|
Click on any area you wish to explore
Faces of Mexico - Melaque
by Bill and Dorothy Bell
Melaque faces south on the Bahía de Navidad on the
Jalisco coastline a 4 hour drive south from Puerto Vallarta down Highway 200 to
where it meets the crossroads of Highway 80.
The community of 12,000 year round inhabitants is
actually 3 small communities that have melted into one; San Patricio/Melaque/Villa Obregon.
This is an inviting area with loads of budget and moderate accommodation that
seems to attract a goodly number of tourists that don't want the glitz of a
Cancun or Cabo, but rather want the sleepy street life and small town ambience.
Only two miles Northwest of the more upscale Barra de Navidad, Melaque is
popular with long term travelers want beach and piece of authentic Mexican town
life.
The area was fist founded by the Spanish on
Christmas Day in 1540, hence the name "Barra de Navidad." Viceroy Antonio de
Mendoza built ships here for an expedition to the Philippines. The area has
always been lush with tropical plantations of coconuts, papayas and bananas. The
town has now grown but has maintained a small community atmosphere.
 The town is slow and
the shops are too. There are no big Gigantes, Lays or Sorianna's. They appear
family run and operated with no big chain influence. There is a weekly market
that appears - selling trinkets, clothes, and fruits and veggies, which seems to
suffice the populations buying needs. Services too are small scale but suffice
to meet community needs. An ATM, a few Laundromats, hardware stores, internet
cafes; enough places to get you by.
 The town square sits some
three blocks from the beach. A church occupies one side of the square and
municipal building another- traditional Mexican style - and on the other two
sides are stores and small restaurants which continue and expand into a hub of
stalls and stand up eateries down a few blocks to the beach. There are a number
of places to eat, hang out and generally pass the warm sunny days.
 The beach is glorious;
pelicans, fishermen, palapa restaurants and oceanside - the occasional whale if
you watch very closely. The golden sandy beach stretches for miles along the
bay, but a steep drop to the water makes walking at the waters edge impossible.
And watch out for those waves. Crashing hard against the sand banks, they can be
dangerous for swimmers. (We had to rescue a Canadian who went out for a dip but
was plummeted by a big wave that knocked the senses out of him. He was only 5
feet from shore.)
 Facing south, the you can
sip your coffee in the morning to an awe inspiring sunrise and that same day sip
your margarita while watching the evening slip away in the sunset. Enjoy.
(There is one good RV Park in Melaque. It has a
great location, right on the beach and near the town centre. However it is small
and reservations are a must during the snowbird season. The other camping area
is on Ejido land and garbage pick-up is provided for a nominal fee. It is not
the most sanitary choice. no sewer or water)
Mexico Road Logs & Driving Guides
- Entry Point Nogales Sonora
Click on your
destination below or on the map
1
Nogales to San Carlos
2
Nogales to Los Mochis
3
Nogales to Mazatlan
4
Nogales to Tepic
5
Nogales to Puerto Vallarta
6
Nogales to Tecoman
7
Nogales to Acapulco
8
Nogales to Salina Cruz
9
Nogales to Guadalajara
10
Nogales to Moralia
11
Nogales to
México City
"For years, our clients have asked us for updated road logs
of Mexico. The On The Road Logs are updated, simple to read, easy to use, and
offer the perfect solution that our clients have been asking for. As we insure
over 100,000 vehicles crossing into Mexico each year, we believe that the On The
Road logs provide our customers with additional peace of mind, and will allow
them to have a more enjoyable Mexico travel experience. They may even prevent
U-turns and collisions! By using the On The Road Logs, our clients will
experience less stress and have a more relaxed driving experience, which should
also help MexPro with reduced claims that in the past have resulted from
customers getting lost or losing their composure" ....Jim
Labelle President of Mexpro
Insurance, the leading provider of Auto Insurance for USA and Canadian vehicles
entering Mexico
On The Road In and Mexpro Mexican Auto
Insurance
Mexico Highway Road Log and Driving Guide
- NEW!
From Guadalajara to Melaque (Barra de Navidad
Jalisco)
Includes RV Camping, PEMEX Gas Stations,
Speed Bumps, Military & Agricultural Check Points, Cites, Towns &
Diversions.
From Guadalajara to Melaque (Barra de Navidad)...a complete up to
date road log. A downloadable printer friendly PDF file that gives
detailed road information on everything from speed bumps (topes) to Pemex
gas stations to types of highways and much more! This road log and driving guide will
help you get there safely.
CLICK
HERE TO DOWNLOAD To open the pdf file you will need a
password. You get your password by making a $2.99 payment below.
Locations of Pemex Gas stations, topes,
military checks, where to turn and where not to.
Printer Friendly! Buy your password here for $2.99 Once you have
completed Paypal you will be re directed to "Merchants Page" where you will
receive the password
|
Learn
Spanish Today 
Before
You Go - Learn Spanish For Free
