The secluded village and 1/2-km-long (¼-mi-long) beach of Yelapa is about an hour southeast of downtown or a half hour from Boca de Tomatlán. Several seafood enramadas (thatch-roof huts) edge its fine, clean, grainy sand. During high season, parasailers float high above it all. From here you can hike 20 minutes into the jungle to see the small Cascada Cola del Caballo (Horse's Tail Waterfall), with a pool at its base for swimming. (The falls are often dry near the end of the dry season, especially April-early June.) A more ambitious expedition of several hours brings you to less-visited, very beautiful Cascada del Catedral (Cathedral Falls).

But, for the most part, Yelapa is tranquilisimo: a place to just kick back in a chair on the beach and sip something cold. Seemingly right when you really need her, Cheggy the pie lady will show up with her fantastic homemade pies.

Phones and electricity arrived in Yelapa around the turn of the 21st century. But bring all the money you'll need, as there is nothing as formal as a bank.