This area is a fisherman’s mecca with many golden sand beaches. This area of Bahia de Chamala is situated just 30 miles from Melaque and not much of the world knows much about it. The largest area of the town in Perula has a population of only 800 people. There are only a few services available and just one paved road through the entire town. The many dirt roads in the town have the most beautiful flowers growing alongside them. All you will see for miles is golden sand and docks for lancha boats. This small fishing village has a strange and alluring attraction. The town of Chamela gets a lot of traffic from visitors and travelers however Perula is virtually completely commercialized. The busy time of year for Chamela is in the months between December and April.
Bahia de Chamela
If you would like to get to Chamela you can take a bus from Puerto Vallarta all the way to Manzanillo which will cost 200 pesos and take 6 hours. From Manzanillo you can take a bus to Perula which will take another 5 hours and cost another 100 pesos. You can also catch a bus from Melaque, or Barra de Navidad. and the cost is 150 pesos and the ride will last 5-1/2 hours. If you want to go to Perula you will need to tell the bus driver to let you exit once you get there otherwise he will keep driving. To get to the beach at Perula you will want to turn at the sign saying Playa Dorada and then you will be forced to walk for a half hour on a very windy dirt road. Hitch hiking is not recommended but there are a lot of friendly people that will offer to take you there. If you wish to get to Playa Chamela you should tell the driver to let you exit at El super where the signs will take you right to the beach which is less than a mile away. You can get to Perula from Chamela by walking along the coast and it should take you about an hour just depending on how fast you walk. There are some hotel accommodations in Perula and some even have a service where they will pick you up from the bus station and take you to your room. There is not a formal cab station or union in Perula so plan on walking or making arrangements well in advance of getting to your destination. There is a man named Felipe that gives rides and tours of the area. He will charge you 85 pesos to take you to and from Chamela. If you wish to get back to Perula you can also take a bus called Primera Plus which will let you off right off the highway. That same bus line will also take you to Guadalajara in 3-1/2 hours for 68 pesos, Manzanillo in 4 hours and will charge 80 pesos, Melaque in a couple hours and charge you 50 pesos, and last but not least Puerto Vallarta 3-1/2 hours and will charge you 90 pesos. If you would like to get out of town and do not feel like walking you can ride a local bus that goes from Tiburon to Independencia and it runs all day till midnight. You can also take a bus to Autlan in a couple hours that will charge you 160 pesos.
The Centro de Salud is located on Pargo and Juarez on the corner and that is just a few blocks from the main plaza. The center is open Mon-Fri 9am-4pm and on the weekends and 24 hour a day emergency services are available. If you need to refill a prescription or but some over the counter medications you can do so at the pharmacy called Farmacia Villa del Mar which is located on the eastern portion of the plaza. They are open 24 hours a day. If you would like to make a long distance phone call you can do so at the Ladatel store located on a dirt road near the Punta Perula Hotel. If you are dying to reach the outside world or return and email you can do so at the local internet cafe which is called Cafe Internet and is located on Independencia. They are open Mon-Fri 10am-9pm and the charge to use the internet is 22 pesos an hour. Those are the only services available.
