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Wanting a break out of our adopted Mexican town of Chapala to go to our favorite beach, we coordinated with friends in Puerto Vallarta, and another one flying in from Dallas, Texas. We decided to meet in the lovely beach town of Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico.

But was it open? Could we get a hotel room? What about the restaurants? And most importantly was the beach open for swimming?

Beautiful Chacala Beach Sunset

Pre-planning

Having been there numerous times in the past, we have developed friendships with business owners including hotels and cafes.

Before we left, I called down and one business owner told me it’s semi-closed but it’s ok to come. The hotel people said “come on down!” so it was a bit confusing, and we weren't sure what to expect.

The week prior another amigo from Chapala made the trip with a friend via a car and he told us that everything was ok even swimming… at timed moments.

What the hell let’s go!

So I made reservations for three rooms, possibly 5 rooms, at a hotel 50 steps from the beach.

First things first

Buses were running their normal schedules, but at 50% capacity. Ours was about 30% occupied.

Upon arriving at the hotel, our reservations were screwed up - even though there was no one else staying there! They had no business for three months, had let the internet contract expire and our confirmed reservations for 3 rooms for 10 days was too much and they couldn’t seem to put all that together.

So, we found another place to stay with a better ocean view.

Our favorite restaurant

We arrived into Chacala after our lunch time and we were hungry. We headed to our favorite place, Chico's, where we found the beach blocked off with crime tape. But there was an opening at the end of the palapa poles between restaurants, and - even though the beach was “closed” - we could go through it to swim.

There was no issue, and the owner told us he didn’t care what we did, but there was one catch.

Keeping our sense of humor - Having fun with the Lifeguard - A non-compliant beach goer being hauled off

A lifeguard was slow-walking the cove on the sand telling people to get out of the water and off the beach. His manner was very congenial and unthreatening. He was a nice guy just doing his job. I chatted with him and he confirmed that the beach was closed for swimming but told me that when he walks down the other end, go ahead and cool off. He had a great attitude, and we both were able to have success. People willingly complied with these "restrictions".

One day I bought him lunch from Chico's, to go! I told him he needed to take it down to the other end of the beach to eat, therefore, giving us time to swim. He thanked me, laughed and joked he would see me in a couple of hours.

This cat and mouse game carried on for days, then he told me that the next day he would no longer “bother us” and the beach was opening. Great news! Especially for all of the businesses and vendors in this small beach town who have been hit hard with three months of this pandemic closing.

Not so fast

The next morning and afternoon everything was going well, then the State Police showed up with serious weapons and dressed in serious gear, closing the beach once again.

Routinely, each afternoon about six o-clock, no one is around to enforce anything so everyone heads to the water. It’s completely ridiculous, but this cycle continues for a few days. Swim in the morning, cops in the afternoon, back in the water around six.

Our friends from Puerto Vallarta and Dallas stayed a couple of nights and witnessed this madness. In PV - only a couple of hours south - the beaches are open.

 

Friends having fun at Chacala Beach

Friends return to Puerto Vallarta, and a new twist in the enforcement plans.

The last morning, we were all at a beachfront restaurant as our friends wanted breakfast before returning to PV.

After they left, we started to head to the water as usual when the waiter informed us that we could eat in the restaurant, but if we wanted to swim we had to leave. No doubt the police put pressure on the owner informing him that if people from his restaurant were swimming he would be shut down.

Not wanting to give him trouble we paid our bill and went elsewhere down the beach. About 100 feet later our new waiter told us we could eat, drink and swim. We carried on there for a couple of days, when again in the afternoon the police patrol forced everyone out of the water and off the beach.

Local Beach Vendor, selling Fresh Fruit Bowls with no one to sell to

Confusion and inconsistency

At this point, no one knows what is going on with the opening-then-closing of this beach, and everyone is frustrated; Business owners, restaurant owners, hotel owners, families going on a beach vacation with their kids, and a few tourists like us.

Rules change by the hour and by the location of the restaurant. Vendors are trying to feed their families and this confusion and inconsistency is just another obstacle in their way.

Having respect for the virus is one thing, but what healthier place to be than outside, in the healing sun, on a wide open beach, paddling in the huge ocean?

Remember trying to start your old lawnmower that has been sitting in the garage over the winter? It sputtered and had many false starts until it finally fired up.

This is what it was like on our visit to Chacala beach during the year of the plague.