Swimming in Bliss

see all photos »

This is just an entry to gush over the Los Muertos beach. Sure it has a bad reputation for unsafe swimming with its strong undercurrents, dangerous waves, and a sketchy history, but I like a challenge. And it's absolutely beautiful.  Not too crowded either, as many people stick to the pools or stay in the resort areas.  (Los Muertos is located in the Zona Romantica.) If you do go to Puerta Vallarta in April (I can't speak for the other times of the year), you might not want to swim at dusk. Even the locals were staying away from the water after 5pm or so. I, however, chose this time to learn to boogie board. Perhaps the waves slammed me under water a few times, but it was fun!  (Don't take this as an endorsement and sue me, though, because I lean towards the scrappy side of life. I was never afraid of scraped knees. Of course, this attitude was why I broke my leg in England but that's another story.)

see all photos »

By dusk it really is too dangerous to swim,and especially at night. There's no lifeguard to save you, so be careful. But day, oh glorious day, is fantastic for swimming.  Some days are more fierce than others;  I lost my favorite pair of sunglasses.  As the waves bowled me over for the 15th time, and a new friend I made down there lost the bottom half of her bathing suit for the 5th (luckily not too far away), I dubbed the Zona Romantica with a new affectionate title:  "Zona Disastica."  (Said with love, as nicknames should be.)