Hidden Vacation Spots in Mexico

A Guide to Getting Away from it All in Mexico

The current economic upheaval and the rest of the daily stress in your life may have you daydreaming about getting away from real life, taking a step back and just relaxing. Now that the leaves are off the trees and a nip is in the air, you may dream about warm weather and sipping margaritas on a beautiful beach in Mexico, but not a beach where every other tourist is doing the same thing.

We've all heard about the big cities, Cancun, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and many other major tourist destinations that really are absolutely beautiful and exotic. I've been to those cities and they're all pretty Americanized. They all have those conveniences like fast food and movie theaters, 5 star hotels and fancy resteraunts.

Mind you, these things are all wonderful, but having them handy isn't really getting away from it all, now is it? Like most Americans, you probably have a Starbucks, McDonald's and Burger King all within a three mile radius of you, unless you're out in the middle of nowhere, then these things may be a bit further away. So, really, why would you want to go someplace that already has these things when you're looking for an escape?

Where to Go:

Roughly three hours drive south of Puerto Vallarta and roughly one hour drive north of Manzanillo (mon-zuh-nee-oh) along Mexico's Pacific Coast (also known as the Costalegra, or Happy Coast) you will find, or pass, a small village nestled on the south side of the Bay of Tenacatita. This small village, quiet in the summer, bustling at Easter and busy in the winter is called La Manzanilla(mon-zuh-nee-yuh). Note the difference in spelling between this village and the larger city to the south. They are not the same and often even those from Mexico will get them confused, as La Manzanilla isn't on many maps.