We are excited to be in Banderas Bay, the “hub” of Pacific Mexico sailing. We anchored off Punta de Mita behind a line up of surf breaks in an area referred to as El Anclote. We were hoping to walk the peninsula but Punta Mita is gated and private, a reservation at one of the hotels is required and you must enter by car. We enjoyed walking the small town of Corral del Risco instead. We caught another bonito on a dinghy ride outside the anchorage, these guys seem to bite every time.
We moved further into the bay a short, 7 mile hop to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (La Cruz). Here we split time between the anchorage and the marina. Banderas Bay is filled with Humpback whales this time of year and sightings are frequent. We were surprised to also hear their calls and songs through the hull of the boat while we were in the anchorage. One night in particular the whistles and screeches were so clear throughout the cabin it sounded as if whales could be right below us.
We were happy to spend a few nights in the marina at La Cruz to give Solitude a fresh water rinse, catch up on laundry and all the things that come with the ease of stepping off the boat directly onto dry land. We met other cruisers with similar plans to head south and listened to the Morning Cruisers’ Net on VHF radio most days.
La Cruz has a special charm and among the broken cobblestone streets there are many hidden gems you find in unsuspecting areas and seemingly abandoned buildings. A beautiful fruteria was a welcomed sight for our provisioning needs. We also sampled the local vegan ice cream made from homemade coconut milk, a hacienda style spa tucked inside a building under construction and enjoyed live music around the square in the evenings while people danced in the streets as they made their way home. There is a wonderful Farmer’s Market every Sunday and we were happy our visit overlapped. La Cruz is our favorite stop so far.
We walked to Bucerias along the beach and also bussed to Puerto Vallarta for a walk through the steep neighborhoods above town. Unfortunately the suspension bridge over Rio Cuale that we visited in 2016 collapsed last summer during Hurricane Nora and a new bridge is now under construction in a similar location and with much less character.
We look forward to checking out a few other towns around Banderas Bay when we head back north.
SV Solitude 