The Road to Calechosa

It used to be there were no signs to Calechosa.  It was one of those wonderful Mexican secret places that the locals tell you to turn between the red building and the white one and then drive til you run into the beach.  Which was what happened years ago when I was trying to find another place called Chacala.  Those kinds of things always make me grin.

I started going to Calechosa about six years ago but tried to find it almost ten years ago and could not after trying lots of little dirt roads.

My reason for trying to find it was that my old time friend, John, was initially living in a trailer on the land, then he was building a house there and now living there.

Finally someone told me to turn at the building with the Bardahl sign painted on it and just keep going to the last house and turn left, then right, then left and follow the road.  Voila, that worked and I found my old friend!

At the time, the road was hardly a road, but more a goat path.  Today it is still rough going through El Ranchito, a typical little Mexican village, but oh, the drive is worth it.

Surprisingly, most of the people in the town five miles away have never heard of it BUT, all the surfers know Calechosa as a great surf break.

Now, there is a sign to indicate where to turn in to go go Calechosa and even littler signs as you drive to show you where to turn left then right and on to the good road after the village.

I decided for those who are travelers and adventurers, that I would document this little journey.

Travel with me from Hwy 200 as we turn into El Ranchito on the road to Calechosa.  I sincerely doubt that either of those names appear on any map, yet..

So, this is our own special little secret.  I had seven wonderful weeks here this year.  The perfect place to drop out from the world and regroup.

 This sign is when you've left the road to Autlan and are heading north toward Puerto Vallarta, maybe three miles up Hwy 200.

 Turn in here.

 See the little sign by the tienda that says Calechosa to the left?

 Then another sign in one short block saying go right?

 Keep going.  It gets better.

 Interestingly, this is a black sand beach.

 My friend John's house on ten acres of private property.  He has a few lots to sell too.

 It's a lovely high cliff to look down on the birds on the rocks - pelicans and gulls.  A place to watch the surfers, beachcomb for interesting rocks or to just hang out and contemplate the glorious beauty of this beautiful Bay of Cuestacomate.  Happy Trails.