Another magic town on the list! I have been dreaming for the last 1 month to enjoy a little bit of fresh air. As you know Punta Mita; Nayarit area is still burning hot now, temperature varies from 25-30°C everyday. So for those of you who’s having a short holiday to Puerto Vallarta area, this ones for you. Going to San Sebastián del Oeste is just perfect for a day trip, or even a 2-day trip for you guys who wanted to have a more chill weekend in the fresh town.
That time, me and my friends drove from Puerto Vallarta very early in the morning, We started at 7 in the morning, allowing us to enjoy the sunrise on the way–pretty! The 3-hour drive was great actually, we passed by many breathtaking landscapes, from mountains to forests. And again, as a sleepy kid, I fell asleep because of the fresh wind going through the car window.
Brief history, San Sebastian is a town which were well known as their mining for silver, gold, and lead. It is found during the early Spanish colonial, in the Viceroyalty of New Spain period. Regarding the growth of this place, their population peaked up to 20,000 people but it remains around 5,000 nowadays. From the records that we have, it is mentioned that the mines start to close around 1910 because of the revolution.
As we begin our journey, we parked near a little shop where we can rent ATVs. The name of the place is Abarrotes Durán, the link is down below:
We then rented two 2-seated ATV, the price was a great deal. I paid 700 pesos for 3 hours. Also, a huge reminder, don’t forget to bring your driving license if you wanna be the driver of the ATV! Well for me, I don’t need it because my friend Arturo is driving for me–he’s a crazy driver.
Beginning of the track
On the way to mud splashes
First stop will be the first break point! We went to some crazy tracks, splashed with mud and also water. But for sure, picture first!! Hahaha! We started from the village with locals around, then the mountain area. It was a very bad idea to use my white shirt, OMG!
There was one time that our ATV was about to flip away (like fly through the cliff), crazy times. My friend Andrea was even worst, her ATV was almost flipping to more than 3 times! Be careful people! About 50 minutes from the starting point, we finally touched down the first break point. There’s really nothing there, it’s just a signal tower and we decided to take a group picture!
Pay attention to the sign
The weather was a bit cloudy that day, but it was fresh! Imagine the smell of the forest, plus the mountainous breeze–never fail to make me calm! Afterwards, we endure back our body and soul to the track to La Bufa (the main observing deck). The drive was not that long, maybe only 20 minutes. But there, we have to park our ATVs and start a little 10-minute hike to the observing deck. I was having a very bad kit to hike, because I forgot to use my shoes!!
The hike was super easy, I survived! The fog was very strong that we cannot see anything:( We just chill there for a while, taking so much pictures, eat our snacks, and sit down on the rocks. Because there was not really a view to enjoy, we decided to move and continue our journey to a mine, Mina Santa Gertrudis.
It was quite a long drive, maybe 30 minutes? Mina Santa Gertrudis is a haunted silver mine where some kids (3 girls and some boys) in the depth of 80 metres. We walked through it, it’s cold…. Not long after, we decided to drive back because out 3 hours are almost out.
We were soon hungry after that 3-hour fun drive. My friend Andrea keeps telling me there’s a very nice restaurant in town. And this Italian restaurant is indeed SUPER legit. And thankfully, they were open too! Take note people, the name is: Montebello Restaurant (closed on Tue and Wed)
And of course, I ordered the jamón serrano pizza! And look how they create the friendly and homey atmosphere of the place…. Super comfortable and great when you come with your family, friends, or your partner! Maybe grab a cup of wine when you take your loved ones here! I am so in love with this place<3
Just a perfect shot of our food
After a whole pan of pizza, we continued exploring the downtown. At first, we went to San Sebastián Mártir Church. The church is painted in light blue color. Not long after, we just walked back to the the plaza (Plaza Publica) to see some shops around.
We were in Calle Allende looking at this pretty shop, and of course I bought a postcard to send it home to Jakarta. We had a very wonderful time that day. I really can’t wait to go out with them again! See you on the next one:)
Tips on what to bring: hat, backpack, water, bug spray, UV protector, hiking shoes.
chromatic voyage 