This article was previously written by Rachel Messerschmidt for and published by Vancouver Family Magazine in March 2022.
After spending Christmas in Chacala, we continued on southward and into Banderas Bay. First stop: La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. This town has become known as a major cruiser’s gathering place, especially for those that have children aboard.
Between the boats spending their money for a spot in the marina, and those living more affordably out in the anchorage, there were about a hundred cruising boats calling La Cruz their current home-base while we were there. There were dozens of kid boats, with children of all ages, and daily activities planned through the marina and other organizations for kids and adults alike.
Unfortunately, the omicron variant of Covid-19 struck while we were in La Cruz and we had to dampen a lot of our social gatherings for safety’s sake. Still, we were able to enjoy time with friends, old and new alike, and tasted an additional sampling of Mexican culture.
We were even blessed with the opportunity to visit a sea turtle sanctuary near Puerto Vallarta and learn about these ancient creatures before releasing a newly-hatched clutch of babies to their life in the sea. It was truly an amazing experience and one that I am so glad we got to share with our children.
After more than a week in La Cruz, we decided to head deeper into Banderas Bay and took a marina slip in Puerto Vallarta for a week. We were able to get some work done on the boat, hit up various supply stores for items that we wouldn’t be able to find in the smaller towns of the region, and enjoyed more Mexican culture.
We spent my husband’s birthday there and enjoyed a day seeing the sights in amazing Old Town Puerto Vallarta. The area is rich with ancient culture and authenticity and quickly became our favorite experience of all of Banderas Bay.
Restocked and ready to make a break from city life, we left in the afternoon for a moonlit 20-hour passage to Perula. We anchored there for a couple of nights and then moved for a couple more nights to some nearby islands which very much reminded me of our years spent cruising up in the San Juan Islands. Then, friends beckoned from the next bay, and we sailed down to Bahia de Tenacatita. Wow is this a lovely place! It’s a cruiser’s paradise and we’ve settled in for a bit of a slow-down.
After sailing more than 2,500 miles since last August, it is comforting to know that we will spend the next couple of months here within these 25 miles or so of Pacific Mexico coastline. We’re allowing ourselves to relax here for the next couple of months and looking forward to some time to just play.
Rachel Messerschmidt and her family are Clark County natives living and cruising full time aboard their 40-foot sailboat, Mosaic. In the summer and fall of 2021, they traveled down the US West Coast and into Mexico. Rachel shares her family’s adventures on her blog at www.mosaicvoyage.com and on Facebook and Instagram (at)mosaicvoyage. She writes a monthly column in Vancouver Family Magazine.