Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Chacala Malecon and Harbor

Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Many beach towns in Mexico have a malecon. This is a walking area alongside the ocean where, in our experience, people meander, walk their dogs, or do a morning jog. Sometimes there are sitting areas or wrought iron benches surrounded by bronze sculptures, flowering plants, and trimmed palms. And other times there are shops, park amenities like skateboard areas, and exercise equipment.

It is not unusual for a live band to show up or a single musician wanting to practice their instrument while gazing out to the sea.

So... when we heard that Chacala had a malecon, we were really looking forward to seeing it.

A uniquely painted house on our trek to find Chacala's malecon

From the beach we could see places cut out of the hillside that looked like a pathway leading to a jetty at the end.

Since there were no signs, we wandered in that direction and asked locals where we could find their malecon.

Puzzled looks greeted us. 

Some looked up from their cell phones and shook their heads.

Others simply pointed in a direction that basically led "nowhere."

One person suggested "The place where the fishermen dock?"

A little opening on the lumpy trail

Their confusion caused our confusion, and to be honest, I would have given up.

"Whatever" is what I would have said.

But Billy is very persistent and he wanted to see this non-existent malecon and take photos of it.

I wandered behind him a few steps, carefully placing my feet between huge tree roots and broken boulders.

At one point the chunky trail opened up and we saw this little bay with families enjoying their privacy and their access to the ocean.

Afternoon picnics

Somehow we stumbled upon some dust and pebbles that cleared out enough for people to get to the beach. A cove for locals to enjoy!

A little cove with Chacala beach in the background

Expecting a level concrete walkway just like we have seen countless times, we completely missed this "natural" version.

A little secret hideaway with a hint of enchantment.

Yes. That's what it was.

No bicycles, no skateboards, no joggers with dogs on a leash.

Just waves lapping along and families enjoying the peace.

The fishermen's jetty

It wasn't long after that window to the sea, when we came upon the place the fishermen dock.

Chacala is a fishing village and harvesting seafood is a respected profession. Since we have been eating in the local restaurants, we have appreciated this amazing freshness of seafood. Fish on the grill smothered in garlic butter, fresh crab tacos, and sweet shrimp that crisped in your mouth when you ate them.

A close up view of Chacala beach from the jetty

The jetty provided a different angle in which to appreciate Chacala beach and the surrounding hillside jungle.

Here you see the palapa restaurants where Chac Mool and Chico's are located.

To the left and mostly out of sight is the town itself, and in the middle-right is the campground, and outside of the photo frame is where Mar de Jade is located.

Fishermen standing in their boats at day's end

Here you see a grouping of fishing boats moored to the pier. Fishing nets are piled in some boats and a few fishermen are arranging things securely so they can go home for the day.

Panoramic view of Chacala beach and fishermen's jetty

Here you have the full view of where we were. The open sea is, of course, out to the right of the photo.

Fishing net piled high on shore

A couple of fishing nets with their floats are piled high on the dock.

Kind of peaceful.

Family picnic cooler

Families were grilling fish from their coolers like this one.

Life is very connected to the sea here in Chacala.

If you would like to walk Chacala's malecon, stand in front of Chac Mool and look out to the ocean. On your right towards the hill is a tiny path where you can begin this walk all the way to the jetty.

It's not a long walk, less than 10 minutes, actually. But if you meander, it can take you half an hour or more as you enjoy the views.

For more stories and photos about Mexico, click here

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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