I live a small coastal town, where things move at a snail’s pace compared to nearby San Francisco. There aren’t many residents, many of us know each other, and we’d like to keep it that way.
So when I got the chance on my recent Puerto Vallarta trip to drive 50 miles inland to the Sierra Madre Mountains and the sleepy town of San Sebastián del Oeste, I was excited to be able to slow things down and escape the busy city to take in the culture of another small village.
The town itself, with a current population of about 600, was home to a flourishing silver-mining operation in the 17th century (as well as gold and copper mines). We wandered the cobblestone streets between whitewashed buildings with red-tiled roofs, watched locals pass the time in the zócalo (the main plaza) and visited the Iglesia de San Sebastián. Sitting quitely inside, I noticed a golondrina (swallow) alight on one of the sculptures, taking a breather with me.
We lunched at Los Arrayanes, on a patio looking out to beautiful green trees, and were alternatively serenaded by a rooster and parrot. The parrot entertained Naomi, the one child with our group—and I sipped on a perfectly cold (there were little ice chunks in it!) Sol cerveza.
The nearby Hacienda Jalisco was built 170 years ago, and remains an elegant guesthouse for visitors wanting to get away from it all and escape the heat at the coast. With rustic but nicely appointed guestrooms with fireplaces, Hacienda Jalisco is a romantic retreat as well—with no electricity, candle-lit evenings are mandatory.
