# The Costa Chica and Points Beyond



## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

here´s a journey perhaps worth undertaking. 

San Cristobal de La Casas, Chiapas to Tehuantepec, Oaxaca and then on to the Bahias de Huatulco and Puerto Escondico, Oaxaca and Playa Ventura, Guerrero and the Costa Chica and Acapulco to Taxco, Guerrero and on to Lake Chapala. A worthwhile if often arduous road trip through fascinating countryside where foreign tourists are rarely seen and, if you are up to it, a worthwhile venture.

At a reasonable pace and one providing a taste of the countryside, this is about a six day journey. You will, if you undertake that drive, venture through some of Mecico´s poorest and most colorful states and never regret but treasure the adventure. 

The first leg of this drive is from San Cristobal in the Chiapas Highlands through Tuxtla Gutierrez and Arriaga , Chiapas through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to the town of Tehuantepec, a charming and colorful coastal community with great seafood restaurants on the Isthmus located just before you enter the rugged, mountainous and spectacular Oaxaca Coast. The drive from San Cristobal to Tehuantepec should take you about six hours and it is worthwile to linger in Tehuantepec for at least a day and enjoy the local specialty of delicious seafood cocktails with shrimp, oysters, octopus, conch and clams for which the area is righly famous. 

Then, on up the Oaxaca Coast to Hualtulco or Puerto Angel or Zipolite/Masunte Beaches and on to Puerto Escondido or whatever. Fine places for different reasions but all with great beaches and magnificent surf. 

More later.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Is this a trip you've taken, or just suggesting? For me, it's not easy to figure out. If you've made the journey, some additional specifics will probably be helpful to readers. Thanks.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


Longford said:



Is this a trip you've taken, or just suggesting? For me, it's not easy to figure out. If you've made the journey, some additional specifics will probably be helpful to readers. Thanks.

Click to expand...

_Thanks, Longford; I did not mean to be vague. We just arrived at Lake Chapala yesterday from our journey from Chiapas and that drive started April 29. The drive from the Chiapas Highlands to Lake Chapala can be made more expiditiously driving up the Veracruz Coast but this was a sightseeing trip up the Pacific Coast from Tehuanatepec to Lake Chapala via the places I mentioned earlier. 

Përhaps it was a mistake to even start this. I had planned further postings on our experiences along the Costa Chica and in Taxco but perhaps I will defer as I do not wish to convey confusion.

Now that I have clarified my purpose, perhaps I will continue with that part of the drive from Tehuantepec to Puerto Escondido and beyond to the Costa Chica; a most interesting journey. ,


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Thanks for the explanation, Hound Dog.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

I forgot to mention in my original post that, while Tehuantepec, Oaxaca is famous for its outstanding mariscos cocktails and we have dined in several seafood places there that are quite good, I would recommend a place catering to locals versus tourists called Boca Del Rio. Boca Del Rio is not located in the city center but across the river so if you go there to eat (just take a taxi and ask to be taken there) head, after your meal to Tehuantepec´s historic center and simply walk around for a real treat in this eccentric and entertaining town. If you have your own car, drive around and keep your eye on the local dwellings to see some fabulous old architectural styles even in dwellings now in ruins since there are many fine homes adjacent to old and.perhaps, abandoned residences of great interest. If you have the time, visit the interesting adjacent town of San Blas if you are interested in the historic architecture of the Isthmus.

There are many hotels in the Tehuantepec area but most are somewhat rustic to say the least. I would recommend the Quiexhoba Hotel (pronounced _guishoba_ more or less which I think means "corn flower"), This is a somewhat charmless and overpriced hotel on the outskirts of town but it´s air conditioned and clean and quiet and you will find in Tehuantepec that these are important characteristics for a place to sleep. They even have a pretty nice restaurant with good food.

Tehuantepec is famous for its highly assertive local women who literally rule the roost for reasons I won´t go into here but as you drive or are driven about the town you will see many women of some girth dressed exotically in the local fashion. An immensly entertaining Mestizo town with strong Zapoteco and Mixteco indigenous influences. Take your time and visit the nearby sea and lagoons with colorful if somewhat primitive fishing villages. An extraordinary region.

