From Traveleando, a travelogue of the sights and activities in and around Troncones including Playa Troncones, sampling the food of Dona Nica's and Cafe Sol, paddling a kayak at Barra Sayalita, surfing, horseback riding, swimming and stand up paddling.
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.
Showing posts with label surfing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label surfing. Show all posts
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 típico 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 Pacífico.
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 allí 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, allí los visitantes pueden encontrar algunoshoteles de buena calidad, restaurantes en donde se pueden probar unos excelentes platos típicos 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, allí los visitantes pueden encontrar algunoshoteles de buena calidad, restaurantes en donde se pueden probar unos excelentes platos típicos 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.
Troncones Surfing Surf Report for May 3, 2015
Is it the size of the wave or the motion of the ocean? A little of both today. Big swell, no REALLY big swell. Not "perfect" conditions however...
There were some awesome sets. 12 to 18 ft faces and some guys actually going after those bigger ones. There were a few pretty gnarly wipeouts and a few really good rides.
4 to 6 out grabbing the big stuff!
Looking at at least 1 to 2 more days before everything starts tapering off midweek to closer to normal.
Water temps in the mid 80's and air temps in the mid 90's.
(from Troncones Surfing Facebook page)
From the article, Ixtapa: Surf and Cervecita - Troncones rated number one beach in the area!
From the article, Ixtapa: Surf and Cervecita - Troncones rated number one beach in the area!
"From people who have wanted to have a good beer listening to the waves and enjoy a little sun until they go surfing, today I am going to recommend the 5 best beaches of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo.
1) Troncones: One of the best beaches to go surfing, half an hour from Ixtapa, this pretty virgin beach is perfect for the adventurous."
Desde las personas que tienen ganas de tomarse una buena cervecita oyendo las olas del mar y disfrutando del solecito hasta las que les ir a surfear, el día de hoy les voy a recomendar las 5 mejores playas de Ixtapa Zihuatanejo.
1) Troncones: Una de las mejores playas para ir a surfear, a media hora de Ixtapa esta playa bastante virgen es perfecta para los aventureros
Read the full article here:
In Mexico, Where the Waves Still Win
From this weekend's The New York Times Travel section,.
Travel writer Jeannie Ralston returns to Troncones to find it friendly and unspoiled by tourism in this great article that mentions Casa Delfin Sonriente, our friends ISA Mexico, Roberto's Bistro and Cafe Sol, and gives you a good picture of this small town that is both chic and genuine.
Robb Kendrick for The New York Times
The author’s son Jeb, 14, on a boogie board in Troncones, Mexico.
By JEANNIE RALSTON
Published: April 12, 2013
Planning a return trip to my favorite beach in the world, I was almost
as apprehensive as I was excited. The last time I visited Troncones — a
town of some 600 people pushed up against the Sierra Madre del Sur
mountains on the Pacific coast of Mexico — was five years earlier. At
the time, we’d been living in San Miguel de Allende, and we occasionally
drove down with our two sons and two dogs. My husband — an avowed
“non-beach guy” — and I had come to love this village of farmers and
fishermen for its rawness, its drowsy authenticity.
In the intervening years, word got out that Julian Schnabel and Damien
Hirst had homes in the area. That’s it, I thought, as I prepared for our
vacation this past January. I was picturing all the practitioners of
extreme cool who had surely followed in their wake. How was it possible
that any place could thrive in the oxymoronic state of both newly chic
and genuine? I figured we’d better get there quickly before it became
totally overrun and turned into just any other beach town.
Our apprehension wasn’t helped by a new highway on the way north from
the Zihuatanejo airport (this time we flew in from our home in Texas
with our teenage sons and, alas, no dogs). We worried the highway was,
uh, paving the way for high-rises and Señor Frog’s tequila shot contests
in Troncones.
Thankfully, when we got off the highway, about 22 miles from
Zihuatanejo, we were surrounded by nothing but tropical forest. In town,
we found a chicken running on the dirt road in front of the same dusty
tienditas and hand-painted hotel and restaurant signs we remembered.
There was no trace of the dreaded stalls selling T-shirts and seashell
fridge magnets or parasails pulled by boats crisscrossing the sky.
After we checked out our room at Casa Delfin Sonriente,
an open-air suite with mosquito-netted beds, we ran to the wide,
rock-strewn beach to greet the wild surf that has drawn surfers here for
years. The waves are exploding tubes of ocean that make a
near-Nascar-decibel crack when they break. Scanning the shoreline, we
spotted no Jack-and-the-Beanstalk buildings poking over the palms.
Mostly we saw a long smear of vegetation. The few visible structures —
homes and hotels — barely showed their foreheads, and many of those
low-slung buildings had palapa roofs that blended in seamlessly. None of
the houses had an ostentatious feel that suggested it might belong to
an international art star.
