Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Once you have driven to the Mayto area south of Puerto Vallarta, there are many side trips and places to discover. A group of us that were staying at Hotelito Rinconito on Mayto Beach recently made a day trip to Corrales, about one hour north of Mayto along the coast of Cabo Corrientes.

We traveled "Mexican" style in a pickup truck. Five riding in the cabin and five riding in the back. A couple of pillows and some blankets softened the ride for those in the back. A large cooler of refreshment kept everyone happy.

Along the way there are some places to check out. You will need to take a detour into the community of Playitas because a bridge washed out during last September's rains. This actually is good because the beach at Playitas is one of our favorites. We found a shady spot to park and headed for the beach, a short five-minute walk.

What makes this beach special are the huge rock formations that you can climb and walk on. It is not a swimming beach because of a strong undertow that has surprised more than one swimmer. This special beach was virtually ours that day and would be a good picnic choice for anyone wanting a romantic hideaway. After a lot of photos and walking the rocks and beach, we loaded up and continued to Corrales, passing Aquiles Serdan on the way.

Corrales is a small fishing community situated on a protected bay and is at the end of the road. Being at road end is probably what has kept this place isolated and little known. It is also a rough and tumble place that doesn't see a lot of tourists. It is best to make this a daytime trip only. There are two beaches because of a large rock outcropping dividing the bay. The first one you come to, is the largest and the best for swimming and snorkeling. It also has the only recommended place to eat.

There was another group of visitors who had come by panga from Yelapa - a very long boat ride around the cape. We put together some tables on the sand, ordered beers, drinks and food and spent the next four hours enjoying a very special day of swimming, snorkeling and lounging on the beach. The seafood was fresh, and very good. We had scallop and fish ceviche, fish fillet with garlic and butter, and rice pudding for dessert.

We used our best Spanish and everything was fine. There is no English spoken in Corrales. There are many stories about the future of this area. They all seem to suggest the demise of Corrales as it exists now, to make way for a very large development. While this may not happen for awhile, it would be good to check out the area now, so you can say, "Remember when this was nothing but a small fishing village at the end of the road."