In our ongoing search for waves and beaches around here that have something new to offer in the way of waves, walks, fewer or larger crowds, less or more of this or that, we recently went to a place called Stinky’s. This doesn’t sound too attractive as a destination, obviously, but this is a surfer nickname and surfers often come up short on poetic nicknames for surf spots. So: Stinky’s it is. A little east of Anclote Beach, heading into Bahia Banderas, just past the last jetty, and the last heap of beachfront condos that should never have been built, the beach stretches into the distance, towards La Lancha.
This is Stinky’s. This long, white sand beach is pretty much empty of bodies, all of the time, although you might find the odd heiress or hiding-out celebrity in front of one of the multi-million-dollar renta-ranchos you’ll stroll past just before you reach La Lancha, maybe a mile down the sands. Stinky’s is not that hard to get to, especially if you’ve already gotten to Anclote, and you’ll find it less crowded, more pristine, and equally inviting. Although there is that business of the stinkiness, which we will get to.
Here, if you want to take a beach walk, you’ll be walking east, towards Vallarta, rather than west towards Punta Mita as you do from Anclote. If you want to swim, we recommend heading east a few yards, for this will take you farther away from the rocks near the jetty, and into more pristine waters; it will also take you away from the source of Stinky’s name: a slightly foul aroma drifting off the beach over the water close to the jetty. For whatever reason, there is a distinct odor drifting from shore to sea here. Anclote’s underwear, out hanging on a line. In any case, the stink is pretty much confined to the area close to the jetty, and so if you just walk down that long, pristine beach a hundred yards or so, you’ll find perfectly clean, great waters for swimming. And no stinkiness to speak or smell of.
As for surfing, these pics don’t quite do it justice. When the swell is on, there is an often great wave right there, a few yards outside of where I’m frolicking on my paddleboard in the knee high stuff. The crowds pretty much stay up the road at Anclote, and while this is not quite as long a ride, it can be faster and more challenging, if a little less sweet to the nose.
These photos are from a late October afternoon, sunset at Stinky’s, kids on the beach, little waves to ride, and an utterly peaceful vibe. I am a hardcore surfer at times, but at times you have to soften up and just take what the ocean offers; in this case, tiny little waves breaking on a placid, exquisitely lovely sunset sea.
