Chacala
January 23-28, 2023
We left Matanchen under light winds to continue our southbound journey. It was a pleasant, light wind sail under spinnaker alone. As we were putting up the spinnaker, a humpback whale breached right next to the boat. Unfortunately we were too slow to get a picture. The sail was short and we arrived into the bay in the mid-afternoon. As it was a Sunday afternoon, the beach was crowded with families.
When we arrived we were the only boat in the anchorage affording us the prime spot close to the dinghy beach. This area is very calm and protected from swell and waves. Being so close, we rowed the dinghy back and forth and didn’t have to use the outboard. The port captain’s office was right there as well and we checked in Monday morning. Quite friendly and efficient.
The town of Chacala is fantastic. It’s a small town with several beach side palapas, bungalows for rent, and a small campground. We explored the town and discovered the best margarita so far in Mexico.
There is a cool hike through the jungle to the top of an extinct volcano just outside of town. The 360 degree view from the top overlooks the bay and the caldera.
We enjoyed the laid-back vibe of Chacala and ended up staying over a week. As the days rolled by more boats showed up and we were able to re-unite and spend time with friends on SV Kite, SV French Kissing Life, and SV Gemini who we first met in Cuyler’s Harbor in the Channel Islands in 2021. We even ran into Tim on SV Coconut who we met in 2020 during a Safety at Sea course in San Diego. The cruising community is pretty small.