I also failed to mention in my original post that Tehuantepec and its sister city of nearby Juchitan are the only significant urban zones along the Oaxaca portion of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec which, outside of Panama, is the place in the Americas with the least land mass between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and thus the place once contemplated as a transit point beween those two oceans to access the east from the west for transportation purposes. Eventually, the U.S. sponsored Panama Canal won out over the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as the access point from the Atlantic to the Pacific but before that happened the Isthmus of Tehuantepec was considered a likely transit point between the two seas and major railroads beween the Gulf of Mexico amd the Pacific and north to the U.S. were developed during the 19th Century. As an aside, the so-called "Train of Death" that ferries Central Americans from Arriaga, Chiapas to the United States goes through this region on its way north. The isthmus is a fascinatiing place of almost constant high winds and electricity generating huge windmills which are locally controversial for a number of reasons.

The isthmus and Tehuatepec and Juchitan are fascinating places. Go there if you get a chance.


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## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

[QUOTE.....
There are many hotels in the Tehuantepec area but most are somewhat rustic to say the least...... the Quiexhoba Hotel... is a somewhat charmless and overpriced hotel on the outskirts of town but it´s air conditioned and clean and quiet and you will find in Tehuantepec that these are important characteristics for a place to sleep. .... 
The isthmus and Tehuatepec and Juchitan are fascinating places. Go there if you get a chance.[/QUOTE]

Although we're going back 7 years, during Jan-March/06 we drove almost the exact routes you've suggested...actually a loop from Toluca to Taxco/Acapulco/Playa Ventura/Puerto Escondido/Juchitan/San Cristobal de las Casas/Tehuantepec/Oaxaca and then back to Puerto Escondido and eventually up the coast to Zihuatanejo, etc.
Why Toluca? you might ask: because we refused to go anywhere near Mexico City in our own car. 
We took about 35 days to do the whole Toluca - Zihuatanejo loop, including lengthier stop-overs in Playa Ventura, Puerto Escondido (twice), San Cristobal de las Casas, and Oaxaca.
In Juchitan we stayed at Hotel Lopez Lena Palace, 440 pesos, which was close to Centro and just fine. In Tehuatepec we stayed at Hotel Oasis, again close to Centro and perfectly acceptable at 350 pesos.
It was a wonderful trip, which we look forward to doing again....maybe this time going further south along the Mexican coast to Puerto Arista and Tapachula, (and maybe into Guatemala?).


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


HolyMole said:



[QUOTE.....
There are many hotels in the Tehuantepec area but most are somewhat rustic to say the least...... the Quiexhoba Hotel... is a somewhat charmless and overpriced hotel on the outskirts of town but it´s air conditioned and clean and quiet and you will find in Tehuantepec that these are important characteristics for a place to sleep. .... 
The isthmus and Tehuatepec and Juchitan are fascinating places. Go there if you get a chance.

Click to expand...

Although we're going back 7 years, during Jan-March/06 we drove almost the exact routes you've suggested...actually a loop from Toluca to Taxco/Acapulco/Playa Ventura/Puerto Escondido/Juchitan/San Cristobal de las Casas/Tehuantepec/Oaxaca and then back to Puerto Escondido and eventually up the coast to Zihuatanejo, etc.
Why Toluca? you might ask: because we refused to go anywhere near Mexico City in our own car. 
We took about 35 days to do the whole Toluca - Zihuatanejo loop, including lengthier stop-overs in Playa Ventura, Puerto Escondido (twice), San Cristobal de las Casas, and Oaxaca.
In Juchitan we stayed at Hotel Lopez Lena Palace, 440 pesos, which was close to Centro and just fine. In Tehuatepec we stayed at Hotel Oasis, again close to Centro and perfectly acceptable at 350 pesos.
It was a wonderful trip, which we look forward to doing again....maybe this time going further south along the Mexican coast to Puerto Arista and Tapachula, (and maybe into Guatemala?).[/QUOTE]_

Good to hear from you Holy M.4o4ple and here is the scoop on the Chapala Coast before we get back to the next leg of the drive north to Lake chapala after leaving Tehuantepec heading north.

