The reason it was late was because we had overnighted in the parking lot at Micos Waterfalls and yesterday was Friday... also the start of Semana Santa week.
I had been getting ready to write the blog post when a guy came over and told us we had to move. We had definitely noticed that the parking lot was getting busier, and it turns out we were parked where the buses park when they come in.... and they were starting to come in.
So we decided to simply move on... and I didn't get back to it until Friday evening!
We didn't have far to go... only about 25 kms to the outskirts of the town of Damian Carmonas. But it was all on the back roads, and sometimes they aren't in very good condition!
Scenery along the way.
There were some bad sections, but this part was nice!
We made it to Damian Carmonas and found the road leading to the "campground". I put that in quotation marks because it's not really a campground. I'll explain below.
Narrow bridge.
We're on the right track, there's the sign for the place.
Narrow single lane farm road.
Driving through the sugar cane.
We arrived at the El Coyote Paraje to find well manicured grounds, right beside the river. Reviews of this place spoke of a "hidden gem" and that's exactly what it was.
There are no actual campsites. It's kind of a private day use area with a few palapas and tables for rent, and a small outdoor restaurant and a bathroom building with cold showers. But it's all very nicely done. They directed us to a spot overlooking the river where we could park. The cost is 200 pesos ($13.65 CAD, $9.85 USD) per night.
The view looking out Igor's side doors.
Down by the river, there is a manmade beach.
We set up our chairs there, and that's where we spent the afternoon!
The river. They have made a section for swimming, but I think it's too cold for me.
I'm quite happy sitting in the shade.
You can see Igor parked through the trees on the upper left.
Lots of little fish in the river.
I walked up the river bank a little ways.
A horse and her foal came in for a drink of water.
The foal, trying to catch up to mom.
Looking up at Igor from where we were sat.
We were really surprised that there is nobody else here. There are five people (we are assuming it's the family who owns the property) up by the restaurant, but no other customers. Considering this was the beginning of Semana Santa, we're really surprised.
Speaking of Semana Santa, we had been looking for a spot exactly like this to wait out the week. Semana Santa week is a major holiday period for many Mexicans and anywhere that has water is usually extremely busy. Long time readers will remember when we experienced Samana Santa week at Tolantonga, and while it was kinda fun at the time, we wanted to spend it somewhere a little quieter.
We're thinking that this is going to be a great spot to hang out until the holidays are over. It's really pretty, Igor is parked in a great spot where his solar panels get some sun during the day, our Starlink works well, there are lots of places where we can walk, including a 13 km hike to a waterfall. And there is a sketchy old bridge across the river leading to the nearby town of Damian Carmonas where there are basic shops for anything we might need.
We went to the restaurant for some lunch.
We each had a fully loaded shrimp tostada. It's actually a lot bigger than it looks in the photo!
80 pesos ($5.45 CAD, $3.95 USD) each.
Ruth had seen someone crossing the bridge while we had been sat on the shoreline, so we went over to check it out.
Looking down river.
Looking up river.
The bridge is pretty sketchy. It would be closed down in many countries!
Looking back at Ruth.
I was surprised that she gave it a try as well.
Ruth, on the bridge.
View from where we sat and played backgammon.
We had a totally quiet night. No dogs barking, roosters crowing, or music! Amazing! Yes, this will do fine. We have paid for three nights, but if it still looks great by Monday, I will ask for a special price for a longer stay.
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And in Canada...
That looks like the perfect place for some peace and quiet.
ReplyDeleteStay Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Oh Yeh, I remember Tolantonga. It was a mob scene. Garth
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