Banderas Bay to Las Hadas “The Mexican Riviera”

1. Day One: LA CRUZ
Join EROS in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (the name of the town refers to a cross carved of wood of the huanacaxtle tree, but everyone calls it La Cruz. This is a lovely older fishing village with brightly painted restaurants and very little other “touristic elements”. We can either spend the night there or go a bit north to an anchorage at Punta Mita.

2. Day Two: PUNTA IPALA
Sail across Banderas Bay, a large sheltered bay teeming with birds and fish and often-times whales, and anchor for the night in Punta Impala.

3. Day Three: CHAMELA
Bahia Chamela is 48 miles SE of Ipela so this would be a longer sailing day. There are a couple of anchorages to choose from in this bay and small hotels and vacation homes dot the whole shoreline of white sandy beaches.

4. Day Four: CAREYES
Careyes refers to the endangered carey sea turtles that nest only in this region. It’s a pretty spot with bright cottages climbing the cliffs, flowering vines shading the stairwells between beaches, adramatic little reef to snorkel, a nice hotel and restaurants.

5. Day Five: TENACATITA
A favorite anchorage on the Gold Coast where you can take a “Jungle River Trip” on a local panga boat through an area that has recently been made a Federal Ecological Zone.

6. Day Six: BAHIA NAVIDAD
Here one can explore the village of Melaque, the quaint sandbar town known as Barra and the plush marina across the bay where cruise-ships land.

7. Day Seven: BRISAS LAS HADAS
This is a resort whose architecture was inspired by a famous Moorish fairytale called The Fairies (Las Hadas). Fantastic spires and arches adorn a nearly vertical maze of white adobe walls and red tile roofs. There are a number of anchorages on Manzanillo Bay but Las Hadas is our favorite.

8. Day Eight: Disembark and fly out from the airport in Manzanillo.