Thanx , as for the creek , yup , they do call the " other creek" that as well . The one going through town by the big blue pipe where the para gliders climb up , and there actually was water in it last week !!

P.S. Either way , loved both creeks !

Activities in Yelapa can vary , there are actually a few beaches to choose from . Of course the main big beach ( some para sailing )
. The smaller Playita close to the pier in town . And " Isabel's Beach " , which also offers some snorkelling opportunities . Isabel also offers palapas for rent just above the beach in her name , and there is a small Huichol(sp.? ) exhibit in a palapa close to the beach . We ran into Isabel a few times .

There are a couple of waterfalls to hike to , the tallest at 150 ft. is closest , just a few minutes hike above town , and perhaps 25 minutes from the beach . At this time of year there is not much water , but still worth the walk as it's very pretty . The other waterfall takes a bit more effort , approx. 2 hrs. from beach , depending on who you ask . These are not as tall , but a lot wider and offer a lovely lagoon to swim in . the walk is an adventure in itself which we thourouhghly enjoyed . You can get here by turning left at the top of the town stairs , passing the medical clinic on your right , then basically ask directions !! It is indeed in the middle of no-where ! Jut after the medical clinic is a new restaurant , The Oasis , owned by French canadians from St. Sauveur . Excellent food , pricier than other places , with a different ambience from the other restaurants .
You will probably be offered horses to take you to the falls , we chose to walk , but that could be fun . There are also locals who will take you to Marietas Islands to snorkel , whale watch , and swim with Manta rays .... There are a couple of organized tours so to speak , or you could ask at the beach and try to negotiate a different rate . Whales can be seen while sitting on the beach , and as we left two beautiful dolphins swam beside the boat , shortly after we saw a huge Manta ray .
A couple of great websites to look at are yelapainfo.com by " Yelapa Dave " , who is a fellow Canadian we actually met one night at Pollo Bollo . And also Brads website palapa in yelapa (google ). Brads a great guy , ready to help , and his office is the bottom unit at the bottom right of the private stairs to town . ( gold/orange building ) .

www.yelapafun.com
www.yelapa.info
www.palapainyelapa.com
Besides Hotel Lagunita ( www.hotel-lagunita.com ) there are numerous Casitas and Palapas to rent at great prices , as well as a couple of budget hotels .....

Faithie, thanks for taking the time to write such a lengthy and engaging trip report. I headed over here to Latin America as soon as I saw a new posting of yours on the Caribbean forum. If you've not already made an announcement over there, I'm going to do it to let those folks know about your trip report here.

It sounds beautiful--was it a surprise right up until you took your kids to the airport? Had they guessed you were hiding a secret?

Awesome report, Faithie!!! Always enjoy reading what you write. You were especially helpful when I was trying to decide where to stay and what to do in MA!

I'm so glad you and your family had a great time!!! Where to next???????? :)

faithie, great report and what a great surprise for your kids!!! My 22 yr. old (who went to CR with us last May) is going to Puerto Vallarta for her senior yr. college spring break. Wish they would have chosen something like Yelapa but I know the city life is what they want to experience, atleast this, her first trip to Mexico. I'll save this post for future reference, cuz any who know you through your CR posts, know you enjoy life and beauty, and you are a wealth of info. Thanks for taking the time to post. Dyer

This is a fantastic report for showing people that Puerto Vallarta (even within downtown) is not all slick high rise resorts like the impression they may have from brochures or travel magazines. And on the flip side that it is not a quaint folksy town stuck in time either.

I didn't mean to come off as scolding above but I did think everyone knew PV had a Walmart et al. these days. Since yours was a last minute trip I can see how maybe you wouldn't have realized that.

A sincere thanks for this peak at the Yelapa adventure.

No prob. And indeed Puerto Vallarta has great charms , I took probably 200 pics there alone . The area by Liz Taylors former home , the romantic zone , an endless supply of great restaurants , the flea market , quaint hotels , and super views , it is a beautiful place . As long as one knows not to expect pristine beaches , crystal clear turquoise waters , etc. I think you go to PV for a combination of reasons .... And yes ,the majority of my research was for Yelapa . Posada Roger was perfect , but I did see a few other really charming small places .

Dyer , I think PV would be a great place for a spring break , Yelapa would perhaps be a bit too slow ...? She could always do a daytrip , and as I stated above PV is charming , it has history , and is indeed more than the highrises in Nuevo Vallarta .
Thank You EJ , Jayneann ,Suze and "everyone" for the kind words , it's nice to hear . Perhaps I sometimes get carried away and a bit to " wordy " in my excitement ,lol , but hey , that's me !! Sincere thanx to all . ( EJ , Bella found out the night before , she wanted to play dress-up in my room and I had forgotten that I had hidden her shorts , bathing-suits , sandals etc. in my window seat !! She's 9.5 , so she came to me with a big grin and said " We're going somewhere aren't we ?? " . Was still wonderful , Willem found out later that nite as I had emptied his hockey bag to use as luggage , I could not contain my excitement any longer . Plus , mommy was painting her toes in the dead of winter , what's up with that !!?

