Beachwalk; La Cruz to Bucerias

The beachwalk from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle to Bucerias is a rewarding and exhilarating way to spend a day.

I consider myself blessed with many friends; some from my past and some in my Mexican world. When the two converge it brings a little of ‘home’ to me. I especially like sharing all that delights me here and feel giddy when others like some of what we love, possibly even more than we do! One of these excursions is the beach walk to Bucerias from Villa Amor del Mar. We all find it so peaceful, we get in a little exercise and then enjoy the reward of lunch at the end. Meaning to time it and take photos to share with our guests I asked my good friends, Mike and Carol, if they had done so… never did I expect them to be so kind as to write a blog for me. They’ve become like so many ‘seasonal returns’; as birds head south for the winter so do they… we’re glad to know they’ll be back!

In Carol’s words with Mike’s photos; La Cruz de Huanacaxtle to Bucerias Beach Walk

One of our favourite walks is along the beach to Bucerias. It takes between an hour and an hour and a half depending on how much time you take to stop along the way! My husband always watches for a photo shot and I look for interesting shells and beach glass for my collection at home in Canada. There are often oyster divers with their inner tube floats off shore and a variety of birds catching fish in the tidal pools. If the winds are good we watch the kite surfers as they fly over the waves and sometimes well above them!

The biggest challenge to this walk is the tides! There are two locations along the way where the water can be so high it is difficult, if not impossible, to get by. The first spot is along a wall in front of a resort. It is manageable if the tide is on its way down.

The second spot is a large rocky section just before Punta Esmeralda. Even if the tide is receding the wave action can still be strong enough to knock you down! Not a good thing on large rocks. We always check the tide table for Banderas Bay on an app called ShralpTide app before making our plans to walk. We try to leave when the tide is close to the halfway mark. This ensures we can cross the rocks safely. Sometimes we have to wait a few days for the tide to be right.

Walking on this beach could be a challenge to those with balance problems as the sand is soft in some stretches and can be rocky too. This is not a walk for thin, little flip-flops! You will need beach shoes, Teva or Keen style sandals or substantial flip-flops. Just past Punta Esmeralda it becomes easier as the sand is firmer and less rocky. That is about the halfway point.

Once we arrive in Bucerias we reward ourselves with a beer and lunch at a beach side restaurant! Our favourite one is Breakers Bar – the beer is cold and the shrimp fajitas are excellent!

If the tide (and our energy level!) is okay then we walk back the way we came! If not then we stroll through the Bucerias market and walk to the highway where we board a bus or collectivo for a ride home – make sure you get the bus that is headed to Punta de Mita.

We always enjoy this walk and visit to Bucerias and suggest you give it a try!

If you are lucky enough to meet these two, say hello. They’re those kind of folks who always take time for others, assist if needed and just love to chat and share experiences. Mike, now retired, embraces his hobby and talents with the camera capturing the beauty he finds around him through his lens. Carol, now retired, volunteers, reads, entertains and so much more. Carol and Mike are living the good life they both most definitely deserve!

Thank you both, so much, for contributing to life in Mexico and around La Cruz!