Discovering the Magic of Zipolite
You came to Zipolite with no expectations, just the longing to relax.
What you’ll leave with are enduring memories of a warm place that feels like something out of a dream, from a different planet perhaps, where time seems to go by just a little bit slower and life is beautifully simple.
You wake up early. Your days begin when the roar of the Pacific Ocean reaches your ears. You get up out of your mosquito-netted bed and put on the only appropriate clothing you can think of: a bathing suit. You’ve stopped wearing make-up, and don’t care about the state of your hair. Here, there’s no need to spend an hour in front of the mirror each morning, trying to be the best possible version of yourself. You allow the sun, salt water, humidity, and temperature dictate how you look – and you’re perfectly okay with this.
This place has little judgement, and you gently ease into a carefree routine.
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You spend your mornings sitting in open-air restaurants savoring a cappuccino and a sweet crepe. You explore the back streets, marvel at colorful pieces of street art, and pick up a Spanish word or two in a passing conversation.
Sometimes – more often than not – you grab an ice cold cerveza, which you drink swiftly before it warms. You walk to the tiny mercado and return with as much sun-ripened fruit as you can carry. As you stroll, the enormous blooming bougainvillea that you see on every street corner leave you in awe, and you can only hope your camera will be able to capture an ounce of the natural beauty before your eyes.
At dusk, you find a spot on the fine sand to watch the sun sink towards the horizon. As the fiery orange globe spends its final minutes in the sky, the realization hits you: never have you seen a more beautiful sunset in your entire life. You gaze out until the last sliver of sun has disappeared behind the ocean horizon.
With no fixed agenda or structure, you spend minutes, hours, and days on the beach doing absolutely nothing but enjoying the company of the ocean. You wander contemplatively along the lengthy stretch of playa – to one end and all the way back again. Your toes dig into the wet sand as waves break at your feet. As you wade into the sea, insignificant little pebbles of sand whirl up from the currents and brush your body. The sun’s rays slowly brown your nose and shoulders, but you hardly notice because of the salty ocean breeze continuously caressing your skin.
You explore and appreciate the sights, but realize that the little things leave a greater impression upon you than anything else. Wading into the ocean. A quiet exchange of “Buenos dias” with the serious-looking man who sells coconuts on the beach. The silent inner joy that comes from standing in front of a fan in the mid-day heat. Diving under a wave. Gazing up at a jet-black night sky filled with twinkling stars.
Zipolite has a way of doing that, making you appreciate the little things, the simpler things, the slow way of life. And you realize, you will leave your heart in this place forever.
And, perhaps you’re able to hang onto a little bit of that magic after you leave, but all too soon you understand there is no other place quite like it, and the irresistible pull of Zipolite beckons you back again.
Ready for a beach vacation?
Find all the best bang-for-your-buck beachfront bars, top snorkeling sites, and quiet beaches with the help of a guide book. It's no secret, I'm a big fan. My favorite guide for traveling through Mexico is by Lonely Planet (e-book versions are also available for those of you who don't like carrying around books on your holidays).