On the first of what would be twice-daily walks, however, we noticed a
large construction site. “Condos,” one of the workmen told us. Just as I
feared. We later learned that the complex would have only five units
and be two stories high. The notion that there were other people — this
developer included — who wanted to keep Troncones real was a supreme
relief.
As we walked on, we were happy to see lots of dogs, most with their
owners, but many out on their own, and all without leashes. For us, the
freedom afforded dogs is emblematic of the larger ease here. Dogs are
welcome at many restaurants and hotels. Last time, our dogs had slept
under our bed and tagged along everywhere.
To compensate for our missing canine wingmen this trip, we made friends
with a few dogs on the beach, including a white bulldog that regally
surveyed the wave-skimming patrols of pelicans in the morning. In the
evening, he’d be out eyeing the troops of horses and riders (often with a
colt following its mother) that trotted along the shore.
On our walks — more than two miles round trip — we were relieved to find
the beach mostly empty, even at prime-time hours. “It’s 4 o’clock, and
we’ve passed what — 60 people?” my husband asked after one outing. We
considered this good news, but that night at dinner a man who visits
regularly from Seattle said he was feeling crowded. “It used to be
there’d only be five people on the beach with you,” he said.
Another day at the same pizza place, Café Sol, we met a couple from the
Yukon. Over the course of their month in Troncones, they had sampled
many restaurants. I asked about the Inn at Manzanillo Bay, whose intriguing menu I had seen online. “It’s pricey and a little too fine for Troncones,” the wife said.
Despite our fears that it might be one of those fancier-than-thou spots,
we tried it ourselves. Fortunately, the poolside restaurant (and
adjoining hotel) proved that a touch of sophistication (groomed grounds,
California-trained chef) doesn’t trump the Troncones character. It also
demonstrated that “expensive” in Mexico is completely relative. Wearing
our bathing suits on the patio, we ate Thai shrimp tacos and an ahi
tuna sandwich as we watched surfers bob in Manzanillo Bay. For the four
of us, lunch came to less than 800 pesos (about $66 at 12 pesos to the
dollar).
Other favored spots tended to have palapa roofs, plastic chairs and
vinyl tablecloths. At Doña Martha, on nearby Playa Majahua, freshly
caught oysters are kept in tidal pools till ordered. Another beachfront
spot, Roberto’s Bistro, offered a superb break from seafood. My husband
(a Texan!) declared that Roberto’s vacío steak — a cut from Argentina —
was the best steak he had ever tasted.
Our waiter at Roberto’s informed us that we had missed the restaurant’s
weekly Mexican folklore show by one day. He showed us photos of dancers
wearing flounces and colorful ribbons. As the days went by, I decided
one of the biggest changes in Troncones was the number of such arranged
activities: Live salsa music at bars, bird-watching, eco-tours into the
mountains, painting lessons on the beach at an art house called Casa
Creativa. Then there was yoga at the lovely Present Moment Retreat, a
hotel that was relaxed enough to allow its resident canine, Bodhi (the
bulldog we befriended on the beach), to hang out with the class, showing
us how downward dog is properly done.
Mostly, though, we kept to the activities we had come to love on earlier
visits — cantering on horses over wet sand made pink by the vanishing
sun, and playing in that alluring surf. We needed only to stretch out on
our (hotel-provided) boogie boards in front of a just-broken wave, and
the frothing force would speed us shoreward.
After watching many surfers ply their craft near us, it wasn’t long
before the boys wanted to go beyond the boogie board. That’s when I
called Mike Linn of ISA Mexico (a k a Tsunami Surf) for a lesson and.
Feeling brave, I made it for all four of us.
Mike, a California native who started coming to Troncones 15 years ago,
picked us up at our hotel in his mud-spattered truck with its rack of
surfboards. Asked about changes he’s seen, he said, “The biggest thing
right now is that they’re paving this road.”
“With this dirt road, it can’t be a year-round resort,” he added. “In
the rainy season,” July through October, “all of this is mud.”
Mike seemed less concerned than I was that the special unvarnished
flavor of Troncones was going to be lost. “It would be hard for it to
become a big resort with high-rises and all that,” he said, explaining
that its growth is limited because much of the land is owned by an ejido
(a land cooperative), which makes development more difficult. I later
learned that a municipal statute limits building height to no more than
three stories.
At the next beach, Majahua, we left the road, and soon Mike was
demonstrating the mechanics of surfing. After we all floundered in the
surf a while, one son, then the other, got the hang of it.” My husband
and I took more time, but when I finally slid onto the beach upright, I
pumped my arms in the air — and then promptly went down like a bowling
pin.