A bit about rooms at Lagunita .
Rooms 4-9 are beachfront rooms , highseason I believe they are $110.00 ( refer to website ) . These are all a little different , but not enough that it's a huge deciding factor . Pretty little sitting areas , huge shutters that open to reveal the amazing views . Simple , romantic , and basic .
Rooms 10&11 are up the path close to the pool , a great ocean and mountain view , with balconies and a little elevated sandy area in front where kids could play . ( really young toddlers would be better off at beachlevel , or it could be a bit stressful for parents )Kids 5 up perfect . They are adjoining rooms .
16 is super , one of the honeymoon ones I believe , they are all great , it's big and open and lovely . Can't go wrong .
24,25,26 stand alone , 25 and 26 are set back higher in the hill and jungle a bit , I preferred this as it's slightly more private . Again great views . 24 sits on an angle with it's sitting area facing the ocean , no mountain view , but it's really sweet .
20 to 23 are also high in back , but adjoining rooms . They have really big covered balconies as well .
17&18 are small , 1 double bed , next to pool , no view .
Being further away from the office , restaurants is not a big deal as the grounds are so lovely , and a pleasure to walk around .
Veronica in the office is wonderful , and answers emails and questions promptly .

oceanview rooms are $80 US high season . All taxes included . Well worth the cost . An incredibly charming place .

OK, faithie, God works in mysterious ways. After clicking on to the sights you listed I remembered that in two weeks, I am going back to work full time and will only get 3 weeks vacation (no flexibility like I've gratefully had the past 9 yrs.) and so I checked out the flights (I have a senior hockey player and I don't want to miss a game if I can help it - we were just in Mpls. this past weekend playing) and they aren't too bad from Sun. evening to Fri. I e-mailed Lagunita to see if in one week they have an opeining and they do not. I get an e-mail back stating that the beach location that I requested just got a cancellation and so here I am, tomorrow finalizing plans for a short 3 or 4 night stay at Lagunita all because of you. Thank you. Now, can I get on to your e-mail by clicking on your name or would you email me at [email protected] with your e-mail address in case I need assistance finding the panga at Boca de Tomatlan's schedule, etc. I promise, I won't be too bothersome. Can we possibly enjoy this as much as CR?? Heck, why should my daughter get to go to Mexico before me!!!!! 30+ hits in two days, WOW Congrats!! Dyer

[email protected] Also , some of those websites above have great schedules and advice . But I have my cheatsheet from my trip in front of me . You can catch the GREEN bus on the corner of Basillo Badillo and Constitution in the Romantic Zone . It should say Boca de Tomalton( they leave every 15 minutes ) . Once There in Boca , go directly to the beach and try to speak with a captain , it;s not difficult, and Boca is the LAST stop ( we paid $ 6.00 us for the water taxi one way , don't pay a return fare ) boca yelapa is 10 am , 1 ,2 ,4 ,6 .... but nothings written in stone . Return is easier , just ask at the Lagunita desk . They are around 8:30am , 10:30 , 2 , 5 etc. same price . If you want to go direct to PV , the boats say direct to PV on them , and they are $2.50 more . I am very excited for you . It's a totally cool place if you " get it " , and know what to expect !!! Do not hesitate to email .... I'll add to this as I think of things . Don't forget Posada Roger if you need a place for the first nite etc. Perfect area , and u can walk up the street to catch the Boca green bus .

We did enjoy it immensely . But we did not expect it to Be Costa Rica , a new expeirence in a new place . I found the expeirence with the people in Yelapa closer than what I expeirence in Costa Rica . And you know I love Costa Rica !! lol . It was a new expeirence , just look at it like that , eyes wide open !! ask away !

Another restaurant to add to the list above is La Galeria ... Just at the top of the town stairs , go up another flight of curved stone steps with the side painted bright blue .... Oh ! Take a flashlight . Getting back from town to Lagunita across the long beach in the dark is great fun , but the flashlight comes in handy !! Don't forget to stop and look up at the stars , never saw so many in my life . Also , during the day , stop to admire the view across the lagoon towards the palapa roof of the Oasis , you'd swear you were looking at something in Thailand .

Hi Faithie! It's been a thrill reading your report--so glad you guys had a wonderful time! Thanks for sharing. . .

Hi shillmac ! I've missed your posts , and wondered where you were . Thanx , we had a great time , a wonderful expeirence for my children to see this way of life .

did you get the names of the other "really charming small places" nearby Roger's that you saw? i visit many hotels every trip down to keep up and like to hear any opinions of other options in that part of town, if you happen to have names or prices.

Faithie, Thanks so much for the wonderful report. Looks like I have another place to add to my 'short' list of places I need to get to soon. Will you be posting any of your pictures any where we can see them? Thanks again. Jean