Beach

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.

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.