The drive from San Cristobal de Las Casas to Tonala just above Puerto Arista on the Chiapas coast is about fthree hours and then one heads south to Tapachula along the Soconusco Coast which is along a fine highway and takes another three hours or so. ne does not drrive along coastal roads along this route but must take coastal visitis along the way if coastal visits aare a personal goal. The Chiapas coast is quite primitive and characterized mainly by small fishing villages, swamplands, giant mangrove forests and isolated bays and esturaries. A fine place but not for everyone. 

I suggest a drive from Tonalá south to Tapachula and, perhaps the rim of the Volcano Tacaná bordering Guatemala as a fine and scenic journey before reurning to Tapachula or heading back to Huitzla and north to Comitan and San Cristobal. A splendi and beautiful drive. 

Chiapas is one great place.

Tomorrow I will continue my narrative on the drive from San Cristobal to Lake Chapala with that segment from Tehuantepec to Playa Ventura via Puerto Escondido. and on to Acapulco before heading inland to Taxco.


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## feldr (May 4, 2013)

Have fun in Taxco, you'll need a lot of energy,as the town's mostly built into the hill.
Last time we parked we grabbed a space at the mine museum,(only 3 spaces outside), saved us trying to find somewhere.
get a simple map and enjoy!


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

[_QUOTE=feldr;1157144]Have fun in Taxco, you'll need a lot of energy,as the town's mostly built into the hill.
Last time we parked we grabbed a space at the mine museum,(only 3 spaces outside), saved us trying to find somewhere.
get a simple map and enjoy![/QUOTE]_

While I had intended to recount this trip in order of occurrence, this post prompted me to skip ahead to Taxco, a unique "Pueblo Magico" if there ever was one. I had been there before back in the 1960s but this town has to be seen and re-seen to be believed. Saying this place is on a hill understates this location which seems more than that to be on a cliff. We stayed at the Aqua Escondido Hotel ($1,300 Pesos and worth every centavo) during the Dia de La Cruz festival and the town was alive with music and firecrackers and lights illuminating the local churches and partying everywhere. We chose the Hotel Aqua Escondido because it had secure inside parking and splendid views out over the city and its cathedral. 

It is impossible that this town was ever built in the first place much les maintained as houses seem to perch on houses up the mountainside. Perhaps the most dramatic urban setting on the planet. 

Do not die before seeing this town. The only disappointment was the touristy food at the restaurant we chose on the main plaza so we could watch local staged events from an outside elevated table. The staged events, local festivities and ice cold beer made this event fun even with the bad food.

I should point out that you have to be young and vigorous to live in such a verticle environment. Dawg is 71 and in no shape to negotiate the steep hills in this burg in the long run. However, a visit there is an essential experience if possible.

Next, back to the Oaxaca Coast and Guerrero´s fascinating Costa Chica.


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## feldr (May 4, 2013)

trust me, you can get lost on the downward journey, even with my good sense of direction, by the time we got to the bottom, we ended up 2km west of where we started..


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

feldr said:


> Have fun in Taxco, you'll need a lot of energy,as the town's mostly built into the hill.
> Last time we parked we grabbed a space at the mine museum,(only 3 spaces outside), saved us trying to find somewhere.
> get a simple map and enjoy!


Though I've tried, I just don't like Taxco other than for stopping on my way between Acapulco and Mexico City. I find it to be one of the most over-hyped destinations in Mexico and unfriendly to most visitors (primarily because of the steep inclines). The Saturday silver market is actually a flea market where a lot of junk, not legitimate "silver" is mixed-in with some nice things. Interesting enough to walk about, though. I also find the center of the city noisy and frequently contaminated by vehicle pollution ... from trucks and busses. I always suggest to people wanting to stay overnight not to stay in the center of the city. There's not much to see/do other than visit the pretty Cathedral. There are several festivals which liven things up yearly, however. I find it a place one either likes a lot, or not much at all.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

