Founded in 1997, Casa Delfin Sonriente remains one of the most sought out B&B’s for surfers and the like. This destination villa caters to surfers, outdoor adventurers, foodies, and most recently spa enthusiasts. Casa Delfin Sonriente is nestled in the town of Troncones on the Pacific Ocean side of Southern Mexico.
Escape Winter Chill in Sunny Troncones
Escape Winter Chill in Sunny Troncones
There aren't many places like Troncones on the Pacific coast of Mexico.
Located about a 40 minute drive north of the Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa airport, Troncones is expanding from a small fishing village into a small community of B&B's and now includes a new yoga retreat center built around cozy gardens.
Troncones itself boasts a beach about two miles long that offers swimming, surfing or, safer yet, tide-pooling along the shore dotted with rocks.
I've watched Troncones grow from a handful of accommodations in the year 2000 to more than 32 today. Each new building seems to be a bit more elegant than the one built before.
One of the earliest is Casa Ki, with three bungalows for rent and a house that sleeps six. The garden compound gets lusher with every summer rainy season.
At the Hotel Eden the restaurant Cocina del Sol is still the place to be for Sunday brunch. The open-air restaurant continues to offer free-range chicken, tasty ribs and fresh seafood.
And the Casa Manzanillo, a three-minute walk from the Hotel Eden, provides air-conditioned rooms and the best view of Troncones from its infinity swimming pool. I stayed there on my last visit in February and liked the friendliness of the place. Farrar Rose is the hands-on manager who provides for his guests' many needs.
Today the little hamlet of Troncones long nestled in the shadow of Ixtapa is finally earning a spot on the tourist map. But make no mistake, Troncones is a different kind of mango. There are no high-rise hotels here, no oversized swimming pools and no discos. So what's the big attraction? Well, just a long beach with a cove at the far end that offers warm water waves, one section with rocks and tide pools that kids and adults may love to explore together and more birds than your run-of-the-mill beach bum can identify. Simply said, there is little here that hampers serenity.
Teri Terry, Julianne Hogue and Patti Dooley, three friends from Central California visited Troncones and were pleasantly surprised. They had reservations to stay three days in Troncones and then moved to an expensive Zihuatanejo beachfront hotel. After the trip, Terry told me she wished that they had stayed in tiny Troncones.
The yoga retreat, The Present Moment, is the new kid turning three-years-old last November.
One guest said he found it to be the closest thing to heaven on earth.
"Imagine doing yoga each day, all day, on a bluff overlooking the sea."
The Burro Borracho or drunken donkey is the granddaddy of the beachfront restaurants in Troncones. The Burro is a simple thatched roofed restaurant where a half-dozen early morning risers, both locals and tourists sip coffee, eat breakfast, trade local news like who happens to be back in town and then map out another day of perpetual siesta — some of it spent in the shade and some spent tanning under the heat of the Mexican sun.
Troncones is laid-back but not without amenities. There are screens to keep insects out of the rooms, fans to keep cool and some inns have swimming pools and air conditioning. Bathrooms are clean and colorfully decorated with local Mexican hand-crafted tiles. Hammocks adorn most porches.
Dewey McMillan, a Seattle native and ex-Alaska fisherman, founded the beach front Burro Borracho restaurant in 1992. At that time he had to hustle to keep it open.
McMillan was such a good salesman that people came for the afternoon got the Troncones bug and then returned to buy land. McMillan sold that too.
The same thing happened to Ed and Ellen Weston of Santa Cruz, Calif., present-day owners of Casa Ki, a complex of several well-appointed bungalows and a house all set under a grove of coconut trees just steps from the Pacific Ocean.
They came out with McMillan, fell in love with the town and one month later returned to Mexico to begin building in a dream setting. In the years they have operated Casa Ki, the Westons say they have had more than two dozen guests who returned to build homes or B&Bs along the beach.
To view some of the B&Bs in town just type the words Troncones, Mexico in your computer Web browser.
Part of the attraction of Troncones is the tranquillo feeling between the village population and the newcomers. And that is due to the people who have located there. McMillan set the standard early on. Each year he throws a Christmas Party for the Mexican residents of the town, which number about 400. He provides 30 pinatas for the community's children. Other members of this small American and Canadian community have built a library for local children in town.
