Having grown-up on the coast of Southern California in a beach town I just can't get the salt water out of my blood. For that I make regular visits to the Michoacán coast - I just love it that our coastal towns haven't become the big hotel resorts places and remain rather unspoiled.

I had considered at times to buy a lot in Caleta de Campos owned by a friend of mine there and building a cabaña - I'm sure it's much less of a luxury dream of mine than your townhouse likely is. I remain hindered by the laws that prevent outright ownership of coastal property though. Would you comment on your experience with fideicomiso or whatever you must deal with for that?

I pass by Las Calabasas regularly on my trips out there, even spent one morning in town at a futbol game there with some friends from Guacamayas whose son was playing there for his local team. I was surprised by your comment on another board about an ATM machine robbery. I was not aware of any ATMs close by and thought it was necessary to go into Lazaro Cardenes to get money. Is there combi service into Lazaro from Calabasas? I know it reaches to Playa Azul with direct runs.

Curious about one other thing. My map tells me a road runs into Calabasas from Playa Azul but I have been reluctant to use it as it appears to turn into a dirt path as one is leaving Playa Azul - which BTW is another town I enjoy visiting but usually lodge elsewhere. Is that a good road or more of a rabbit trail?

I sidetracked myself in the previous reply. Are you leaving your coastal getaway for other parts? I love the coast but the weather is a bit much at times. Morelia is more like the climate I enjoyed around Ventura, CA so choose to live here full-time.

What are your future plans for this area if you sell your townhouse?

We have had no problems with getting a fideicomiso(just that it takes a while to do). There is another ATM in La Mira located at the enterance of the mine just on the outside of the town towards Arteaga. The one that was taken was well located and convenient. There was a police module right next to it but for some reason not staffed by police. The other one is never robbed since there are guards for the mine 24/7 nearby. There are combis from Calabasas that go to Alcalpican and then onto Playa Azul or Larzarco Cardenas ir La Mira. We take hwy 200 and exit into Calabasas to get to Villa Dorada. It is completely paved all the away. I know of no other way to enter Calabasas.

We have a lot behind the townhouse development and would like to build but need the pesos to do so.

Thanks for the reply. I should have figured La Mira was sizable enough for ATMs, but basically I am just passing through there when not specifically going to Playa Azul to or from Lazaro.

Glad to hear you are staying-on in that area and not packing it in. I didn't get the idea from other posts of your I have read that you were disenchanted with the area in any way. My own interest in a coastal cottage would be to have just a basic little cabaña with few frills outside of an aljibe and tinaco to make a nice shower, both of which are largely bypassed in favor of a pila in those areas. I haven't visited the beach in Las Calabasas but imagine it is still a smooth beach like Playa Azul and surrounding areas and still before getting into the very rocky coast a little further north.

I use the entrance off the 200 also but did see a road on the map coming in from the back-side out of PA. Your answer confirms it is probably no more than a sand-blown trail that is probably best avoided without 4WD.

Thanks for the combi info. I have used the Playa Azul combi but should have figured there was service into La Mira to LazC also. Sometimes I am in that area without a car, having caught a ride with friends, some of whom have a car lot in LC and I will help them shuttle a car into town for them one-way. They would let me use something from their lot if I wanted it but one of the attractions about Mexico is that a car is typically not necessary to have day to day.

Glad you seem to love it there and glad to know someone living in one of the towns there I am not very familiar with.

Is there any or much beach resort business there. I am assuming it would be somewhat rustic, which I prefer. I often get a cabaña in Nexpa for around $200mx a night. Lousy swimming beach there but a world-class surf spot by the river mouth.

Peter wrote:

Is there any or much beach resort business there. I am assuming it would be somewhat rustic, which I prefer. I often get a cabaña in Nexpa for around $200mx a night. Lousy swimming beach there but a world-class surf spot by the river mouth.

Exacto! The surf is hot in Nexpa. You can catch some cross-country tubes that go on for miles man. Lotsa Aussies go there for the waves. Lotsa surf bums live ther and thats all they do all day. Its totally cool.

Nice. It sounds a bit like Sayulita on the west coast. I stopped in for a visit there last year and it was like walking into a small California surfer town circa 1960. I was there no longer then 10 minutes and had 3 offers to by pot and coke from the local hippies. The town was filled by 20 somethings and I actually felt like a parent invading the kids party. I loved the place none the less and enjoyed the beach all day.

Here is a pic of the place we had lunch at there. Great food. Great atmosphere.

CanuckBob wrote:

Nice. It sounds a bit like Sayulita on the west coast. I stopped in for a visit there last year and it was like walking into a small California surfer town circa 1960. I was there no longer then 10 minutes and had 3 offers to by pot and coke from the local hippies. The town was filled by 20 somethings and I actually felt like a parent invading the kids party. I loved the place none the less and enjoyed the beach all day.

Sayulita is cool, as I hear is another top surf town, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. Popular spots.

Michoacán coast has some pretty places and two top surf spots that are not developed or commercialized. Nexpa had some bad beach erosion around the cabañas area last year, though its surf area was as good as ever. These places may have less than 100 people in residence there, some tourist cabañas and a few palapas. There are a few old hardcore surfers that live there. It has some great surf but these places are quiet and uncrowded. I get a little two-story cabaña there with fridge and stove for $200mxp a night right at the shoreline.

I was hoping Beach Dreamer would tell more about the beach community where her townhouse is for sale, if it is smooth beaches or has rocky spots with tidepools and such. That could all be very interesting. Also curious if there is any tourism, cabañas, palapas, and such. If not they are very close to Playa Azul which is still nowhere near the scale size or development of Sayulita or Puerto Escondido. The Michoacán is mostly untouched, and that is good!

The townhouse is right on the beach and is at the end of the first row of houses so we have in the common area a great lawn area for parties. The beach is open ocean and depending on the time of year the waves can be high or like right now very low and user friendly. The complex has a very large pool. 99 % of the owners are Mexicans living in either Morelia, Uruapan,etc. For some reason this place has not been "discovered" by foreign visitors.I tell our Mexican neigbors that it's a hidden treasure and that they should count their blessings!

It is quiet and has no "cha-cha and is for relaxing and destressing.

Thank you. It sounds wonderful. That is what I love about the Michoacán coast, that it is unspoiled and undiscovered.

Unfortunately, for me to buy a home like that it would eat up most of my savings. I'll just have to continue as a pauper living the life in Morelia and visiting the coast for a few days periodically.

I know the general area and that is just far enough to be very peaceful and quiet yet so close to Lázaro Cárdenas and other big towns to be convenient for all your needs. Nice to hear that area has the wonderfully smooth beaches like Playa Azul as it begins to get rocky just up the coast a short distance from you, up around Las Piedras if I recall correctly.

I'm glad you are enjoying the life. Let's hope someone wanting to come here to live sees this notice soon. That kind of beachfront home and property is just not available at that kind of price anywhere these days, even in other parts of Mexico. Glad you told us more about it.