Located in the little town of San Francisco, this little beach has the poetry of a place you would visit in a dream. The thick white sand drops sharply to a roaring sea, while just steps away is a mirrorlike lagoon with driftwood poking through the water, white herons gliding among the lilies and horses wading near the shore. The beach ends at a massive cliff topped by the home of former Mexican president Louis Echeverria. An abandoned palm-roofed hut, like some way station between dimensions, opens onto the other side of the cliff, where miles of wild beach backed by primeval rocks rush out before you.

from HIDDEN MEXICO by Rebecca Bruns

Casa Ladera is located on a jungle hillside overlooking Playa San Francisco with unobstructed views of the ocean and the mountains to the south. Access to the beach is directly down a cobblestone road about 50 yards. This stretch of beach is open ocean and the waves can at times be wild and dramatic and at other times quite calm and swimable. The huge outcropping of rock at the north end of the beach makes for some interesting climbing and is very photogenic with great plumes of spray and shimmering rainbows of color. There is a fairly good surf break at the south end of the beach where you will usually find an assortment of local and tourist surfers testing their skills. The beach is normally as uncrowded as these pictures show and even during the high holidays of Christmas and Easter you will have no trouble finding your own private piece of paradise.

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Contact Judy or Lee Parker CasaLadera@hotmail.com