[_QUOTE=Longford;1157577]Though I've tried, I just don't like Taxco other than for stopping on my way between Acapulco and Mexico City. I find it to be one of the most over-hyped destinations in Mexico and unfriendly to most visitors (primarily because of the steep inclines). The Saturday silver market is actually a flea market where a lot of junk, not legitimate "silver" is mixed-in with some nice things. Interesting enough to walk about, though. I also find the center of the city noisy and frequently contaminated by vehicle pollution ... from trucks and busses. I always suggest to people wanting to stay overnight not to stay in the center of the city. There's not much to see/do other than visit the pretty Cathedral. There are several festivals which liven things up yearly, however. I find it a place one either likes a lot, or not much at all.[/QUOTE]_

We do nkit disagree, Amigo. I hope I said that I would never live thlere in that vertical, conctrete and cold place from which I could not escape more expidiously. A noisy and raucous town jammed together woth houses built upon stilts or attached to one other and no place to even fart above the crowd. I meant tp convey my astonishment at the fact that anyone would even build a community there.

Note that I have established residences in Ajijic and San Cristlab de KLas Casas . Ajojic is a dump and San Cristobal is a historic colonial city but both are more or lsss flat and easy to negotiate on foot. I would never choose to live in a toen built on the side of a mountain. as is Taxco.

If I had to choose a plac meeting my primary needs it would be Ajijic. Among the finest climates om Earth and with a Burger King just 30 kilometers away adjacent to a bar. What more does one need?


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

This thread is fascinating. Thanks for the tour guide, Hound.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Hound Dog said:


> [_QUOTE=feldr;1157144]Have fun in Taxco, you'll need a lot of energy,as the town's mostly built into the hill.
> Last time we parked we grabbed a space at the mine museum,(only 3 spaces outside), saved us trying to find somewhere.
> get a simple map and enjoy!_




While I had intended to recount this trip in order of occurrence, this post prompted me to skip ahead to Taxco, a unique "Pueblo Magico" if there ever was one. I had been there before back in the 1960s but this town has to be seen and re-seen to be believed....

OK, back to the drive up the Pacific Coast from San Cristobal de Las Casas to Lake Chapala through Oaxaca, Guererro and inland at Acapulco to Taxco and on to Chapala. Thta little diversion to Taxco ahead of time was because "feldr" grabbed my attention and Taxco is a remarkable town. 

Now we are back in Tehuantepec, Oaxaca and heading up Highway 200 to the Bays of Huatulco, Zipolite and Mazunte Beaches where we have spent time in the past but, this time, on to Puerto Escondido because we had never been there and, as it turns out, we will not revisit. Not because the place is not intriguing and with beautiful and wild beaches but just because it fails to interest us personally. Anyway, we had another place in mind a few hours north of there known as Playa Ventura on the Guerrero Coast where there was a beach house for sale we may well have been interested in purchasing. 

Don´t try tp find Playa Ventura on your map but it is located between Marquelia and Copala , Guerrero; small towns of inconsequence but the nearest towns with any businesses of note and places to shop when one is living on the remote beach at Playa Ventura. Playa Ventura itself has about 1,000 inhabitants if that many and has to be one of the loneliest places on earth but with a beautiful beach constantly pounded by the unforgiving Pacific Ocean. We did not buy that beach house and could not wait to get the hell out of there and move on to Acapulco and up the Autopisto Del Sol to the outskirts of Cuernava aand on to Taxco which has ben previously discussed. 

We lived directly on the Pacific Ocean in a rural area just souh of San Francisco known as Devil´s Slide for about 10 years back in the 1980s and I had forgotten just how loud and incessant the Pacific can be but this Playa Ventura reminided me of why we fled that place as if the devil himself was on our tail threatening to drown us in his wake, The sand is everywhere including the crack of your ass , the noise incessant and isolating and the salt eats away at very mechanical contrivance ever imagined by mankind. A terrible environment never to appeal to Dawg again even for a day.

More later but I am now mentally exhausted just remembering even one day in that hellhole.

