packing tips/what to bring

Here are the items we’d suggest for your trip to Yelapa:

• A flashlight or headlamp (one per person). The moon will be full for the wedding weekend, but it’s helpful to have some extra light when crossing the beach at night, or if the power goes out, as it sometimes does.
• Beach & water gear: swimsuit, flip-flops, reef shoes, snorkel & mask.
• Sunscreen (reef-friendly kinds without toxic ingredients if you plan to swim or snorkel), hats, and sunglasses.
• Comfortable walking shoes – this is a car-free town, so we’ll be getting around on foot. You may also want waterproof shoes for the beach. To keep dirt and sand from your shoes off the floor of your room, you might consider flip-flops or slippers that you can easily put on outdoors and remove indoors. If you plan on hiking more than 45 minutes up the river trail, be aware that the trail includes two water crossings and prepare to wade, either barefoot or with water-tolerant shoes.
• Cash – get your pesos in Puerto Vallarta, as there are no ATMs in Yelapa and very few places are equipped for credit-card transactions. There is a currency exchange in the village, but you’ll get better rates in the big city.
• Any OTC medications you might conceivably need should be brought from home or gotten in Puerto Vallarta. There are a few small stores in Yelapa, but if you expect you might need some nighttime cold medicine, for example, learn from my mistake and bring it with you–on one recent visit, I had a cold, and I would have paid $20 for a single capsule of NyQuil but alas, there was none to be found. Don’t plan on finding much to buy in Yelapa.
• Earplugs and/or eye masks if you need them. Remember that Yelapa accommodations are almost all open-air, so what happens outside is easily heard inside, and the full moon might make your room brighter than you’re used to at night.
• Mosquito repellent with DEET can come in handy right around sunset. Winter is the dry season, but there may still be mosquitos in the evening.
• More shampoo and soap than you would usually want at home, especially if you’re used to a mild dry climate.  To keep feeling fresh despite layers of sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and perspiration, we tend to shower two or three times daily when we’re there.
• See the FAQ for information on purifying tap water (for soaking produce etc.).
• If your luggage is very delicate and porous, you may want to pack clothes inside a plastic bag. Newer water taxis keep luggage on top of a canopy, but if you’re in an older boat, your bag might be splashed a little en route.
• If you’re staying a few extra days, some extra soap to wash out your clothes could allow you to pack lighter. Clothes will dry pretty quickly in the warm air.
• Passport, tourist card given to you en route by airline staff, and if necessary receipts for any items you want to declare at customs.
• Binoculars for wildlife viewing.
• Camera, memory cards, batteries, etc.. If you plan to take wildlife photos on a boat tour to the Marietas, the boats may pass very close to birds, turtles, rays, etc., so a zoom lens may work better than a fixed-length lens. There are Internet cafes in Yelapa with dial-up, so you can even post your digital pictures from there if you have a card reader with you.

Also check out Brad’s pre-arrival tips page or the “what to bring” list on Yelapa.info.

What NOT to bring:

• any food, plant or animal products, or anything else frowned upon by the Mexican customs authorities.
• any very delicate clothing or shoes that you don’t want exposed to dusty paths (however, if you have your heart set on wearing more fragile garments for the wedding and/or reception, there will be a place to change clothes at the ceremony location.).

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