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Hailing Port: Sausalito, Ca / Currently: Sailing Mexico
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ITINERARY (Full Day)
Tostador de Café Esquina
Pie in the Sky
Blessing of the Fleet and Mayan Dance in the Town Square
nugget’s Advice
Prepare in advance
Best to take bus, as parking can be a challenge. Bring plenty of pesos for vendors. Remember to pack your camera!
Good to know
This is a 9-day event to celebrate Our Lady of Peace, every January 16-24th, with the final event of dancing and blessing the fishing fleet always on January 24th.
Recommended day/time
The dancing begins at the church at 11 a.m. The Blessing of the Fishing Fleet begins at noon on the beach.
Recommended time of the year
This only happens on January 24th every year.
Save Money
Pack snacks, use the bus system instead of taxis and bring plenty of water.
About This Day
Are you planning a trip to Bucerías with kids? Makes sure you visit on January 24th. Every year it’s a Bucerías tradition to bless the fishermen and their boats for safety in the upcoming year. To enjoy this day of celebration, start with delicious cold-brew coffee and with cinnamon rolls or carrot cake for the kids. The festivities begin at 11 a.m. with Mayan dancers performing their ceremony at the church. At noon, start looking for the pangas (boats) that have traveled from the La Cruz marina to Bucerías to be blessed by the priest. Supposedly the boats form a sign of the cross as they motor over. The fisherman beach the pangas on the sand at full speed, bringing fish, fruit, bread and even tequila to the church for the blessing. Later in the day, ladies in fancy dresses riding horses side saddle and riders that have their horses dance to live music. At the end of the evening, around 11 p.m., fireworks are set off! If you can’t make it to the end of the day, perhaps stop by to get that coffee and carrot cake that you missed earlier.
Tostador de Café Esquina
6 Vicente Guerrero, Bucerías
$$$
Really good cold brew coffee and other hand-crafted coffee drinks. Start your cultural day on the right foot, caffeine and a treat for the kids. They also have really good cinnamon rolls. It's hard to find good ones like these in Mexico.
DIRECTIONS
Taking the bus from Puerto Vallarta/Nuevo Vallarta: Get off on the corner of 20 de Noviembre (say, "Bajan por favor a la esquina de veinte de Noviembre"). Cross the 200 (main road) and head toward the beach. Vicente Guerrero is the street directly across the 200, toward the beach. The coffee house will be on the right-hand side (north), halfway down the first block.
From La Cruz or Sayulita: Have the bus drop you off on the corner of Vicente Guerrero. Walk down toward the beach. Coffee shop will be on the right (north), half way down the block.
If you are in a rental car: parking may be extremely hard on this popular day. I would suggest parking further away and taking a bus from there.
Pie in the Sky
202 Avenida Héroes de Nacozari, Bucerías
$$$
The best carrot cake ever! And chocolate cake too! OK, everything here is amazing and worth the stop. Originally owned by expat sailors, they trained the next people to run it with all of their love. All of the recipes are perfectly moist, a hard to find accomplishment for pastries and baked goods in Mexico.
DIRECTIONS
Frente a la Farmacia Guadalajara. Bucerías, Nayarit (across the street from Guadalajara pharmacy and the new Chedraui). On the southern end of Bucerías. If using bus or combi van have the driver let you off on the corner of "Encino" (if heading north) or "Las Palmas" (heading south).
Blessing of the Fleet and Mayan Dance in the Town Square
15 Avenida México, Bucerías
$$$
Every year on January 24th, the final day of a weeklong celebration of the Lady of La Paz, local dancers in Mayan-style dress perform at the church, starting at 11.a.m. At noon, the fishing fleet arrives, beaching their decorated pangas (fishing boats) at full speed and offloading passengers from various commercial fleets. They bring fresh fish, fruit, bread, tequila and more to be blessed for the year. Later, there is horseback riding and horse "dancing" with fancy dresses. Food is for sale in the center of the square. Flea market-type vendors surround the square; local ice cream shops and sweet carts, too.
DIRECTIONS
If you are skipping the coffee and going straight for the festival...
Northbound: have bus / cambi van let you off at "Nicolas Bravo" street. Cross the 200 and head down toward beach.
Southbound: tak bus / van to "Alfredo V Bonfil" street. Head west toward beach to the church.
If you went to Pie in the Sky on your way in to town, hop back in a bus or van and see northbound directions.
If you went to the Tostador coffee shop, continue west one block and then south along the flea market vendors.
TIP
Bring sunscreen and hand sanitizer. Bathroom facilities are 5 pesos and lack hand hygiene stations. Use the bathrooms in the coffee shop at your first stop while you can.
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