We anchored off of Playa la Ropa, a beautiful one-half mile long beach dotted with colorful umbrellas and palapa restaurants. The water is warm and clear, perfect for morning and afternoon swims ashore. Brightly colored homes and hotels cascade down the lush hillsides.
We enjoyed delightful walks along the shaded
pedestrian-only streets, good restaurants, easy bus access for errands and
field trips, friendly locals, evening cultural programs in the main plaza, an
astonishingly large central market where just about anything can be found, and
cheerful entrepreneurs who help with dingy landings on the beach for tips.
The highlight was volunteering for Sailfest and contributing
to the non-profit foundation PorLosNinos which provides scholarships, school supplies and meals for indigenous students (www.porlosninos.com). Donations are raised during the
weeklong event which includes a sailboat race, a benefit concert, a chili cook
off and a sail parade for which we hosted a delightful group of donors aboard Gitane.
The following day, we helped
keep track of 150 energetic kids on the beach during open swim, games and
lunch. For some kids it was the first
time at the beach and it was great fun frolicking in the waves with them.
We vowed to return earlier next winter and to
stay longer as it quickly became our favorite winter destination.
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