Longtime Santa Cruz resident Glen Novey owns the Smiling dolphin. Located about a half-mile north of Casa Ki, The Smiling Dolphin was the first B&B with a swimming pool. Up until a few years ago Novey was the self-described King of the Road but the road keeps expanding in Troncones. Novey is well known for the personal attention he shows his guests going so far as organizing side trips in the area and volunteering as the chauffeur and guide if they so desire.
Troncones might not be for everybody. The beachfront road, though improved, can still be dusty. Few places offer TV. There's a lack of night life though the Casa Manzanillo has live music on Thursdays and Sundays.
But there are other activities here besides reading, swimming and the worship of the sun. The area is renown for surfing and several places offer lessons. There is horseback riding and a few years ago entrepreneurs opened a zip line in the forested mountains above Troncones.
With a car Troncones. can be seen in an afternoon on a journey from Zihuatanejo or Ixtapa. But an overnight stay affords the time for an early morning or late afternoon walk along the coast. The overnight rates, which range from $80 to $150 a night, might not be any higher than a high-rise glass enclosed hotel in Ixtapa. And look at what you get — peace and tranquility, which some people call priceless.
IF YOU GO
To Go: Many airlines now fly directly to (ZIH) Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo
International Airport. Troncones is just a short bus trip or car rental ride away.
Several of the Inns and B&B's will arrange taxi pick-up for guests.
Stuart Wasserman is a freelance travel writer based in Portland, Ore. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
Chenchos Restaurant Review and Recipe
We always recommend Chenchos restaurant to our guests and rave about their homemade salsa and made to order Mexican specialties. They're number one on TripAdvisor's list of Troncones restaurants. See the article for some mouth watering pictures plus a recipe for chilli rellano shared by Chef Angelica.
ARTICLE – Chenchos: A Restaurant Review
As soon as I discovered we were heading to Troncones, I scouted out what Trip Advisor had to say about the local restaurants, as I do whenever we arrive in a new location. There were 15 listed, and right at the top of that list was Chenchos. It was described as a small, family run place, with delicious food and low prices. That sounded right up our alley, so a few days after arriving we went to check it out.
We have noticed a big difference in the service, as well as quality of food at places that are run by the owners and their families, compared to places with employees who are just there to do a job.
Chenchos is a real family operation, located right next to the family home. We were warmly welcomed and exchanged a bit of banter, mostly centred around Levi and his blue eyes (the usual these days). Being set back a street from the cool ocean breeze, we chose a table under a fan. A big white dog lazed on the sandy floor and barely batted an eyelid as we sat. Looking around, the dining area was brightly painted and had an eclectic range of paintings hanging on the wall.
We were the first customers of the evening, which happens when you dine with an eight month old, but as the restaurant filled up, more of the family members, including Chencho himself, appeared to help out.
Once we got some drinks, we ordered what was recommended as one of the house specialities – Chilli Rellano de Cameron (Chilli stuffed with shrimp) as well as some enchiladas. The food took quite a while to arrive, but when it did, I understood why. Everything was handmade, from scratch, from fresh, local ingredients. I am working on getting the Chenchos crew to share some of their secret recipes with me, but haven’t had any luck… yet*
This chilli dish is the most delicious meal either Mark or I have eaten in Mexico. A large green ‘poblano’ chilli (looks and tastes like a hybrid of a jalepeno and a capsicum) was filled with cheesy prawns, and then battered. It was served smothered in a creamy pink-coloured sauce with the traditional Mexican side of rice and refried beans. The flavours were amazing.
The enchiladas suisas (swiss enchiladas) were also really good – corn tortillas filled with chicken and cheese, baked and served with a green chilli sauce, which is made with tomatillos (a special variety of small green tomato found in Mexico).
We have returned to Chenchos a few times since then, and everything we’ve ordered has been amazing. We recently went for my birthday dinner and tried out the tiritas (also known as ceviche – raw fish, marinated in lime juice with red onions and avocados).
For main course we tried out another house speciality – prawns and cheese, wrapped in bacon and served with a house made BBQ sauce. It wasn’t your traditional Mexican flavours, but it was delicious.
