I Lived in Mexico for 5 Years, and This Is the Most Peaceful Place in the Country

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An insider’s look at Mexico’s most peaceful destination, the Costalegre.

My peaceful Mexico starts where the roads seem to end. It’s where the sun melts into the Pacific and palm trees and sea turtles far outnumber the people. It’s hidden in craggy, Capri-like caves and floating atop the glassy, blue-green water in secluded coves. For me, the most peaceful place in Mexico is along the quiet yet deeply powerful Costalegre.

The Costalegre is a stretch of coastline that’s bookended by its polar opposites — the pulsing tourist beach capital of Puerto Vallarta to the north and the industrial port city of Manzanillo in the south. In between, however, is a single stretch of highway surrounded by the towering Sierra Madre mountain range, impenetrable jungle, and broad bays that are, very rarely, graced with sandy footprints that disappear quickly underneath the lapping waves.

My home base in Mexico has always been Puerto Vallarta, and I love this city with all of my heart. But it’s a different city than the one I fell in love with a decade ago when it was still very much a small (but growing) beach town. These days, it’s a full-fledged city on the sea. One look at the skyline will reveal a field of cranes as luxury condos spring up in every neighborhood. Traffic is a nightmare through the narrow, cobblestone streets. And if you’re staying anywhere downtown, good luck… Read full article here