[ Post a Response | THE TEPIC AND NAYARIT, MEXICO JOURNAL ]
Posted by Cuyler Salyer on 11/18/2007, 7:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Lake Tepetiltic - I have actually been there."
Message modified by board administrator 11/19/2007, 4:28 pm
Hello S & T;
You know no good deed goes unanswered. Really weird as I answered my own good deed today. You got me worked up about Laguna Tepetiltic and thought gee it would be nice to take my wife and cousin Anita there today on Sunday. Well Anita couldn't make it, and my wife could not with stand the 5 km bumby road into the Laguna because of a recent injury that she is recouperating from to her foot. So, my wife Alicia called her Brother and asked if he and his wife would like to go to Laguna Santa Maria del Oro? (about 10 km longer distance from Tepic than other Tepetiltic) They did, but needed to stop for Tacos for Breakfast along the way. Incredibly, they have put various Restaurants Ranchero Style with gravel floors and several Hip Resorts there at the Laguna Santa Maria de Oro. I actually think they have greatly improved on just the bare nature that I saw 30-40 years ago. Beautiful! If you can afford it after braving the airports, the flight and a taxi or rental car and can afford it. Check into the newer Santa Maria Resort. It was only a 2 beer drive to the Laguna. I hadn't been there for 30-40 years. Wow, have they improved upon it. Hey and it's hard to improve on nature, Si?
1.) They now have a beautiful overlook at the top before you decend down the Caldera to the lakeside.
2.) The trees are a lot bigger and in sectionsof the road down it's almost a tunnel of trees and beautiful white and yellow flowers. Don't wait too long after rainy season or you might miss this part with the flowers.
3.) Now instead of having only 1 Restaurant by the shore when I was there before, they have 10-15. My Brother-in-Law, the all knowing and resident Historian who is Mexicano took us to Viejo Aztlan (recommended), about 1 km after you turn right on the lakeshore along the cobblestone road. Very nice with several big palapas. Over 150 people there and not crowded on a Holiday Sunday. 10 Cooks in the kitchen. Good food and Musicians (smart ones, that don't try and charge $70 pesos/song, but play and then pass the hat). Beautiful views of the lake. You go here midweek and there might be 10 people is all? Have the place to yourself almost. Good swimming right out in front of the Restaurant as they have a little beach, take your swim trunks and can change in their nice restrooms, swim, change, then eat. The water was quite clear and clean. Did not witness any cows along the shore. My resident historian told me the water was so clear and clean as it does not depend on run off, but rather is fed by natural springs beneath the Caldera. Oh, he warned me that visitors should make sure you can swim before you enter the lake. The shore has only about 3-4 meters of shallows in most places before it drops off to 20 meters or more in depth immediately! There are now 3-4 places that you can pay to camp out. Some with very nice lawns to camp on.
This Restaurant has even a few camping spaces by the lake including a spot for an RV that you can rent. This is natural Mexico don't expect the glitz of PV. Mostly families come here on weekends.
4.) They now have a couple of water taxis, that will take you around the lake, so you don't have to rent a boat. We only saw 2 motor boats out towing skiers. No Jet Skis allowed. We read that they have a Neighborhood Counsel that meets each week and they discuss how to make the Laguna nicer and prettier.
5.) A couple of great new Resorts right on the Lake. One just opened about 15 days ago (barely long enough to get the beer cold). They are both extremely nice and so different from each other, you might want to stay 2 days in one then 2 days in another?
The first one, not brand new but incredibly tasteful, melds in with the beautiful surroundings. The website does not do it justice. It is called Santa Maria Resort. Around $110 USD per 2 people mid week, and about $2375 pesos for a cabin for 4 per night. Go mid week in the winter time and there might only be 4-5 other guests, (make sure it's not a Mexican Holiday though). It's on the other side of the Laguna from where the road down hits the shoreline. It's quite isolated - nice!
http://www.santamariaresort.com/default.asp
Ph from USA: 011-52-(311)213-2654 or (800)786-2742 from Mexico only.
Address: Roble 210, Col. San Juan, Tepic,Nay,Mx 63130
By the way, I am definitely NOT into paying high dollar for hotels in incredibly nice resort areas just because they got there first. Actually I was put off about the price when I saw their website, but really changed my mind once I visited the place. This Resort greatly enhances your experience at the Laguna. The cabins are made from beautiful tropical hardwood throughout. Very cozy, beautiful upscale cabins. They have about 10 rooms by the lobby for 2 people, then the cabins for 4-8 people. Several are 2 story. From the parking lot you enter this very tropical, beautiful lobby, from there you exit to the gardens towards the lake, which are very beautiful, and the cabins surround the gardens. Then you venture further towards the lake and there is a beautiful "Infinity Pool", that melds the water with the lake in your vista. You will be looking out here across the lake for your Puesta del Sols at night. They have a 2 story open, but cabin style, Restaurant with nice views of the Lake beside the pool. Not exhorbatant by this area for the cost of the food. We went and saw a beautiful 2 story cabin and the in-room brochure stated that they can rent you kayaks (ocean going, the kind that don't sink), fishing gear and have a Masseuse. You would think this place might have been tastefully built by the people that built some of the natural resort hotels in Yosemite, but a lot smaller (probably only houses about 150 people in all the rooms and cabins/ night).
Next, the new Resort. Met some of the owners stopping for some "aguas" on the way out of town. Only locals here from Tepic know what "aguas" are. This new boutique hotel is call Laguna Escondido (equals hidden place in English). When you exit up the road out of the Caldera from the lakeshore, about 1 km up the hill is the sign for it. Turn right along a dirt road and travel probably 5-6 km down it (beautiful in it's own right)until you see the sign for it. Turn right towards the shore through the citrus and agave orchards until you hit the shoreline. There is a nice palapa restaurant by the shore next to it, if you decide not to stay at the Hotel. It just opened and is a boutique hotel, extremely modern, with marble tile everywhere and railings by the restaurant overlooking the pool and every room very Miami Vicey. Rooms here have a view of the steep Caldera side behind it and the lake. Grassy shoreline by the pool, volley ball court and a fancy upscale tourboat for going around the lake. The place smacks of Guadalajara or D.F. money. Here is their phone nos. and website;
http://www.hotellagoescondido.com.mx
PH from the States: 011-52-(333)647-2131
Tariff (this may be per person??)
Luxory Vie/Dom 2670.00 Dbl. $1775.00 M.N.(pesos)
Enjoy. Either way you go; backpacking it or very comfortable or luxurious, you will enjoy.
Adios,
Cuyler
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