Semana Santa 2014

Semana Santa has arrived again.  Two weeks each year Mexico heads to the coast.  Beaches are packed everywhere and Sayulita is a popular destination. Lodging is in demand, beer flows, camping is found in most every place that a tent can be set up.  Most leave before dawn and arrive by tour bus and wheel their coolers, umbrellas, shade shelters, food, inflatable rafts and sometimes grandma to the beach for the day.

Photo by Marina Garcia

As you can see, if you don't enjoy crowds then this is NOT the time to come to the beach in Mexico.  I understand that inland destinations are quite enjoyable during this time of year since everyone is on Spring Break at the beach.  With school out for two weeks, many people we know pack up and become visitors to some of these places and have a great time.  Many nationals look forward to these two weeks all year and get here on an extremely thin budget to enjoy the sun, surf, family and or friends.  There are some, expats and nationals, who live here that don't like these two weeks since the town is totally overrun, garbage is a big problem, parties and drum circles run all night, town systems are taxed and sometimes visitors don't respect the ones who live in or the place they came to visit as they should.  On the other hand, it's only two weeks a year and really only 5 or 6 big days during that time is the climax.  Many have planned this holiday to come to the coast and see what we see and enjoy every day.  It's great people watching for sure.  Our family after all , though residents, are just visitors as well so we just roll with it and understand life will be back to normal in a few more days.  Personally, I lived for many, many years in the home of The Sundance Film Festival and in my opinion this doesn't even come close to the scene that created each year.