Later, a word about the fabulous Costa Chica - a unique place to which African slaves escaping from Veracruz intermarried with local indigenous North Americans back in the 18th Century. A marvelous place.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

I plan to go back to the Costa Chica in a later post but for now lwt me end this journey from San Criatobal de Las Casas to Chapala up the Pzcific Coast with the last leg of the drive from Taxco to our home in Ajijic. This drive takes about eight hours and takes one from Taxco to Toluca to Atlacomulco and over the Mexico City to Guadalajara autopista and to Ocotlan, Jalisco and on to Chapala. This is not an unpleasant drive but it is a bit of a bore. 


More later if anyone is interested.


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## feldr (May 4, 2013)

Ah Toluca, know it well........!


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Hound Dog said:


> If I had to choose a plac meeting my primary needs it would be Ajijic. Among the finest climates om Earth and with a Burger King just 30 kilometers away adjacent to a bar. What more does one need?


A Burger King with a bar ... adjacent? Love 'em both. Gotta go now, and pack my bags!


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I find Taxco very attractive and fascinating place with all its little alleys , detours , beautiful iron work and totally crazy buildings.
I have no interest in silver or jewelry so I did not look at the stuff. I needed to buy a bangle and send a young man looking for one, he got his commision and I did not have to look at the stuff. 
I enjoyed walking through the municipal market that reminds me of a souk and walking the streets, listening to bands and crowd watching. 
I would not make a habit of going to the place but I thought it was a more pleasant stop than a Toluca or Metepec kind of city.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

citlali said:


> I would not make a habit of going to the place but I thought it was a more pleasant stop than a Toluca or Metepec kind of city.


I think it _does_ make a good waystop for many people unfamiliar with that part of Mexico. The several festivals are popular and the Saturday silver flea market are draws for tourists. Not just foreign tourists, but mostly Mexican tourists.

As for Toluca ... the only area of the city I enjoy is the historic center. The center has probably the largest number _portales_ of any city in Mexico and there are frequent cultural events to enjoy. The _Dia de los Muertos_ period can be particularly enjoyable as the city hosts the _Feria del Alfeñique_. And let's not forget food ... and the _tacos de obispo!_ Winter weather in Toluca, however, can be downright raw (very cold/damp).

Metepec is a good place to stop, to peruse and possibly purchase a _Tree of Life_.

Thanks.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I was looking as Taxco at a one night at the most 2 nights stop, Toluca and Metepec have much more to offer but also need a little reasearching .
I am going to Metepec in July to meet artisans. I have found that it is difficult to met the great artisans in Metepec; you have to go to their houses and the place can be confusing so it is better to be ready before exploring the place. 

We usually go through Toluca in January and it is not the best time to stop as I find it freezing 
cold so all I want to do is get out of there but it is not fair to the city. 
I also want to check out the convent in San Miguel Zinacantepec and I have a long list of things I want to do in the area when I finally go back during a warmer time.
The coldest I have ever been in Mexico is in Atlacomulco and Toluca, that area is mighty cold..


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

citlali said:


> I was looking as Taxco at a one night at the most 2 nights stop, Toluca and Metepec have much more to offer but also need a little reasearching .


I belive the artisans in Metepec, in parlticular the ones working with the trees of life and similar works, formed a cooperative and they work together for certain things, such as the sale and marketing of their works. Of course, there are private studios where the artisans work ... often in their homes. If you haven't already done so, you might want to search for information about the cooperative to see if you can get the names of its members. There are some cross-disciplines represented if I'm recalling correctly. You might also want to check-in with one of the curators at the Edo. de Mexico museum in Toluca to see if he/she has some artisan contact information that will be useful. Obviously ... having advance contact with someone makes a visit so much easier. 'Way back when' I was hired by one of these cooperatives in Metepec to help it organize its efforts to sell its artistic works. It was an impressive group. I no longer have the contact information, however. Best of luck.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

[_QUOTE=feldr;1157561]trust me, you can get lost on the downward journey, even with my good sense of direction, by the time we got to the bottom, we ended up 2km west of where we started..[/QUOTE]_

Dawg presumes, feldr. that you mean the journey from the hill in Taxco to the exit roads to Cuernavaca or Toluca. We had no problem negotiating that exit although I had anticipated problems. Plain dumb luck, no doubt. 

