July 25, 2021-Magic of Punta Farallon and Playa Teopa

A few years ago, as we sailed down the coast of Mexico, we noticed a strange bowl shaped structure on a point of land between Chamela and Tenacatita. What was it we wondered? A radio telescope antenna? Or something else?

Punta Farallon

It turned out that the point of land was Punta Farallon and the bowl was a large work of art known as La Copa del Sol, The Cup of the Sun, which is part of Costa Careyes, a private community created by Gian Franco Brignone. 

As intriguing as that was the charts of the area showed something that was even more interesting to us sailors: there wasn't much detail but it showed a large, protected bay behind the point. We wondered if it would make a good south wind anchorage.

We found little written about that bay, nobody we knew had ever been there, it wasn’t in the guide books, and there was no detail on the charts. We decided that someday we’d take a look for ourselves.

 

Dolphins Lead The Way

So, on July 21, 2021, guided by a pair of dolphins, Wings rounded Punta Farallon and entered into a fantastical dream world of untouched beaches, rugged cliffs, mysterious sea caves, and, of course, that marvelous big cup.

 
We felt a little like Captain Cook, exploring the unknown.

 

Paradise

What we found was a superb anchorage, a pristine two mile long white sand beach (Playa Teopa), plenty of crystal clear water for swimming, and loads of craggy cliffs and coves for exploring. We even found a turtle sanctuary. Of course we were the only boat there. What we didn’t find was a way to get to the Copa. Apparently Costa Careyes has closed access to it, due to COVID, we were told.

 

Playa Teopa

OK, Take Them Back Please

But never mind, we stayed for three days, went ashore, pulled the dingy up the beach and walked around a while. We met Roberto who runs the turtle camp, got to hold some turtles, met some visitors who were brought to the beach for a picnic from the house on the hill above the bay. We did some swimming from the boat, and explored the whole area by dingy. We could have stayed longer but the weather was predicted to turn to northerlies (it didn’t) which would not be the best for Punta Farallon. This anchorage would only be good in calm weather with wind and swell out of the south. In other words, summertime weather. Beautiful Beach

 

But that’s the beauty of our cruise this year, we’re doing it in the summer when the winds are light, the crowds are gone and we have all the time in the world.

 
And that includes time to discover a new paradise.

 
Click here for lots more photos.

 
Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mexico

July 9, 2021-Shopping Trip to La Manzanilla

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Shopping

“I’m getting out” announced Judy, as she leaped over the side of the Zodiac.

There are a few dozen Manzanillas in Mexico, not counting a bunch more Manzanillos, and we were in the dingy heading into the surf beach at one of them, La Manzanilla, in Tenacatita Bay, to go shopping.

The problem was we were a bit too far out from shore when her lovely body departed over the side of the dingy.

I couldn’t stop her.

Judy landed in water about thigh deep and just then a wave hit her from behind, and knocked her down.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Surf at Beach Landing in La Manzanilla

I was still rowing but I leaped out of the dingy myself and began to pull it up the beach.

Judy was down in the surf up to her shoulders. The next wave tumbled her under and washed her up the beach, then tried to pull her back down. It tried to pull the dingy down too and I struggled to get the dingy out of the water so I could help my poor wife, who by this time was half drowned and sputtering.

“Get away from the dingy I yelled!”

Too late. The next wave floated the dingy and pushed Judy right under it. All I could see of her was her left hand holding onto the back of the dingy.

Then her head popped up and I could see she was as happy as a wet hen.

By now I was in the water too and I pulled to her to her feet and we staggered up the slippery rocks to the sand.

A guy came down from the shore and helped us pull up the dingy.

Well, so much for a dignified landing.

But Judy is a tough cookie and once she stopped whimpering she changed her shirt and was ready to go exploring the town and looking for supplies.

God I love that gal.

So off we went, walking around La Manzanilla one of the quietest, cleanest little towns in Mexico. Our favorite store in was right where we left it when we were last here in 2019, and they had everything on our list, including sesame oil, imagine that. Soon we were shopped out.

Oh, did I mention there is a cash machine in this town and we got money too?

Now off to find a restaurant. This part of Mexico is famous for “rollo del mar”, which is a thin fillet of fish rolled around all sorts of goodies such as shrimp and cheese kind of like a burrito and fried crispy. The lady at the store suggested El Gato, right on the beach.

It was just across the street and from the table at El Gato we could see our boat Wings anchored off shore.

And they had Pina Coladas. What could be better?

After lunch we got back to the dingy and out through the surf without any problem and we weighed anchor and motored Wings back to Tenacatita.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold All's Well that ends well

Other than some bruises on Judy’s back and side, it was a successful day.

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Fred and Judy, SV Wings, Tenacatita