Cruisers who spend a lot of time in Tenacatita will eventually need to reprovision and do the laundry.  They may also want to eat out, take in a game on TV or pick up some souvenirs for the boat or family back home. For that there’s La Manzanilla.  Manzanilla is ocated about 3 miles from the Tenacatita anchorage.  If you have a zippy dinghy, it’s a 20 minute run.  If not, you can walk up the beach and take a taxi from Hotel Los Angeles Loco.

The beach landing is fairly benign, but like any beach landing it pays to know the tides and watch the surf. Go in at slack tide and watch the swells, those waves come in sets.

 The streets are clean and paved. The main street runs parallel to the beach.

On the main street Lidia’s Tienda is the place to go for fresh produce and other provisions. Lidia is great! She speaks good English and is extremely helpful.

Only want 6 eggs and not a full dozen?  No problem, let me get a knife and cut that carton in half for you! 

There are no banks in town but if you need to replenish the peso kitty there is an ATM machine.  It’s at the end of the street, where else but at the police station!

The laundry drop is at Judith’s Lavenderia. It’s also on the main street just a couple of blocks from Lydia’s. If Judith isn’t overloaded you can drop off in the morning, go have a bite, shop the markets and pick up your clean laundry in the afternoon.  If you don’t Bring your own laundry detergent you may spend the next couple weeks smelling like a Mexican brothel. The Mexican laundry soap tends to have way too much perfume.

On Friday morning is the La Manzanilla Tianguis (Tee-on-geez). It’s kind of a combination Farmers Market/Flea Market.  Most mexican towns have them.  Every thing you can imaging is there like these colorful laquered wood bowls.  The La Manzanilla Tianquis is known for excellent fresh produce.

If you go, be sure to stop by the Mi Kasita restaurant for breakfast (Desayunos).  It’s right next to the Tianguis.  They have excellent cinnamon rolls (rollo de camela) and great prices.

We found this young hombre fishing on the beach. He hooked a puffer that had washed ashore.

If you get tired of walking, there are always some moto-taxis around.  In Southeast Asia they’re called tuk tuks.  From what I can tell, they seem to be powered by lawn mower engines.

Have you been to La Manzanilla?  Leave a comment below and tells us your favorite thing about the village.  

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