Barra de Navidad

We get coffee and sit on a wall in the sun and watch the huge crashing waves. After hitting the shore, the first wave in a series of large waves will recede and meet the incoming wave creating an enormous wall of water some 20 to 25 ft high.We watch the huge waves roll in, mesmorized by their size as they crash into the buildings along the shore.

As we breakfast overlooking the ocean, the waves run up the beach,

against the building and spray the restaurant.
The noise, power and height of the waves are difficult to capture in pictures.

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Barra de Navidad is located on a sandbar between the roaring ocean and a large and tranquil lagoon which is the size of a small lake.
Yachts and fishing boats seek safe harbour in the lagoon.
We relax near the peer or entrance way to the lagoon where the sandbar of Barra de Navidad is narrow and marvel at the contrast between the ocean and the lagoon. We wander the town, then decide to leave and continue south along the coast..
The main hotel strip in Manzanillo is located on a large beach with almost deserted and the ocean is difficult for swimming. We drive south to Cuyutian which has a long and swimmable beach and is a vacation spot for Mexican families. A canopy of coloured umbrellas covers rows of beach chairs

and groups of families enjoy the day. A promenade of outdoor eateries and vendors runs at the back of the beach.

If Jesse and Max Smith are missing we have found them here running a restaurant.

We decide to continue south, this is a bit of a risky move as we have no information about the coast between here and Playa Azul near Lazaro Cardenas. The road is extremely windy through the mountains and valleys. The valleys contain large fruit farms, bananas, mangos, papayas, and coconuts.
This is probably where some of our tropical fruit comes from.

Our gamble pays off! We find the village of San Juan de Alina, a small single road town on a long white sand beach. You can look one way along the beach and there is a postcard shot and then turn around and there is another one.
A man was washing his horse in the waves.

The horse actually seemed to be enjoying it.

We find a hotel and sit by the ocean, drink in hand watching the sunset. The sun is low on the horizon and shines through the waves just before they break creating a line of bottle green light through the waves. The light flashes and is almost florescent as it runs along the wave. I have never seen this before.

Sipping a drink, relaxing and watching a sunset on a beautiful beach, I could do this forever.

This is the view from the balcony of our hotel room.

The eating establishments are very limited, so we grab a taco and hamburger on the small main street. There is a constant parade of people on the street; well dressed walking families, teens cruising in pickup trucks, men on horseback who have the horses dance for the amusement of the people. This is small town Mexico.