Come and stay with us in a "Casa in Yelapa" ... and when you arrive please turn your watches back 30 years - Things to Know and More Details about Yelapa

A good idea for visitors is to pack light; you do not need lots of clothes or other accessories. You will need a small flashlight. We did leave 2 flashlights in Mar y Sol as long as they are still there. If you drink coffee maybe bring some, if you’re fussy. Earplugs are also a good idea; as you are right on the water the waves may keep you awake at night. As far as clothes … again pack light, cotton shirts, shorts and sandals. If you plan to do some hiking, a good pair of walking shoes or hiking boots. Bring along a sweat shirt or light jacket for the cool mornings if you are out and about or maybe going out on a boat. Of course you want a swim suit. You will most likely want to bring your camera and maybe a small pair of binoculars; we do have a large pair in the house. Sunglasses and a hat are a must also. Please bring all your own personal toiletries and a beach towel/blanket. Mar y Sol is supplied with good quality linens and bath towels. YELAPA has standard North American electricity so you do not need any adaptors.

When you arrive you will have a long walk to customs and immigration. Be prepared to show your passport and paper work that you completed on the plane, make sure you fill out the bottom section of the immigration form. The bottom part of the form is torn off and returned to you. You need to save this, keep it with your passports, you will need this stub when you fly home. Your next task is to find your luggage. If you have more luggage than you can carry (or you did not travel light) hand-signal a porter to assist you. He will cost about 15 to 20 pesos per bag. You will then pass through customs. You now will enter a room with a bunch of friendly smiling faces. These are mainly, time share representatives, just keep on walking. Once you leave the main glass doors you will see the taxi companies located on the back wall. Grab a taxi and you’re a step closer to paradise. Price is roughly $25 USD to Los Muertos, the price includes an airport fee or tourist tax, that’s why it seems a bit expensive. Tell the driver you want to go to the "Yelapa Hotel Lagunita Office" at the "Los Muertos Pier". (Moo air toes) If you have never been in a Mexican Taxi this alone can be quite an experience.

We will let the folks at Yelapa Office know that you are coming they will sell you your water taxi tickets and store your bags for you while you wait. Sergio, Roger or Celeste will assist you and help you with any questions. The office is located on the left as you walk, to the pier. You will see the white sign saying "Hotel Lagunita Yelapa Office". The cost of a one way ticket is about 120 pesos. Down on the right side of the pier, you will see the boat launch. Water taxis leave Los Muertos Pier throughout the day starting at aboout 9:00 am, the last one leaving is at about 6:00 pm. Important to note .... The schedule is subject to change depending on demand and the schedule is reduced in the low season.

We can also arrange to have a private boat pick you up at any location and at the time of your choice. This is great for groups, as a VIP service or late arrivals.

While you are waiting for your boat at Los Muertos Beach a good place to grab a cool drink or something to eat is “Cuates y Cuetes” on the right hand side as you go down to the pier, great service and great food, right on the beach.

This link shows you a 360 degree view of the pier, looking down the pier you will see Hotel Marsol on the left and Hotel San Marino on the right (the white building). Cuetas y Cuates is in front of Hotel Marsol right on the beach. "LOS MUERTOS PIER"

Most of the water taxi drivers speak good English and will load your bags and help you on board. Depending on the size and amount of your bags sometimes a small tip is in order. Sit as far to the back of the boat as possible, a smoother ride. Try to get on the left side for best shoreline views going over to Yelapa. Sit back and enjoy as you pass Los Arcos and the tiny Pueblos of Boca de Tomatlan, Las Animas, Quimixto, Majuahuitas and Caletas. Yelapa is a short 35 to 45 minute ride depending on stops along the way and how smooth the ocean is.

The "Beautiful Sea" pictured here is a typical example of just one of the many water taxis that serve the southern shores of the bay.

When you arrive in YELAPA tell the water taxi driver you want to get off at the "Village Pier". Do not get off at the beach or Hotel Lagunita. On the pier we can help arrange someone to carry your luggage, this will cost anywhere from 50 to 100 pesos depending on how many people and how many bags you have. It is quite a hike up the hill so if your bags are heavy this is most likely a good idea.

Look for this gentleman when you arrive, his name is Cipriano (Sip ree ano) he is familiar with "Mar y Sol" and very trustworthty. We use his services whenever we go to YELAPA. He will load all your bags in his carretilla (wheelbarrow) and carry them right to the house for you.

The currency of Mexico is of course the Peso and the best money to use for all purchases is the Peso. US dollars are widely accepted in Yelapa, but you will then be at the mercy of their exchange rate which is often less than at the bank. The best way to get Pesos is to use an ATM at one of the many machines in Puerto Vallarta which are in English and in Spanish. When you arrive at the Yelapa Office at Los Muertos in PVR they have a brand new ATM right there .... There is no ATM in Yelapa .... For up to date currency conversion click here "CAD to PESO" or "USD to PESO"

If you somehow get delayed and you will not be on the water taxi you planned, the last one leaves at 6:00pm (high season), let the folks in the Yelapa Office know. They can call YELAPA and advise us what your new plans are. Your options are .... a later water taxi, if there is any more that day, rent a private boat which is about 2000 pesos or get a Hotel Room near Los Muertos Beach.