Taxco is unique in my experience in that it is a great place to visit but I would never attempt to actually live there. OK; I can think of other places like that where visiting is a deam but living is an unpleasant thought. Carmel, California comes to mind immediately becaus of the fog and insufferable retirement colony - sort of like Ajijic or San Miguel without that incessant fog. Perhaps Cairo, Egypt or Addis Ababa, Ethiopia . Good food and fascinating urban vistas but soon tiresome.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

No problem looking for great artisans is one of my hobbies and I enjoy the search but Metepec is not one of the easiest place to do it. I know many artisans who go to fairs and I get contact that way, look for the concursos and look for the guys who get first prizes and so on but it takes research and sometimes finding just one house can take all day. Some states have casa de artisania, CONECULTA and others have good concursos and so on...
I just did that in Tehuantepec, it is my second trip to go and see this painter , all I want is one painting..I finally met the man then I had to go back 2 months later and meet his wife and now I am invited to a fiesta on the 28th of September and he will have several painting for me to chose from,,,it can take up to a year for some of these guys to get their thoughts together but meanwhile you discover a whole lot of things about the area and its people so I find it great fun.
The coops are a different animal all together ..I am dealing with 3 of them right now in Chiapas and their politics are driving me insane..
Some really good artisania comes out of Metepec but as I say you have to look for it..


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## feldr (May 4, 2013)

citlali said:


> I was looking as Taxco at a one night at the most 2 nights stop, Toluca and Metepec have much more to offer but also need a little reasearching .
> I am going to Metepec in July to meet artisans. I have found that it is difficult to met the great artisans in Metepec; you have to go to their houses and the place can be confusing so it is better to be ready before exploring the place.
> 
> We usually go through Toluca in January and it is not the best time to stop as I find it freezing
> ...


Yep, one of the problems with being nearly 10,000 feet above seal level, and being in the shadow of a n almost dead volcano.......


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


feldr said:



Yep, one of the problems with being nearly 10,000 feet above seal level, and being in the shadow of a n almost dead volcano.......

Click to expand...

_A well made point, feldr and one that reminds me that on our ordnary journey between Lake Chapala and the Chiapas Highlands which we take perhaps four times a year or more. ,we drive down the Arco Norte fron the vicinity of Atlacomulco, EDO to Puebla. Puebla and are blessed with the treasure of passing the Popocatatépetl and Iztaccihuatl Volcanoes as we approach Puebla City on our way to our normal stopover at Orizaba, Veracruz. The magnificent Mount Orizaba is also a volcano and Mexico´s tallest mountain at over 18,000 feet. What a fun drive.

Our good friend Daniel Paredes of Puebla, a great photographer and the son of fabulous artists living in that fine city, just sent us photographs of seeming snow covered Puebla City blessed with a fine volcanic dust from Popocatapétl which is, at present, quite active. 

When we pass Popocatatépetl on a fine sunny morning on the Arco Norte on our way to Puebla,and then on to Chiapas, we are in heaven


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## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

Longford said:


> Though I've tried, I just don't like Taxco other than for stopping on my way between Acapulco and Mexico City. I find it to be one of the most over-hyped destinations in Mexico and unfriendly to most visitors (primarily because of the steep inclines). The Saturday silver market is actually a flea market where a lot of junk, not legitimate "silver" is mixed-in with some nice things. Interesting enough to walk about, though. I also find the center of the city noisy and frequently contaminated by vehicle pollution ... from trucks and busses. I always suggest to people wanting to stay overnight not to stay in the center of the city. There's not much to see/do other than visit the pretty Cathedral. There are several festivals which liven things up yearly, however. I find it a place one either likes a lot, or not much at all.


