The serene, palm-lined beaches of Guerrero- Part 1: Playa Troncones

Surfers turn to face the large wave about to crash over them. A few weeks ago, in December of 2014, Carole and I decided to make our second visit to the Pacific Coast of Guerrero State. On our first visit in February of 2013, we explored Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa and the area immediately to the south of it. This time we elected to go north and check out Troncones, a serene little beach town about 32 km (20 mi) from Zihua. We once again stayed at Zihua's wonderful Hotel Irma, with its spectacular views of the town and bay. However, I did not shoot many photos there this time, since I have covered Zihua pretty thoroughly in previous posts. In the following two parts of this three-part series, we'll revisit two places I briefly covered in my 2013 series, Barra Potosí and the pre-hispanic ruins at Xihuacán. We were able to spend more time at both places and see things we missed before. For a Google map of the area, click here.

The beach at Troncones is palm-fringed and covered with fine sand and scattered rocks. If you like the hustle and bustle of Zihua, or the glitzy tourist-bubble scene of its neighbor, Ixtapa, Troncones is probably not the place for you. It is not an exaggeration, or a poetic flourish, to describe this place as serene. Look at the beach above. For almost its entire length, the only person to be seen is Carole. December is considered to be the "high" season. In fairness, there may be busy times when the beach is thronged with a couple of dozen people lounging or beach-combing along the 5 km (3.1 mi) length of Troncones.


The "No Name" beach hotel

To get our bearings, we stopped at this small hotel/restaurant. It has an open-air, palapa-covered seating area overlooking the beach. A couple of rustic, palm-frond shelters stand in front. We were almost the only guests at the restaurant. When we visit a place like this, I usually pick up a card for future reference. This time I forgot. Try as I might, I can't Google up any name for the place. It is located just north of the intersection where the access road from the main highway dead-ends into the beach road. The people working here were friendly, the food was inexpensive and good, and the atmosphere was very laid-back.

A carved wooden horse rears playfully on the corner of the restaurant's deck. The horse is probably the creation of an artisan in Michoacan. They have great woodcarvers there, and I have seen similar horses on display in Uruapan and other Michoacan locations. The view here is to the north, and the beach is again almost entirely empty.

A tall coconut palm sways gently in the sea breeze. We have seen extensive palm groves everywhere we have visited along Mexico's Pacific Coast. Genetically, there are two distinct lineages of coconuts. One originated on the coasts of India and the other in the Malayan Archipelago. Each was spread by migration and trade. The Indian version was carried west to Africa, while the Malayan type was brought to the Pacific Coast of Mexico by seafaring Polynesians of the distant past. Today coconuts are grown commercially and form a significant part of Mexico's Pacific Coast economy. Many parts of the tree are used by local people. The trunks are a source of lumber, the fronds are a common roofing material, the fibres can be used to weave baskets and other goods, and the coconuts themselves produce milk, flesh, and oil for cooking.

Cantinflas is the subject of another carving on the restaurant's deck. Cantinflas, born in 1911 as Mario Fortino Alphonso Moreno Reyes, was Mexico's greatest comedic actor. Charlie Chaplin himself described Cantinflas as the world's best comedian, no small compliment. He generally wore a hat several sizes too small, and sported a very distinctive mustache. Always playing the part of an ordinary man in his movies, he regularly outfoxed pretentious people of wealth and power. Canfinflas died in 1993, a much-beloved figure in Mexico.


The surfing scene

Some pretty good waves were running opposite the restaurant. The best surfing at Troncones is on the north end where the beach meets the point that separates it from Manzanillo Bay. There is one surf shop in town near the No Name hotel on the beach road. Surfing instruction is offered there, as well as at some of the hotels.

An instructor and a novice discuss technique. I noticed this pair while we were waiting for our drinks and decided to zoom in with my telephoto to see what was happening. The girl seemed a bit tentative.

Encouraged by the instructor, she set out to try her luck. Surfing takes a pretty good sense of balance, something I am a bit short on, so I have never gotten into the sport. Long ago, a friend nicknamed me "Kung Fu Hips of Death" because of my tendency to crash into things. Even today, if anyone falls off a hiking trail, it will usually be me.

Pretty quickly, she tumbled off the board. She came up for air just as another wave crashed down. In 2008, there was a "Jaws" panic at Troncones because two surfers were killed by sharks and another injured. Apparently a cold current drew in a large number of bull sharks. It was an unusual incident, because nothing like it had happened for at least thirty years.

