La Cruz has an active fishing jetty and docks for mega yachts too!
Early April, 2013 – After rounding Cabo Corrientes and sailing up from the pretty but lightly populated anchorages of the Costalegre, our arrival in La Cruz felt like coming into the big city. The Banderas Bay Regatta was in full-swing, and the Puerto Vallarta marinas were packed to the gills.
The La Cruz anchorage was also full to overflowing, and we suddenly felt the exhilarating rush of being part of a busy port.
An art gallery in La Cruz.
Despite being next to urban Puerto Vallarta,
La Cruz has a rural, small town feeling to it.
La Cruz is an interesting mix of high end yachts, fishing boats, and cruising boats.
It is one of the most popular hangouts for cruisers in Pacific Mexico, and is home to some wonderful characters too.
La Cruz has some great characters, many of whom happily traded in their suits and ties to go cruising.
The quiet town itself has an artsy side and a rustic side, and we saw a little of both as we strolled the familiar cobblestone streets, passing an art gallery, roosters in the streets and a horse tied to a tree.
New to us, however, was the fabulous La Cruz market that takes place every Sunday. Somehow we had missed this vibrant event in years past, and it was a real treat to take part in it now.
The farmer’s market is spread out under umbrellas along the shore.
Wonderful things for sale on the water’s edge.
The little jetty and walking path near the fish market transform completely every Sunday morning as food and art vendors set up shop under colorful umbrellas.
Kids play on the beach while parents buy and sell goodies just steps away.
Anything and everything is for sale in this market, but unlike some flea markets, this is all Really Good Stuff.
These guys kept the tempo of the market upbeat…
Exotic flowers for sale.
There was a band playing in the midst of it all, putting us in a festive mood as we shuffled from table to table, marveling at the crafts and sampling delicious things.
A Huichol man makes ancestral bead art.
Beautiful flowers were brought in from the fertile valley nearby. Artisans made Huichol bead art and glass blown figures as we watched.
A glass blower shows how it’s done.
Ahh… my favorite coffee!
We found our favorite coffee vendor, a Frenchman name Wendy, and replenished our stash of his tasty roasted beans.
Out on the jetty, we found a vendor selling unusual, tiny, paper dolls. I’m not sure if they were papier-mâché or some other technique, but the wizened faces of the little old ladies and men carrying baskets of hot peppers were unique.
Dolls made of paper.
Lots of detail on the wrinkled faces.
This lady was selling butterflies made from used
water bottles.
Another lady was selling colorful “stained glass” style butterfly decorations made of discarded water bottles. Now that’s clever!!
What a creative idea!
We came across a vendor selling lovely carved picture frames. One in particular made a neat frame for the boats in the marina behind the market!
A pretty frame for the boats.
But I think the reason this market is so vastly popular is because of the awesome food for sale. Every delicacy you can imagine was on offer.
Orange-tangerine juice – yum!
A mountain of baguettes.
Mark started with a glass of fresh squeezed orange and tangerine juice — what a great combo!
Other vendors were cooking things to order. Oh my. No wonder cruisers love La Cruz so much!
Not sure what it was, but it was delicious!
One table had French bread loaves stacked high in the air. They looked intriguing, but the baker who made them looked even more-so!
The baker.
We enjoyed every minute of this market and took our time savoring all the yummy food and talking with the vendors.
Sunrise at Paradise Village Marina
Back on the boat, it was time to move down the bay to Paradise Village Marina. We had been living at anchor for five months now, and had promised ourselves a final month of sweet shore-based living in that deluxe marina. On our first morning, Paradise Village welcomed us with a lovely sunrise over the bow…