It was when I went to pay Mike that I got the clear reassurance I had
been looking for, even though it was a bit inconvenient. I opened my
wallet and realized I hadn’t brought enough cash. Mike told me the
nearest A.T.M. was 20 minutes away in the anti-Troncones: overgrown
Ixtapa. He saved me by allowing me to pay later via PayPal.
What up-and-coming tourist destination doesn’t have dozens of A.T.M.’s?
One that is (I hope) determined to remain the small, delightful
surf-and-slack town it always has been.
Troncones - One of 4 super swell surf towns (even if you don't surf)
(From CNN Travel, February 1, 2013)
Big waves, lots of sun, fresh fish, chill beach bars. This is what we want in our surf towns and this is where we get it.
Who needs a job, anyway?
The recent video of Garret McNamara riding what could be a record-breaking wave has gotten brine-loving boarders the world over waxing up and paddling out.
In a vicarious show of camaraderie, and to keep office depression at bay while the rest of the world has fun, we got involved in the only way we can: writing about places we'd rather be.
These four surf towns landed on our latest list of destinations for their good mix of crowds, food, nightlife and, of course, surf breaks most of us wouldn't go near with a ten-foot board.
(The list included Montanita, Ecuador, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, and Ericeira, Portugal, omitted here for space reasons. Read the original article in its entirety at travel.cnn.com/4-amazing-surf-towns
Andy Dufresne must have ended up here at some point.
Crowd: Longboarders, shortboarders, yoga retreaters and Ixtapa vacationers venturing beyond high-rise resortland.
Claim to fame: One of the best one-stop, nonstop surf zones on the North American coast. Quality year-round surf for all board types and levels.
Remember that final scene at the end of “The Shawshank Redemption,” when Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins reunite on that gorgeously empty beach in that mysteriously exotic utopia called Zihuatanejo?
Well, things are a little different these days from that tranquil Hollywood image, but head about 45 minutes up the coast from Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo's international airport to sleepy Troncones (population 600) and you'll find a far less frenzied, three-mile stretch of surf-pounded golden sand that time has treated more gently.
A year-round surfing magnet loaded with consistently good beach and point breaks (including its best known pair of left-handers, La Saladita and The Ranch), Troncones and its neighboring village of Majahua is what every surf community south of Malibu wishes it was.
An ocean playground with the requisite seafood joints, sports bars and taco stands that welcomes every type and level of surfer, but manages to stay pretty low-key.
The biggest waves are in summer when most breaks close out over three meters (10 feet).
Troncones-based surfing outfitter, ISA Mexico offers week-long surf camps, walk-in lessons and everything in between, with equipment and video analysis included.
Big waves, lots of sun, fresh fish, chill beach bars. This is what we want in our surf towns and this is where we get it.
Who needs a job, anyway?
The recent video of Garret McNamara riding what could be a record-breaking wave has gotten brine-loving boarders the world over waxing up and paddling out.
In a vicarious show of camaraderie, and to keep office depression at bay while the rest of the world has fun, we got involved in the only way we can: writing about places we'd rather be.
These four surf towns landed on our latest list of destinations for their good mix of crowds, food, nightlife and, of course, surf breaks most of us wouldn't go near with a ten-foot board.
(The list included Montanita, Ecuador, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, and Ericeira, Portugal, omitted here for space reasons. Read the original article in its entirety at travel.cnn.com/4-amazing-surf-towns
Troncones, Mexico
Andy Dufresne must have ended up here at some point.
Crowd: Longboarders, shortboarders, yoga retreaters and Ixtapa vacationers venturing beyond high-rise resortland.
Claim to fame: One of the best one-stop, nonstop surf zones on the North American coast. Quality year-round surf for all board types and levels.
Remember that final scene at the end of “The Shawshank Redemption,” when Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins reunite on that gorgeously empty beach in that mysteriously exotic utopia called Zihuatanejo?
Well, things are a little different these days from that tranquil Hollywood image, but head about 45 minutes up the coast from Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo's international airport to sleepy Troncones (population 600) and you'll find a far less frenzied, three-mile stretch of surf-pounded golden sand that time has treated more gently.
A year-round surfing magnet loaded with consistently good beach and point breaks (including its best known pair of left-handers, La Saladita and The Ranch), Troncones and its neighboring village of Majahua is what every surf community south of Malibu wishes it was.
An ocean playground with the requisite seafood joints, sports bars and taco stands that welcomes every type and level of surfer, but manages to stay pretty low-key.
The biggest waves are in summer when most breaks close out over three meters (10 feet).
Troncones-based surfing outfitter, ISA Mexico offers week-long surf camps, walk-in lessons and everything in between, with equipment and video analysis included.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)