Like the corpse of a beached sea monster, a large volcanic rock sprawls on the beach. Rocks like this are scattered here and there along the beach and surf area. They are easy to walk around and don't impede the enjoyment of a stroll along the water's edge. However, sharp-edged as they are, I imagine that surfers need to keep a wary eye out for them.

A large driftwood sculpture sits in front of some palms near a private home. The artist has adorned an old weathered stump with turtles and conch shells which appear to be made from metal. Troncones was "discovered" by a North American sports fisherman about 20 years ago. He persuaded his friends to join him in buying property along the shore. They built private homes and some small hotels, B&Bs, and restaurants. Fortunately, none of them was inclined toward big Ixtapa-type resort hotels so the area has kept its rustic, laid-back atmosphere.

A typical beach-side restaurant. The roof is made of woven palm-fronds, the posts are small tree trunks, the floor is bare sand. A multitude of plastic chairs and tables stand in the shade, occupied by a handful of diners. The open-air cooking area is set back in the palms. There is a bottomless supply of ice-cold Mexican beer.

A local vendor displays her wares. As with every beach we have visited in Mexico, this one had wandering vendors. Ever hopeful, they move from table to table along the beach. Unlike some beach resorts, the vendors in Troncones are pretty easy going and don't plague you if you politely but firmly decline their offerings.


Troncones' wildlife

A Whimbrel struts along the beach in search of lunch. Also known as Numinous Phaeopus, the Whimbrel can be found on all continents except Antarctica. Generally it breeds in Alaska and Canada and winters along the Pacific Coast. It likes to eat worms, insect larvae, crustaceans and mollusks.

A Snowy Egret hunts for small fish in the shallows close to shore. The official name for the bird is Egretta Thula and the ones that live along the coast are non-migratory. They can be found on both coasts of North America, as well as many places inland. They generally hang out near bodies of water where they can find fish and small crustaceans.

Brown Pelicans glide gracefully over the surf line. The Pelecanus occidentalus is one of only three species of pelicans found in the Western Hemisphere. Unlike the White Pelicans that live at Lake Chapala, the Brown feeds by diving out of the air. Their aerial acrobatics are quite impressive to watch.

We were attracted by this large rock with a soccerball-sized hole in one end. Thinking we might find sea creatures, we approached cautiously. Carole held the camera ready while I examined the monolith.

Suddenly, a friendly critter poked his head out the hole. One never knows when a Humanus horribilus will show up and it's always a good idea to keep appropriate food handy. This species especially likes candy bars and Ritz crackers. It has been known to become irritable when it has gone too long between feedings.

The south end of Playa Troncones

Just before the end of the beach, we came upon this resort among the palms. I could tell that the property was sizable from the length of the yellow sea wall that separates it from the beach. As far as I can tell, this is the beach view of Hotel Casa de Oro. Like all the hotels at Troncones, it does not intrude upon or loom over the beach. Casa de Oro is pleasingly low-slung and almost invisible among the palms.

A long point of jagged, wave-lashed rocks extends out into the ocean. At low tide, this area no doubt contains tide pools filled with sea creatures. Beaches along Mexico's Pacific Coast are generally arcs with varying lengths. The tips of the arcs are usually rocky points which separate one beach from another.

A footpath leads from Playa Troncones to a small crescent beach just to the south. The crescent was unoccupied except for two houses, as far as I could see. Warm waves lapped at the curving beach. At this time of day, the sand was scorching hot, so I hustled from one shady spot to another.

A hill rises at the south end of the crescent, possibly the remains of an extinct volcano. In the foreground, the weathered trunk of a fallen tree rests on the sand between piles of volcanic boulders. The water in the cove was shallow and of a pleasant turquoise color.

Carole walks back along the beach between rocky outcrops. It was time to head back to our hotel in Zihua for "happy hour" and 2 for 1 margaritas. It had been a brilliant day, sunny and warm. It was just what we needed after a stretch of chilly weather at our home on Lake Chapala.

This completes Part 1 of my Guerrero Beaches series. If you enjoyed it and would like to make a comment, leave it in the Comments section below, or email me directly. If you leave a question in the Comments section PLEASE leave your email address so that I can respond.

Hasta luego, Jim