Ceviche on the Beach

Last month Joe and I took a trip to Yelapa, Mexico for my best friend's wedding. Yelapa is at the southern end of Banderas Bay, a boatride away from Puerto Vallarta. And it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Yelapa is a small town. There are no regular roads because there are no cars (you have to take a boat to get there). There are, however, mules, horses and a few four-wheelers. There's also incredibly friendly people and seriously some of the best food I've had in a long time. I'm especially fond of Tacos y Mas (even though the Mas is pretty darn good, eat the tacos. Never had any better. Oh, and the margaritas are huge and fabulous.) and El Manguito, which is a bit of a trek from the center of town but completely worth it. At one meal here we had venison that was hunted that morning out in the surrounding jungle. The local "moonshine" called racilla is strong, but smoky and great when sipped alongside some uber-fresh guacamole and seafood. And for dessert (or breakfast...) find The Pie Lady walking up and down the beach selling slices of pie from tuperware on top of her head. I'm especially partial to the coconut.

If you want to go to Mexico and lay on the beach but also experience some true culture and Mexican life, stay away from Puerto Vallarta and its all-inclusive resorts and head instead to Yelapa. My friend even has some beautiful rooms you can rent :) : MiraMar Condos.  I know I can't wait to go back.

One of the highlights of the trip was our trip out to Marietta Islands. These islands are not inhabited by humans and are a wildlife sanctuary where you can see the Blue Footed Booby, crabs, eels (ew.) and more. After the hour long boat ride there (along with whale sightings) we pulled up onto the beach and swam, relaxed and played in the sand as our guides prepared an incredibly fresh ceviche. It was crisp with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers and tuna. One of the guides had gone out that morning and caught the fish they were using. It was delicious, and you can't really get a better setting for eating ceviche and guac than a gorgeous beach filled with only your friends.