January Trip Report

We arrived Jan 9 for our annual stay. All has gone well. Immigration fine, Aduana much slower. Long wait in line.
As Rob has described, the weather has been perfect. Warm days around 30 C, sometimes an afternoon breeze, nighttime temps quite cool although lately staying a bit warmer.
We spend our time on La Ropa. Ocean has been ok. Some big waves near the end of January. For those with balance or mobility issues - be careful!! The waves the last few days have been much smaller. Plus there was a few days of green algae foam but that seems to have corrected itself.
The number of visitors appears high. You will want to make reservations at your favorite restaurants otherwise you will probably be out of luck. Specially if you want to eat near 7:00.
Also the lack of small change is an issue. Bank machines that we have used all issue 500 pesos bills. Businesses seem to struggle with change. Even places like Oxxo have commented on the fact that everyone uses 500 peso notes. If you have access to smaller change, please do bring it with you!
The people are welcoming as usual. Many places still have masked workers. Example - Mega Soriano, some restaurants, etc.
The food is wonderful as always. We have had many great meals including ones at Agave, Casa Bahia, Chef Pellin’s, Zihua Bay, Trattoria and Chuleto’s. Can honestly say we have not had a bad meal in our first 3 weeks of the trip.
People on La Ropa last week were fortunate to see a couple of whales right in the Bay! Nothing excites tourists like someone yelling “Whales!” Gets everyone’s immediate attention!
In other good news, the large infestation of biting bugs that plagued the area last year seem to be gone. Although I do occasionally get a bite, it is nothing like last year.
Overall a good start to our trip. But would say much busier than 2022 which is understandable with the pandemic.
Finding a place on La Ropa to sit during the day is difficult. Very limited seating at bars/restaurants. If you have access to umbrellas and portable chairs then I would recommend using them.
Overall a great start to our annual vacation!