Puerto Vallarta Forum: Los Chonchos Beach.

I just returned from Los chonchos and all I have to say is that it was one of the best holidays I ever had!

WE were there for three days and we loved it. The palapas are great, you can hear the sound of the waves, cook brunch, enjoy the views, go kayaking, enjoy the hammock, go to the beach and read a book quietly and peacefully cause guess what??? There's nobody there! It's just the cook and somebody who watches the place. Both of them are great and they contribute to the experience of wild deserted beautiful beaches, firepits in the beach at nights, stargazing...

My suggestion is GO, GO, GO! you'll love it!

FYI, If you are planning on staying there long, bring some food from PV. The 45 min Hike to Chimo ( the nearest village) for beers and eggs can be a b***!

When I was there we had horses to get to Chimo. :)

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone who has been to Los Chonchos can speak to personal safety concerns for the area. Many of the reviews stress the seclusion of the place, and I certainly find that appealing in comparison to the all-inclusives of PV. I am well aware that much of the violence one hears about in Mexico takes place in the north and in urban areas and is generally related to the drug trade. I also spent a week in Isla Holbox last spring and appreciate the lesser-visted vacation spots.

While I haven't seen anything to suggest that there have been problems or violence nearby, having not yet been in this part of the country I'd be interested to hear the impressions of those who have recently been here or nearby.

Thanks for you insights!

Safe as houses :)

To Sweetstuffchef-

I love your post and pictures! They make me want to go buy a plane ticket right now. We were there in May 2010 on Mother's Day and Chimo was celebrating.

Just a follow up to my previous post for those interested in going to Los Chonchos: had a really lovely stay in January. I'll echo much of what previous reviewers had to say: Alfonso's cooking was amazing (fresh from the sea daily) and meeting Gabriel was a pleasure. We had an excellent night drinking tequila and raicilla and looking at the stars with him while he told us about the tortugas who lay eggs on the beach, his friends among the home-owners who come to stay every year, and his experience as a gardener at the Botanical Gardens outside of P.V. That man lives in paradise. Hiked into Chimo twice for tortillas and watched the local fishermen and divers come in. Saw humpbacks breaching from the shore and manta rays leaping in the water. Our three days there weren’t exactly in total seclusion, however, as there was a group of workers re-roofing a few of the nearby cabanas. They slept out on the beach each night and came and went during the day. We chatted with a couple of the guys, shared a fish, and did our best to swap stories in limited Spanish! In the end, it was really fun to have them there!

Of note is that Casa Pirata is currently for sale, so it’s not clear how long it’ll be available for rent. The casa itself was great though could have used a couple of very basic upgrades: namely, a set of cutlery and plates, one good frying pan, and one or two good pots. Lovely place, though; just as gorgeous as the pictures suggest. Am very glad to have gone. On our way there and back we stopped over in Boca de Tomatlan at the fantastic Casa La Ventana, which I highly recommend to anyone travelling through to Los Chonchos!

And yes, safe as houses indeed!