm water temperature that was soothing on our bare feet. We did not venture into the water since our bathing suits were safely packed away in out suitcases back at the hotel.

The scene on the beach was just plain uplifting considering the swirl of children, the laughter, the omnipresent food vendors and the "circus" surrounding the brown pelicans.

I can't say I have never seen brown pelicans up close but if I did, I can't remember when. So it was with great interest that we approached these beautiful birds on the beach who had no fear of people and who seemed to be enjoying all the attention. The males with their bright spotless white heads and necks along with the contrasting orange of their long beaks are particularly impressive.

It was a pleasure to just shed the shoes that we had been wearing since our arrival in Mexico and to walk barefooted in order to feel the fine soft sand between our toes and the warm waters of Jaltemba Bay lapping over our feet . This after all was our first exposure to the Pacific Ocean and we were determined to enjoy the moment.

On the negative side, the concerns about infrastructure and levels of cleanliness, raised in the previous blog about the town, continued on the beach. There was a noticeable amount of garbage deposited on the beach near the water and a heavier accumulation along the back of the beach. It took a real effort to finally find some garbage containers to dispose of our empty fruit containers.

That brings me back to a paragraph that I wrote in the previous blog:

"We later toured a condo building where a $350,000 US condo had an annual property tax of $150 US. Yes $150 US!!! That boggles the mind when there is such a crying need for public infrastructure improvements and particularly a need to spend some money on just keeping the streets clean."

Let me add to that paragraph "and keeping the beach clean" .

Perhaps I am overemphasizing the "infrastructure and cleanliness aspect" because when one looks about in the downtown area there are important improvements. Among them are paving the main street with interlocking stones as well as the sidewalks and of course there are the abundant pedestrian streets.

Speaking of that luxury condo, we found it right here along the beach and jumped at the opportunity to take a tour of the inside. Our basis for comparison was the condos we toured in San Miguel de Aliened where a two-bedroom of about 1,200 square feet, within easy walking distance of the "centro historico", sold for about $250,000. So we raised an eyebrow or two when we discovered that the price here for essentially the same thing was $350,000. Beachfront or beach view property has its price.

For a comparison, here is the blog with the info about the San Miguel condos:
http://www.puenteviejo.com

Here is the website for the Rincon de Guayabitos condos:

http://www .lavitacondos.com

Why would you want to stay in Rincon de Guaybitos for the winter months?

-    beautiful warm weather along the Pacific Coast
-    only 45 minute drive from Puerto Vallarta
-    Puerto Vallarta and its mass tourism is not your style
-    notwithstanding the $350,000 beachside condos, real estate is cheaper here than in Puerto Vallarta
-    there are a lot less expats here
-    the opportunity for cultural immersion is much greater in this authentic "Mexican" beach resort
-    it is a popular destination for RVs as RV parks exist on or near the beach at reasonable prices
websites:
http://www.ontheroadin.com/index.html
http://www.ontheroadin.com/pacificcoast/pacificnorth/rincon.htm

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Feedback/Comments: travelswithlobo@yahoo.com
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Coming Soon:

Puerto Vallarta - The Iguana No Longer Lives Here