We also had the prawn and mushroom quesadillas (flour tortillas filled with cheese, mushrooms and prawns, like a toasted sandwich, Mexican style), which were served with a pico de gallo salsa.
As it was my birthday, we got a complimentary dessert – house made lime and coconut icecream which was a perfect way to finish the meal.
Levi chowed down on cornchips and crackers topped with avocado, his favourite Mexican food!
We have a few more months here in Troncones, so I’m sure we will visit Chencho and his family a few more times, and I’ll work on getting a few of those secret recipes!
*Update.
Our fourth visit to Chenchos, and the wonderful chef Angelica shared her chilli rellano recipe.
RECIPE – Chillis Stuffed With Prawns (Chili Rellano De Cameron)
Possibly the tastiest dish we have found in Mexico, here is the secret recipe for Chenchos Famous Chilli Rellanos de Cameron
Ingredients (makes 4)
4 poblano chillis (use green peppers (capsicum) if poblanos or other large chillis are unavailable)
3 eggs, beaten until stiff and fluffy
200g firm melting cheese, grated (mozzarella or similar)
oil for frying (deep or shallow)
Filling
500g peeled prawns, chopped to bite size pieces
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Sauce
8 roma (egg) tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
2 T chicken stock (or 2 stock cubes)
Method
- Saute onions until soft, then add garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste
- Add prawns until just cooked, a few minutes
- Slit open chillis longways. Scrape out seeds and pith (or leave in for a spicier taste)
- Divide cheese and prawn filling mixture equally among chillis, stuffing inside.
- Use toothpicks to close chillis back up
- Blitz tomatoes for the sauce in a blender and then put into a pan. Add chicken stock powder or crumbled cubes. Cook until stock has dissolved into tomatoes, then stir in sour cream until well combined and hot through. Do not boil sauce or it may separate. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Dip chillis into beaten egg mixture and then straight into hot oil for frying. Cook until the egg batter has set.
- Place chillis on plated and cover with sauce. Serve with rice, beans, or whatever you like.
(From World Food, Nomadic Lifestyle blog) culinarynomads.com
The Xoloitzcuintle - Just say "Here, Xolo"
Troncones, Quiet Beaches and Surfing
Following is a post about Troncones found on Serturista.com at Troncones, playas tranquilas y surfing followed by an English translation.
Troncones es una villa playera que se mantiene en su estilo tÃpico y que se encuentra a un poco más de treinta kilómetros hacia el occidente de la ciudad de Zihuatanejo, en el estado Guerrero, en el suroccidente de México. En esta población solamente viven un poco menos de seiscientas personas y se ha convertido en un destino para los que quieren experimentar el ambiente tranquilo de esta parte del Océano PacÃfico.
Este sitio se encuentra ubicado entre la Riviera Mexicana y las montañas de laSierra Madre y tanto locales como extranjeros llegan hasta ella para desconectarse del movimiento de las ciudades más grandes. La forma más fácil de llegar hasta allà es haciéndolo hasta el aeropuerto internacional de Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, desde donde se puede tomar el transporte de algún hotel, un taxi o alquilar un automóvil para llegar hasta la villa, en un recorrido que toma unos cuarenta minutos.
A pesar de que Troncones se ha consolidado como un destino de relajación en el que las playas mantienen ese estilo lejos de los resorts, siendo posiblecaminarlas todas sin zapatos, allà los visitantes pueden encontrar algunoshoteles de buena calidad, restaurantes en donde se pueden probar unos excelentes platos tÃpicos y sitios que alquilan equipos para hacer diferentes actividades acuáticas, por lo que la diversión está garantizada.
A pesar de que Troncones se ha consolidado como un destino de relajación en el que las playas mantienen ese estilo lejos de los resorts, siendo posiblecaminarlas todas sin zapatos, allà los visitantes pueden encontrar algunoshoteles de buena calidad, restaurantes en donde se pueden probar unos excelentes platos tÃpicos y sitios que alquilan equipos para hacer diferentes actividades acuáticas, por lo que la diversión está garantizada.
