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PUERTO ARISTA |
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Although this quiet village may not be everyone's idea of a perfect
beach resort, PUERTO ARISTA , with its miles of clean sand and
invigorating surf, does offer a chance to escape the unrelenting heat of
the inland towns. There's little to see, and you have to stay under the
shade of a palapa near the shore to benefit from the breezes, but it's a
worthwhile stop if you've been doing some hard travelling. While the
waves are definitely refreshing, you need to be aware of the potentially
dangerous rip tides that sweep along the coast - never get out of your
depth.
The road from Tonalá joins Puerto Arista's only street, Av Matamoros, at
the lighthouse. Here you're in the centre of town: walk a couple of
kilometres left or right and you'll be on a deserted shoreline; ahead
lies the beach, with hotels and restaurants packed closely together. You
won't feel crowded though, unless you arrive at Christmas or Semana
Santa , as there seem to be at least as many buildings abandoned or
boarded up as there are occupied.
There are many hotels in Puerto Arista but few customers: bargain with a
couple of the places below as some owners will initially try to
overcharge - and you can always camp on the beach for free. There's a
cluster of reasonable-value places to stay on the seafront, a couple of
blocks right from the lighthouse. Here you'll find the La Puesta del Sol
(US$15-25), the Brisas del Mar (US$15-25) and the Agua Marina (US$15-25).
All are clean and well run, with private bathrooms, but the best here is
the Arista Bugambilias (tel & fax 9/663-0767 ext 116; US$60-80), with
rooms and suites around a pool and private garden right on the beach.
Turn left at the lighthouse, and you'll see signs for more hotels and
several very basic cabaña places. The Lucero (tel 9/6... ext 152; US$40-60),
just back from the beach, is a great bargain, with tiled rooms and
suites with a/c, and a pool. Walk a few hundred metres beyond here and
you'll come to José's Camping and Cabañas (tel 9/664-9982, US$15-25),
the friendliest place in Puerto Arista and a great place for budget
travellers: the well-built brick and thatched bungalows, each with
comfortable beds, electric lighting and a flower-filled patio with
hammocks, make this a perfect place to relax and the food is wonderful.
The shared bathrooms are great too, plus there's also a pool. There are
also several camping places (less than US$5) among coconut trees. José
has lived here for years and can advise on guided horseback trips into
the sierra.
There are a couple of dozen beachfront palapa restaurants , serving
basic seafood, but only five or six ever open at any one time; generally
the best place to eat will be at your hotel. Most of these places will
also rent you a hammock or let you sling your own for a couple of
dollars.
You can easily get transport 15km along the coast to Boca del Cielo (no
hotels), a cluster of houses and fishing boats on the landward side of a
lagoon, where you can board a lancha (US$6.50 return) and speed across
to a beautiful, deserted beach.
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