Over-hyped or not, Taxco is a sight to behold. And we stayed right in Centro - (is there any better place to stay, when one plans on spending only a day or so in a Mexican town or city?) - at the Hotel Santa Prisca (500 pesos), a hundred yards or so away from Santa Prisca cathedral, which is worth a stop-over in Taxco all by itself. The hotel was quiet and had safe parking.
We also spent three nights in Playa Ventura at the Hotel Dona Celsa, a basic spot at 250 pesos for a room that was literally 50 feet from the breaking surf. We needed a hot 'n' humid break from the bitter night-time cold of Toluca and Taxco. 
Not a lot to do in Playa Ventura. Maybe that's why there's been a ******-based mini real estate "boom" in the past few years.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

HolyMole said:


> Not a lot to do in Playa Ventura. Maybe that's why there's been a ******-based mini real estate "boom" in the past few years.


I'm confused by this statement. Why would gringos want to live in a place where there's not much going on?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I do not know about "gringos" the foreigners we met there were from Belgium, Japan, Lichtestein, Germany so far..
The place has a spectacular beach and the town if you can call it that, is rustic and charming. Pigs, chicken turkeys cross the street as often as they can as well nothing else for them to do either..
The boom is really mini, I guess thre was not much of a boom when in May but there maybe in the winter. There were a few houses being built and one larger house that was finished and owned by Mexicans.
It is a great place to go if you want to be away from the crowds of foreigners you see on some other places.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Unfortunately most beautiful or interesting places attract a lot of people that by itself does not make them horrible places.
If you want horrible because of tourists go to the Monnet´s gardens in Giverny that is awful and a place you never want to go back to but Taxco has not lost all of his charm and attractions because there are lots of tourists, it is still worth seeing.
It has some great iron work, tile work, fun architecture and during fiesta is alive with music, parades and so on. The high schools were putting on a show on he Day of the Cruz at night and it was full of local watching their kids raping, during acrobatics and so on. Nothing touristy about the scene, you just have to forget the silver shops and enjoy the rest although the silver shops are what is substaining a lot of people.
I say it is worth seeing and visiting, I could not take the place for very long but it is a nice change from the beach or from the colder areas further north.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

There´s a thing about remote beach villages such as Playa Ventura, Guerrero that draws in foreigners such as we attracted by inexpensive property values and seemingly romantic coastal environments and we may, as a result, have a tendency to buy properties in such places we have no business even considering as investments. Playa Ventura, Guerrero is remote to say the least. A tiny and primtive village a good two hours up Highway 200 from Acapulco and a thousand miles from nowhere. If you go in there as a foreigner to buy a beachfront property you will be screwed to the wall by the locals and I promise you that they will never forget that you are the fool as long as you grace the beach there.

Guerrero is no place for novices. If you think you can head into the bush and get a deal then you are the mark and never forget that.

We headed out of Playa Ventura at the crack of dawn the day after we arrived and never stopped until we had passed Acapulco and arrived, hours later, in Taxco. If you value your ass you will follow the same route.


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## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

Isla Verde said:


> I'm confused by this statement. Why would gringos want to live in a place where there's not much going on?


There are folks - I used the term "gringos" in the generic sense, meaning simply someone "from away" - who yearn for the Mexico of perhaps 30 or 40 years ago. A dusty village with crowing roosters and braying burros is the paradise they seek. It's not unusual to hear people reminiscing about "Puerto Vallarta like it used to be", or statements like "we love Bucerias because it's like PV used to be". (These days, though, Bucerias is just a suburb of PV).
There still are a few spots along the coast that fill the bill. Playa Ventura is one of them.
Most of these places are a tad too laid back for our liking, but they're great spots to spend a day or two.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

HolyMole said:


> There are folks - I used the term "gringos" in the generic sense, meaning simply someone "from away" - who yearn for the Mexico of perhaps 30 or 40 years ago. A dusty village with crowing roosters and braying burros is the paradise they seek. It's not unusual to hear people reminiscing about "Puerto Vallarta like it used to be", or statements like "we love Bucerias because it's like PV used to be". (These days, though, Bucerias is just a suburb of PV).
> There still are a few spots along the coast that fill the bill. Playa Ventura is one of them.
> Most of these places are a tad too laid back for our liking, but they're great spots to spend a day or two.


I see. Thanks for the explanation. "My Mexico" has never been a dusty village with roosters and burros, so it's hard for me to understand the appeal of such a place. It might be fun to visit for a few days but as a permanent home, _¡nunca jamás!_ .


