A palapa is an open-air structure with a thatched roof made of palm leaves.

Many palapas in Yelapa are quite large, with multiple levels, loft bedrooms, and everything you'd find in a regular house except for closed walls and windows.

Given the lack of doors and windows, most rentals feature a locked closet/bodega where you can store your valuables while you’re out. But the only thieves we’ve heard of in Yelapa are tejones (also known as coatis, raccoon-like creatures), who will have no qualms about stealing your food if you leave it out. Put it in the refrigerator!

Further from the village center, many palapas are set up on the hillside, with thick vegetation blocking the view from the path and providing complete privacy.

Closer to the center of the village, you will find fewer palapas and more modern structures. These are still open-air, with either very large open windows (sometimes with grates or shutters) or partial walls, but they tend to be smaller more enclosed. Some of the flats facing the water will have partial walls on the cove side of the building and complete walls facing the path, to balance privacy, view, and ventilation.