In general, Yelapa is very safe. But, keep money, expensive cameras and iPods with you or locked up. Always keep the gate and front door locked if you leave the house. If you have a loss, report it to the police or the comisario quickly. The police live off the old basketball court. We do provide a safe for your personal use in Mar y Sol.

Yes ... Yelapa has scorpions, mosquitoes and other pesky bugs. The chances are that you will not see a scorpion. Scorpions or Alacran's live under brush and in crevices, spots that are not often disturbed as they do not want to be found. They are about two to three inches long and are usually golden in color. Scorpions can move fast but are not aggressive and will run from you. Basic precautions are to wear shoes at night and do not leave clothes or towels lying on the floor. If you do leave things on the floor or the ground always give them a good shake when you pick them up. A good idea is if you climb out of bed in the night always grab a flash light and check the floor before you head to the bathroom. Because Mar y Sol is a house on the ocean as opposed to a palapa in the jungle you will have fewer bugs in general. The bedroom does have a screen on the window so you can sleep comfortably at night without a cumbersome mosquito net.

Stores in Mexico are called Tienda’s (Tee en dahs) the closest to Mar y Sol is “Tienda Yure" (Yur ee). Just down the hill towards the Pueblo before you cross the cement bridge. They have most everything you will need; grocery items, meat, fresh vegies, canned goods, homemade bread, ice, pop, juice, beer, hard liquor. There are other Tiendas in the Pueblo if you want to shop around. Remember Mar y Sol has a fully equipped kitchen and a large Barbeque so preparing meals at home is a good option.

Water

Yelapa has its own water treatment plant that filters and provides the village and surrounding areas with very good bottled water. In Mar y Sol you will find a water dispenser for the large bottles.

Beer is pretty standard and although Corona may be the popular tourist beer the clear bottles allow it to go skunky very fast. Dark bottles are better, like Pacifico. The deposit on beer bottles is quite high so save them and return them when you buy the next case. A case of 24 beer is 210 pesos, plus a 60 peso deposit. Hard liquors are available at the Tiendas as well and if you want “Racia” just ask around. The Rosewood Shop sells it for sure, but be careful with this stuff. Also, be aware that most restaurants/bars free pour, so mixed drinks are often doubles and triples, you may be surprised when you get up to leave. As a caution you should never over indulge alone or with people you do not know.

Mar y Sol Barbeque

The built in BBQ is great for cooking at home. You will find a wire brush for cleaning and other BBQ utensils in a drawer under the fridge. You can buy charcoal or "Car-bone" at the local tiendas. If you find the grill sticking cut an onion in half and rub it over the grill when it is hot. Works great.

There are a number of little beach bars and places to eat, these are more focused on the day trippers that come over on the “Booze Cruises”. It is fun to go down there and people watch. Some of the bars will have specials but in general it is more expensive than in the village. Some of them do stay open in the evening and will put on specials for the locals. Octavio's place "Tino's Oasis" is where the locals like to go you will find it right in the center of the row of bars along the beach, it's our favorite place.

The “Village Water Fall” or “La Cascada” is an easy hike (5-10 minutes) up from the center of town there is a bar and a good place to eat there with places to relax and take in nature. Along the path way is a flea market area that offers Mexican type souvenirs. The waterfall is a very peaceful place. However, the best time to go up there is earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon, this is to avoid the mid day crowds created by the day trippers.

The large water fall, “Cascadas Grande”, is about a 1½ hour hike up river, I would rate it as an easy to medium hike. You see a lot if interesting sites along the way. For directions check out the hand drawn map behind the bar. You can also hire a guide or take horses if you are unsure. If you want horses and/or a guide inquire at the hardware store or “Tacos y Mas” on the path up to the “Village Water Fall”, it’s on the right just before the Rosewood Shop. Ask for Abilardo he is very reliable, speaks good english and has access to a number of good horses.

Want to go fishing, whale watching, snorkeling, visit the Marietas Islands or other secluded beaches …. we highly recommend "Yelapa Adventures" inquire at the “Hardware Store”. Check out their web site www.yelapaadventures.com. You will most likely want to pack a lunch and take along your own refreshments. If your adventure meets your expectations a tip may be in order. We can also help you to pre-arrange your trip with Yelapa Adventures just let us know the details.

The Yacht Club is good, usually open 2 or 3 nights per week. Great food, right on the water and dancing. Also there is "The Mexican Dance" every Saturday night at the local dance hall, this can be a lot of fun too. Many of the restaurants will have special events, entertainment and the like; usually you will see posters about town if something special is happening. The dancing at the Yacht Club doesn’t usually start until 9-10 at night and the Mexican Dance is even later. But remember this is Yelapa do not expect to find the wild clubs and discos that you find in PVR or other Mexican cities.

We now have high speed wireless internet in Mar y Sol, just bring your lap top. If you need a computer the Eclipse Cyber Café (last time I checked the internet was not hooked up yet, hopefully soon) next to Mimi’s, is the only place in the village to check your email or read the news. It is busy and very slow so be patient. Café Bahia also provides wireless internet.

Cell phones using the TELMEX network are common however other North American cell phones will not likely work in Yelapa. Check with your supplier. There are now many pay phones all over the village. They accept "pre-paid calling cards" only, which are available at the local stores.

The fun loving people that live in Yelapa are very friendly and normally very helpful. It is common to address everyone as you walk down the paths; a simple “Hola” goes a long way. If your Spanish is a little weak check out www.spanishprograms.com a great place to start learning “Espanol” for free.