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

[_QUOTE=Isla Verde;1161037]I see. Thanks for the explanation. "My Mexico" has never been a dusty village with roosters and burros, so it's hard for me to understand the appeal of such a place. It might be fun to visit for a few days but as a permanent home, ¡nunca jamás! .[/QUOTE]_

Remote villages located on the coast or isolated in remote surrounds whether in Mexico or France or A>labama or Paland are not meant for strangers from afar or even in neighboring lands to settle therein. Let´s look at Playa Ventura on the Guerrero Coasat. Even locals from up the hill in rural Guerrero never go to these places. The Guerrero Coast and adjacent mountain ranges are outlaw lands and those living there know that civil law enforcement is corrupt and ind colluding with local outlaw gangs and narcotraficantes. The region is out of control and anarchic. If the reader is unawaare of this the reader is naive in the extreme. 

I posted this comment about Playa Ventura and the Guerrero Coast for the fun of having done so. If yu are willing to buy a coastal property in those remote areas then I haveI a bridge to sell you crossing the Golden Gate between San Francisco and Marin County.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Hound Dog said:


> There´s a thing about remote beach villages such as Playa Ventura, Guerrero that draws in foreigners such as we attracted by inexpensive property values and seemingly romantic coastal environments and we may, as a result, have a tendency to buy properties in such places we have no business even considering as investments. Playa Ventura, Guerrero is remote to say the least. A tiny and primtive village a good two hours up Highway 200 from Acapulco and a thousand miles from nowhere. If you go in there as a foreigner to buy a beachfront property you will be screwed to the wall by the locals and I promise you that they will never forget that you are the fool as long as you grace the beach there.
> 
> Guerrero is no place for novices. If you think you can head into the bush and get a deal then you are the mark and never forget that.
> 
> We headed out of Playa Ventura at the crack of dawn the day after we arrived and never stopped until we had passed Acapulco and arrived, hours later, in Taxco. If you value your ass you will follow the same route.


Regarding the Costa Chica of Guerrero ... I'll agree with you that it's not a destination for people who don't understand the diversity of Mexico nor speak Spanish. And the entire coastal area of Guerrero, from Oaxaca to Michoacan, does, at times, give the impression it's the 'wild west' of Mexico. But you'll also find some of the most varied indigenous cultures, arts and crafts and excellent local food and liquor. And, along MX Hwy. 200, you'll probably encounter more _topes_ than you've seen in your lifetime!

Some people don't see the forest, because trees got in the way. And some people are quick to judge. I've been that way, and I'm not alone. And I suspect you're that type of person as well ... at times. We all are.

Regarding Playa Ventura, specifically: I've visited more than a half-dozen times over the years. I forget how many. The difference now as compared to a decade ago is it's been discovered by Mexicans (some from Cuernavaca) who are building vacation homes, and some expats (including a one or two from Germany) who appreciate a beautiful environment, peacefulness, recognize a diamond-in-the-rough which a decade from now I predict will draw so much attention ... and because it's so relatively close to Acapulco and all that big city offers. 

I recognize that quiet environments aren't appreciated by all. Some people absolutely must either live smack dab in the middle of a hustle and bustle town/city, or locate themselves within quick and easy access to that. And many people don't like 'small town life' either in Mexico or the USA/Canada. In a small town everyone knows your business and if you don't get along with people easily ... life can be miserable. But, yet ... for others ... such an environment is welcome. One of our Mexico forum members moved there from the USA with her husband (who is from there). However, the husband had difficulty finding enough work and they've relocated to Sonora. She has a house for sale at Playa Ventura. I know the house, and if we were two or three years down the road I'd probably seriously consider purchasing it.

I know many people who've been to San Cristobal de las Casas, enjoyed their visit ... but would never consider moving there. Count me as one of them. But I now some expats are there (such as yourself) and, more than less ... have enjoyed it. So, as we were accustomed to saying in horse racing ... there are horses for courses. It's a wonderful world ... with all of this diversity!

Thanks for the reports.


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