Chacala, Mexico

I really don’t know why people stick with big-city beaches. This one, Chacala, a kilometer wide bay with perfectly soft brown sand, is 90 minutes’ drive north of Puerto Vallarta. Twenty years ago it was a tiny fishing village you had to hike into from the highway. It’s still only partly developed — with no resorts or ATMS (or smooth roads). I liked how locals and tourists played volleyball together, musicians played to play (not for money), and a new married couple went right out into the waves — in full wedding attire — for photos.