Central Pacific Coast beach towns: La Peñita de Jaltemba & Punta Mita

 

The malecon of La Peñita de Jaltemba was serenely quiet. A malecon is a paved walkway along a seashore or lake. Even though it is mid-day, we could see only one person on either the malecon or the beach. Unlike Rincon de Guayabitos, just to the south, La Peñita's waterfront wasn't thronged with tourists, at least not when we were there. Although we enjoyed Guayabitos, it was a bit of a relief to get a break from its hustle and bustle.

This is the second of a three-part series on beach towns along Mexico's Central Pacific Coast. This time, we'll visit La Peñita and Punta Mita, two relatively quiet resort towns. Like Guayabitos, La Peñita attracts middle and working class Mexican families. Punta Mita, in contrast, is more up-scale (and more expensive). This is probably due to its proximity to nearby Puerta Vallarta.

Map showing La Peñita, just north of Guayabitos. The two towns are separated by Arroyo Guinea, a river that extends from just east of Highway 200 to the shore. Stone breakwaters extend out into the bay on either side of the mouth of the arroyo. Home to a bit more than 9,000 residents, La Peñita is the largest of the three towns along the shore of Bahia Jaltemba. 

This area of Mexico's coast gets 320 days of sunshine a year. The best time to visit is between November and May, when the temperature ranges from 25C-29C (78F-85F). Between June and October, the temperature can skyrocket with sweltering humidity.

Looking south from the malecon. Again, the beach is empty and serene. In the distance you can see one of the stone breakwaters at the mouth of Arroyo Guinea. The beach directly in front of town is 1.5km (1 mi) long, with calm water and light surf. At the northern end is a rocky point, but beyond that El Playón Beach stretches out for five beautiful miles with little development.

According to local legend, the town was founded by Mexicas  (Aztecs). They paused here for a bit during their 13th century AD migration from their ancestral home of Mexcaltitán, on their way to Lago de Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. 

Beach combing produces another stranded fish. We came across this large, silvery fish with a forked tail. A friend who is an avid fisherman suggested that it is part of the tuna family, possibly a Black Tuna. If there are any ichthyologists out there who can shed any light on this, I'd be glad to hear from you.  The tracks around the carcass indicate that one of the local dogs has also been investigating.

A statue of a dolphin and her calf adorns the town's small plaza. In the background, the kiosco (bandstand) has an unusual white dome, topped with a more traditional tile roof.  While the malecon and beach were virtually empty, there was considerably more activity along Avenida Emiliano Zapata, La Penita's main street. It runs perpendicular to the shore, from Highway 200 all the way to the malecon. Along it, one can find many shops, and restaurants.

Punta Mita

A paddle boarder rides the surf. I got a number of shots of this fellow, but the one with the swooping pelican was the most dramatic. Paddle boarding is only one of the many water-related activities available at Punta Mita. Swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, boogie boarding, surfing, fishing, sailboating, and yacht-cruising were among the many others. Our choice was a leisurely stroll along the beach.

Punta Mita is a point of land that looks like the head of a vulture. The largely private 1,500 acre point is located 16km (10mi) north of Puerto Vallarta and is 47km (29mi) south of Guayabitos. The access road to Punta Mita is located where Highway 200 takes a sharp right-hand turn toward the northeast.

There are a number of wealthy developments on the point and many coves with small beaches. We visited one of these at the small town of Corral del Risco (Cliff Corral) located on the southern shore of the point. To zoom in with a Google map, click here.

About half of the cove is covered with small rocks. The southern end has more sand, as does the beach just to the north. There are a number of establishments covered with palapa (palm frond) roofs lining the shore. These offer meals and other amenities. At the time we visited, the beach was nearly as empty of visitors as the one at La Peñita.

This palapa restaurant was part of the hotel next door. Another popular activity is to hang out under the shade of a beach umbrella while drinking large goblets of Margaritas. A tough job, but somebody has to do it. 

Boogie and surf boards are available to rent at this place. I didn't check, but I assume other water gear like flippers, masks, and snorkels can also be rented inside. If not here, it wouldn't be hard to find them someplace nearby.

A small launch and a large yacht each ride at anchor off shore. They reminded me of the "Mutt and Jeff" characters in an old comic strip. The launch would be more in line with my bank account. Notice the Brown Pelican perching on the outboard motor of the launch. These birds immediately assume ownership when people are not around.

This completes my posting on La Peñita de Jaltemba and Punta Mita. I hope you have enjoyed it. Next time, we'll head north from Guayabitos to Chacala, another beautiful and relatively uncrowded spot. If you would like to leave any thoughts or questions, please do so in the Comments section below or email me directly.

Hasta luego, Jim