Another splendid tropical beach, Chacala is located about forty minutes north of La Peñita and just a few minutes south of the town of Las Varas. You know you are heading somewhere very special indeed as you drive along the windy road set amidst yet another, lost jungle leading to the town, whose name means, “Where there are Shrimp.”
It is said that Chacala used to be a hideout for pirates, and the romance of the wide palm lined beach, interspersed with mahogany palm and fig trees, is dazzling. The beach is almost a mile long. It does not disappoint and is wide, with soft, shimmering, almost white sand, blue Pacific waters with gentle waves, and is lined with hundreds of tropical palm trees. Chacala is a great swimming and walking beach, and on calm days the snorkelling on the far north end and south ends of the beach is not bad.
Chacala is small, but the relaxed ambiance is also its charm. The seafood is fresh from the sea and it is a wonderful thing indeed to park yourself at a one of the beachside palapa restaurants and dine on blackened whole fish, lobster, shrimp, mahi-mahi, ahi-tuna, red snapper, fresh oysters and jumbo prawns fresh from the sea, accompanied by a large piña colada, margarita or a cold beer.
Adventurers may want to rent a boat to nearby Playa de Cuevas for some great snorkelling and to spend the day at yet another exquisite, secluded beach. Other nearby beaches worth exploring include La Caleta, where in season it is common to sight humpback whales.
Chacala is incredible.
