A Getaway to Go To

It was the curiosity and insistence of a visiting friend that finally got me to go out of town and head north to the small coastal village of Barras de Piaxtla. Once the decision was made, the rest was fairly simple: we called Gail Blackburn, the California native who’s the owner of La Rosa de las Barras, a charming beachfront resort that we’d heard about for years, and made reservations. When we told Gail we didn’t have a car, she gave us detailed instructions about what bus to take and how to find her place.

Two days later, we each packed an overnight bag and asked a passing pulmonilla driver to take us to the Sinaloa bus station. Busses leave every half hour heading north, and as soon as we bought our tickets, we were hustled out to a waiting first-class bus.

The 45-minute trip took us to the tiny town of Dimas, where we were simply dropped off on the side of Highway 15. Not quite sure what to do, we followed a woman as she crossed the highway, scampering over the divider wall. Some people were waiting at an apparent bus stop, and sure enough, in a few minutes a dilapidated old Volkswagon bus drove up with a sign on the side that said “TAXI.”

In we piled, and then off we went along a very bumpy dirt road to the beachfront village of Las Barras. The ride cost $120 pesos for the two of us, and dropped us off at the front gate of La Rosa, where Gail was waiting for us. (Remember to bring small bills and what money you’ll need for meals as there’s no bank or ATM.)

As soon as I met Gail, I was reminded of the classic Northern California frontier woman. She’s an independent person who has built structures, designed wonderful gardens and created a cozy beachfront resort. But it’s her friendly personality, with her wealth of information about the local community that makes La Rosa de las Barras so welcoming, educational and comfortable.

When we got to La Rosa we were delighted to find the compound of eclectic buildings designed around lovely tropical gardens, with a soaking pool and barbecue areas. The biggest is a two-bedroom house on the beach, with a full modern kitchen and a large outdoor sitting area; multiple other dwellings range from small bamboo casitas to a spacious two-story house with a balcony overlooking the beach and gardens. Most of the dwellings have a kitchen, air-conditioning, microwave, blender and coffee maker. If you don’t feel like cooking, Gail can arrange for a woman to cook for you for a very reasonable cost. If you plan to do your own cooking, bring food with you as the village has limited supplies. Our adorable bamboo casita had an indoor/outdoor bathroom with beautiful mosaics created by Gail.

The one developed restaurant in town, El Mirador, is a large palapa-style place with two levels of patios, both with fabulous views of the bay and village. It’s on a hill overlooking Las Barras beach and an easy 10-minute walk from La Rosa. We ordered the local specialty, langosta dinners, at $170 pesos: two lobsters each, deep -fried with garlic, as is the local custom. There’s a full seafood menu that varies with the daily catches.

Gail has single and double kayaks for her guests, and we’d planned to go exploring up the estuaries the second morning. It was threatening to rain and so instead we strolled around the town, stopping to check out the lighthouse, the fishermen cleaning their catch, and the small medical clinic. Everyone was friendly and curious to help us find our way. I inquired about oysters, a local specialty, and was directed to a private home, where two women were cooking outside. They offered us carne asada, but I asked for oysters and was served delicious, small, sweet, freshly-shucked ones.

We wanted to go to nearby Las Labradas, and Gail graciously offered to drive us. We headed south about 15 minutes to the mystical petroglyphs on the beach. We passed through a dusty little village before arriving at a simple outdoor museum explaining the history of the petroglyphs and the ancient people who created them. A short path brought us to a secluded beach covered with large black boulders. As we meandered among them, we suddenly noticed the ancient carvings on the rocks: spirals, stick figures and other ancient symbols. The atmosphere suggested the spirits of ancient peoples and we felt the mystical connection.

Gail drove us to the bus stop after a complete, satisfying day of exploring, and as the sun went down, we caught the bus back to Mazatlán and decided this overnight was perfect.