We were cycling up into the Valle de Banderas from Nuevo Vallarta - and had taken some back roads to avoid the main two lane highway - which can be somewhat hair-raising to cycle along. Even though it was Sunday there was still plenty of traffic. After taking a turn off down a strangely deserted section of perfectly new four lane highway, we discovered why no one was using it. After sweeping through several kilometers of agricultural countryside, it comes to a sudden stop - there isn't even a goat track after that. So we turned back and found a dusty road heading in the direction we wanted to go. It was Sunday so there wasn't really anyone around. After cycling for a while, past ranches, irrigation canals and a big pumping station. My traveling companion noticed that her front tire was getting flat - quickly. So here we are in the middle of nowhere - and it is super hot and her tire has about 2 minutes left in it. We took the first turn we came to and headed back towards where we thought the main highway was. The dirt road we were on paralleled the very edge of a small town. And just about the moment we were about to start walking we came across a tire shop! Maybe not the kind of tire shop you might be thinking of, but a classic small town Mexico type of shop (see photos). The two guys who were there - I think they were eating their lunch next door - ambled out and were kind of amused at the sight of us. They asked us why we happened to be here? Maybe we looked a bit out of place on that back road (we did). I muddled through the conversation in my broken Spanish and explained that we were just riding around, getting to know the area. As one of the guys took care of the tire, we had a nice chat with the other fellow and got some insight into how the region and the town had been changing lately. People from elsewhere who had money, or worked in the US, would come back and buy up lots and built houses. He said it was hard to keep up earning just a local salary. He mentioned that the back roads we were on could be dangerous - there had been some robberies. Although we felt safe on those back roads, we decided to listen to local advice and take our chances on the highway for the way back.
He also explained why that piece of new highway just ended. Successive governments extended the project until they ran out of money, then another administration would take over and build until they ran out of cash, and the big hurdle was that the next section was a bridge over the Ameca river. Apparently there was also highway waiting on the other side to connect to. After the tire was fixed they pointed us to a place in the main plaza where we could get a fruit juice. A cold drink of agua de maracuja (passion fruit) was a welcome treat. We didn't take any photos so the ones I pulled from Google maps are a bit out of date. The shop is more developed than in 2015 but looks similar.
So Llantera Flores get five stars for being in the right place, and being open on a Sunday and being super friendly. read more