Volcano hopping in Nayarit Mx.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:31 pm
I took a short but very interesting trip last weekend to see a couple of extinct volcanoes in the Tepic area of Nayarit last weekend. Its too bloody hot near the cost (Sayulita) right now so getting up higher was very refreshing. The first stop was called Volcan Tepitiltic.
Its south of Tepic on the auto pista to Guadalajara about 30 minutes or 40km south. The exit is on the right side when south bound
or west side on the map. About 8 km of dirt road brings you to the lip of the crater which is about 400m above the hyway. As soon as
you enter you are in the little town of Tepitiltic where you are sure to be the only gringo (again a relief from Sayulita). Right in front of
the town is a small lake which has no outlet so its not very nice to swim in but nice to look at. There are several tracks which cut through the cane fields to the other end of the crater wall which surrounds the whole thing completely. Camped one night on a rise
on the crater floor with the permission of the farmer who was working the field. Got visited by a gaggle of mexican kids whose good will I purchased with some sweet granola bars and had a shot or two of Mezcal with the farmer at the end of his work day.Nice to find somthing hidden away like that in plain sight.
Next day we left there and drove back to the hyway and over it towards La Laguna Santa Maria del Oro. Another volcanic lake which is
directly across the main road about 30km from the hyway on a good paved road. This place is very popular with the Mexicans who come up from Guad or down from Tepic to camp water ski or just chill beside the lake and eat good cheap ceviche with cold beer.
Lots of family's having a good time there. Its a depressed volcano which is about 400 m below the surrounding plain.
Both are easy to get to and a nice 3 hour drive from the Pueto Vallarta area. You can find them on Google Earth at 21 15'53.09"N lat.
104 41'17.12" W Long. I will try to post some photo's but I realize now I have nothing with the van in it which was a stupid omission
seeing as I'm posting on the delica site. Oh well, next time.
Andy Wilson
Sayulita Nay.Mx.
PS Does anyone know what you call the small hill in the middle of the crater? There is a specific name but it escapes me.
Its south of Tepic on the auto pista to Guadalajara about 30 minutes or 40km south. The exit is on the right side when south bound
or west side on the map. About 8 km of dirt road brings you to the lip of the crater which is about 400m above the hyway. As soon as
you enter you are in the little town of Tepitiltic where you are sure to be the only gringo (again a relief from Sayulita). Right in front of
the town is a small lake which has no outlet so its not very nice to swim in but nice to look at. There are several tracks which cut through the cane fields to the other end of the crater wall which surrounds the whole thing completely. Camped one night on a rise
on the crater floor with the permission of the farmer who was working the field. Got visited by a gaggle of mexican kids whose good will I purchased with some sweet granola bars and had a shot or two of Mezcal with the farmer at the end of his work day.Nice to find somthing hidden away like that in plain sight.
Next day we left there and drove back to the hyway and over it towards La Laguna Santa Maria del Oro. Another volcanic lake which is
directly across the main road about 30km from the hyway on a good paved road. This place is very popular with the Mexicans who come up from Guad or down from Tepic to camp water ski or just chill beside the lake and eat good cheap ceviche with cold beer.
Lots of family's having a good time there. Its a depressed volcano which is about 400 m below the surrounding plain.
Both are easy to get to and a nice 3 hour drive from the Pueto Vallarta area. You can find them on Google Earth at 21 15'53.09"N lat.
104 41'17.12" W Long. I will try to post some photo's but I realize now I have nothing with the van in it which was a stupid omission
seeing as I'm posting on the delica site. Oh well, next time.
Andy Wilson
Sayulita Nay.Mx.
PS Does anyone know what you call the small hill in the middle of the crater? There is a specific name but it escapes me.
