Good to know
The things worth knowing before you get on the boat
None of this is meant to put you off. It is meant to make sure that nothing here surprises you on your first evening, when it is too late to do anything about it.
Three things that catch people out
Cash only. No ATMs anywhere near.
There are no cash machines at Los Chonchos, in Chimo, or anywhere between here and Puerto Vallarta. Cards are not accepted. The boat, the restaurants, the two village stores, a cook, a mule for your luggage — all of it is pesos, in hand. Draw more than your arithmetic says, because the one thing you cannot do here is go and get more.
It is a beach landing. You will get wet.
There is no dock and no pier at Los Chonchos. The boat noses into the shallows, you step off into ankle-deep water and walk up the sand. Wear something you do not mind soaking. Put phones, cameras, passports and anything else that matters into a dry bag or a water-tight container before you leave Boca de Tomatlán.
Nothing here is for sale.
No shop, no bar, no vending machine, no reception desk selling sunblock. Whatever you want to eat, drink, read or rub on your skin comes over on the boat with you. Chimo, ten minutes away, has two small stores with a limited selection — and the staff may be able to lend you something you have forgotten.
At a glance
The numbers you will need
Everything else, grouped
Read the parts that apply to you. The last group is the one most worth reading twice.
Signal and staying reachable
- Cell signal comes and goes. You can usually find some, in some spots, but never count on it.
- Four of the six bungalows have satellite Wi-Fi: Casa Sonido Del Mar, Casa Palmas, Casa Zadro and Casa Sara. Guests describe it as fast.
- Casa Huesos and Casa Cactus have no Wi-Fi at all, on purpose.
- Tell whoever needs to know that you will be hard to reach, before you leave Puerto Vallarta.
Health and safety
- There are no emergency services, clinics or hospitals at Los Chonchos. The nearest are in Puerto Vallarta — an hour by boat, then thirty minutes by road.
- Bring any medication you take, plus a basic first aid kit. The nearest pharmacy is in Puerto Vallarta.
- The paths are not lit. Everyone needs their own flashlight or headlamp.
- Bark scorpions exist on this coast, as they do all along it, and are very rarely seen. Shake out shoes, keep a flashlight by the bed.
- Travel insurance is worth having for somewhere this far from a road.
Getting around, and getting out
- The water taxi leaves Boca de Tomatlán at 8am, once a day.
- If the swell is too high to land, the captain reroutes to Chimo and you walk over the mountain — about fifty minutes, with mules for the luggage. Nobody can forecast it in advance.
- Leave room in your plans on departure day so a rough morning does not cost you a flight.
- A private boat can be arranged with notice, from Boca or the Puerto Vallarta marina.
- You can also drive to Chimo from Puerto Vallarta — about three hours — and walk in from there.
Living here for a week
- There is no housekeeping during your stay. Your bungalow is prepared before you arrive.
- Power is solar and sized for comfortable use: lights, the fridge, charging devices. Nothing that makes heat.
- Water is gravity-fed mountain spring, tested clean, plus a filtered drinking-water dispenser in every bungalow.
- Paper goes in the bin beside the toilet, never flushed. The septic systems here are simple.
- Vegetable scraps go over the rail to the land crabs. Meat scraps and bones go into the ocean, so they do not draw animals up to the bungalows.
Who this suits, and who it does not
- It suits people who want to be unreachable, who can cook, and who find a day with nothing in it restful rather than alarming.
- It is physical. Steps, sand, a wet landing, uneven paths. Guests consistently say it is not suitable for anyone with mobility difficulties.
- It is not a resort and it is not a retreat. Nobody will organize your day or bring you a towel.
- If you need air conditioning, constant signal or a restaurant downstairs, we would rather tell you now than have you find out on day one.
Questions people ask before booking
How much cash should I actually bring? +
Enough for the boat both ways, any meals or groceries in Chimo, a cook if you want one, mules if the sea reroutes you, and a margin on top. Guests who have been before say the same thing every time: bring more than you think you need. There is no way to top up once you are here.
What if I am traveling with children? +
Plenty of guests do, and children are welcome. Parents are responsible for their own — this is jungle, and the bungalows are open-sided above the sea. The booking itself has to be made by someone over 25.
Can I work from here? +
From four of the six bungalows, yes. The satellite Wi-Fi is fast enough and guests have done it. Cell signal will not carry a call reliably, so plan around the Wi-Fi rather than your phone, and remember the power system will not run anything that makes heat.
Is it suitable if I have mobility difficulties? +
Honestly, no. There is a wet landing from a boat, sand to cross, uneven paths and steps. Several guests have said so in their reviews unprompted. We would rather be straight with you than have you arrive and struggle.
What happens if we need to leave in a hurry? +
A private boat can usually be arranged, and the drive from Chimo to Puerto Vallarta takes about three hours. Neither is instant. That is the trade you are making for a coast with no road, and it is worth thinking about before you book rather than after.
If that all sounds right, send us your dates.
We reply within two days. If we think a bungalow is wrong for you, or the place is, we will say so — that is what the questions on the form are for.