La playa de este sitio tiene apenas cinco kilómetros de largo, pero se ha consolidado poco a poco como uno de los sitios preferidos por muchos para ir a disfrutar de unas arenas finas y un mar que está cálido y que se puede disfrutar durante todo el año. Además es uno de los destinos favoritos para los que practican o quieren aprender surfing, en sus alrededores hay sitios naturales de gran valor a los que se puede ir a hacer senderismo, kayak y observación de aves, entre algunas otras cosas.
Troncones is a beach town in the typical style that is just a little over thirty kilometers to the west of the city of Zihuatanejo, in Guerrero state in southwestern Mexico. There is a population of only a little less than six hundred people and it has become a destination for those who want to experience the calm of this part of the Pacific Ocean environment.
This site is located between the Mexican Riviera and the mountains of the Sierra Madre and both local and foreigners come to it to disconnect from the activity of the largest cities. The easiest way to get there is by going to the International Airport of Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo, where you can take the shuttle to a hotel, a taxi or rent a car to reach the villa, a journey that takes about forty minutes .
Although Troncones has become a destination for relaxation in which that style that beaches are kept apart from resorts, a barefoot walk is possible, and visitors can find some good quality hotels and restaurants where you can taste excellent dishes and places that rent equipment for various water sports, so the fun is guaranteed.
The beach is only five kilometers long, but has gradually become a favorite for many to go to enjoy fine sand and a sea that is warm and a site you can enjoy all year . It is also a favorite for those who practice or want to learn surfing. In its surroundings there are valuable natural sites to which you can go hiking, kayaking and bird watching, among other activities.
La Calavera Catrina
La Calavera Catrina
('Dapper Skeleton', 'Elegant Skull') is a 1910–1913 zinc etching by famous
Mexican printmaker, cartoon illustrator and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada.
The image depicts a female skeleton dressed only in a hat befitting the upper class
outfit of a European of her time. Her chapeau en attende is related to French
and European styles of the early 20th century. She is offered as a satirical
portrait of those Mexican natives who, Posada felt, were aspiring to adopt
European aristocratic traditions in the pre-revolutionary era. She in
particular has become an icon of the Mexican DÃa de los Muertos, or Day of the
Dead.
Researchers confirm: The Largest Pyramid in Mexico has been found
Researchers discover immense pyramid in Mexico, larger than Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the Sun. Researchers in Mexico have discovered a Pyramid that, according to initial measurements, is larger than the Great Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan. Initial excavations were done in 2010.
The Pyramid, 75 meters in height, was explored by specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) on the acropolis of Tonina, Chiapas, estimated to be around 1700 years old.
Emiliano Gallaga, director of the archaeological zone, explained that work has been done in the last two years, and by means of a “three-dimensional, researchers verified that in the northeastern part of the site, stands one of the largest construction in Mesoamerica, comparable in size only to great Mayan cities like Tikal and El Mirador in Guatemala.
Another features which makes this “unique” pre-hispanic structure stand out are the seven platforms which integrate it and were specific spaces intended to serve as palaces, temples, housing and administrative units. It is a unique structure for various specific functions within the social, political, economic and religious structure, which is not repeated in any other archaeological site of the Mayan world stated researchers from INAH.
“It’s a big surprise to see that the pyramid was done almost entirely by pre-Hispanic architects and therefore is more artificial than natural. “This is because it was believed that the entire structure was a natural hill, but recent evidence has revealed that the structure was almost entirely built by ancient inhabitants.
Archaeologists added that the pyramid is bigger than we had anticipated. The structure is connected by roads located on top of surrounding elevations.
Gallaga added that, after all of the information, we can confirm that this pyramid exceeds in height the pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan which measures 65 meters. INAH researchers have determined that the city center had an architectural continuity between 10 and 12 hectares, which is the double of what was previously thought and mainly corresponds to the south facade of the Acropolis, one of the most important Mayan areas known to researchers.
The Rose Suite
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Our resident manager Maria welcomes you to Casa Delfin Sonriente with a decorative touch to the accommodations and delicious breakfast
Yoga Deck at Casa Delfin Sonriente
We've hosted several yoga retreats at Casa Delfin Sonriente. Here the students are making good use of the yoga deck by the pool at Casa Delfin Sonriente.
Master Chef Glen cooking a serving of Putanesca.
Master Chef Glen cooking a serving of Putanesca. Photo courtesy of our guest Craig Radford.
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