Come November it’s gray, it’s drizzling, and it will likely be so for months.  What a perfect time to get away and dance in sunny Mexico!  Bathe in the warm sun while the delightful breeze kisses your shoulders and the clean sand blesses your feet.  

Our Chacala Mexico Beach Dance-Adventure is a truly incredible blend of travel, play, & learning. The week is specifically designed for veteran dancers who not only want to experience the tropical beauty & splendor of Mexico's Pacific Nayarit coastline, but who would also love to do so in the company of a fun group of like-minded fellow dancers & travel-adventurers!  As a special treat, this week the focus will be on West Coast Swing, with special guest instructor and national WCS champion, Terra Summers, from Denver, CO -- not to be missed!

You’ll stay in lovely villas in the perfect adult camp-type setting, cool off in the pools, meditate in the peace of the morning sun and beach sunsets, enjoy fabulous dining and daily adventures, and dance every day with a wonderful group of fellow dance aficionados!

All room pricing includes:

1. Accommodations: 7 nights 8 days lodging - double occupancy in double rooms with ensuite bath and a.c.   
2. Daily dance workshops -- All dance classes & local dance parties
3. Airport Shuttle to & from the Puerto Vallarta airport, Thursday to Thursday
4. Local transportation in & around Chacala (we will have a van available for the group)
5. Day trip to San Pancho for the Tuesday market
6. R/T transportation to hot springs
7. Full deluxe daily breakfast
8. Our group "welcome" dinner at the Villa
9. Our fabulous farewell dinner and dance
10. Drinks & snacks
11. All taxes & tips

What is not included: 

1.   Airfare

2.  Travel Insurance

3.  Any meals not included above

4.  Excursions, extra trips

5.  Personal items, sundries

                                                 What you’ll experience                                                   

The venue:

Three villas, each with lovely bedrooms with Mexican tiled ensuite bathrooms, large kitchen and sitting areas, plenty of comfortable corners for relaxation and socializing. All in a tropical setting with large immaculate green lawns (perfect for morning yoga and tai chi) surrounded by wonderful gardens filled with exotic tropical blooms.

Dancing:

• Daily dance classes with Ari & special guest instructor, Terra Summers.  The focus of Terra's classes will be on West Coast Swing, with the possibility of other classes such as swing, blues, Latin, or fusion as requested
• Bonus dance classes where you’ll learn an actual routine incorporating fun moves to music

Other activities:

• Evening dances to live and DJ’d music
• Juggling classes for those who want to learn!
• Excursion to San Pancho
• Adventuring on your own -- from snorkeling, swimming, or boogie boarding on a local beach to exploring the petroglyphs at Altavista, to hiking, horseback riding, or boating at "Las Cuevas" beach; to soaking in the local hot springs, visiting the weekly "La Penita" market, or playing tennis or pickle-ball at the resort...

Meals:

    Daily Group breakfast,  Welcome Dinner, and last night Dinner included

Daily group classes will include a mix of morning and/or afternoon sessions.  This week we are delighted to have special guest instructor and national WCS champ, Terra Summers, in house.  Her classes will focus on WCS steps, styling, techniques, and fun!

 In addition to WCS, Ari will be happy to teach a wide variety of dance styles such as Latin (salsa, merengue, bachata, rumba, cha cha), swing (ECS, Lindy, blues, etc), ballroom, fusion, or other with a strong emphasis on both partnering & connection as well as introducing fun new step patterns and stylings.  

Other group activities may include afternoon & evening dances, a cocktail social hour, games night, special dance outings in ports, as well as many other fun "non-dancing" activities.  So many options, so little time!

Dance Class Level:

Our classes are exciting, informative, relatively fast-paced, and are tailored much more toward the intermediate and above level social dancer.  Unless we are introducing a brand new dance, we do not gear any of our classes towards beginning dancers. Participants should have a solid, broad-based dance background.

If you have any questions about your level of dance, please let us know.

Dance Workshop Options:

What you will learn in the daily dance classes:

• Mastering the Steps  (learn some fun combos, tricks, styling)
• Dance Blending (learning to mix elements from one style into another)
• The Invisible Art of Dance Connection, Flow, & Energy
• Lifts, Dips, & Garnishes to embellish your repertoire
• Musicality
• West Coast Swing-Latin Fusion Possibilities 

About Terra Summers:

Hailing from Denver, CO, Terra has been teaching, performing, and dancing WCS nationally and internationally for over 20 years. She currently competes at the All-Star level on the WSDC circuit and has won numerous titles for the National Association of Swing Dance Events and other sanctioned World Swing Dance Council events across the country. She has ran and judged many WCS events over the years and continues to work teaching and sharing the love of dance with her community. Her passion and enthusiasm is contagious and loved by her students, while her friendly and outgoing personality makes learning from her fun and achievable. We are delighted to have her join us this week in Chacala to share her craft in this beautiful setting!

Plan to fly into Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) on THURSDAY, NOV 7th.   Try to arrive before 3 pm

For your return flight, plan to DEPART ON THURSDAY, NOV 14th. Please book your flight from Puerto Vallarta to leave after 1:00 pm.  You will have to leave Chacala about 3 hours prior to your flight. 

We have shuttle van transportation for our group from the Puerto Vallarta airport to and from Chacala. 

It is a 90 mile drive to Chacala and a one hour time change (later) from Puerto Vallarta.  En route, anyone on the earlier shuttles may elect to take an optional stop at the "Big" grocery store in order to pick up food supplies, sun-tan lotion, drinks, or other sundries for your stay. 

Can’t arrive during our travel window?  Contact us for other options.

All travelers must have a valid passport for international travel and many countries require at least 6 months validity from the date of return. Some countries also require a machine-readable passport and/or unstamped available pages. When assisting with an international travel booking, we will assume that all travelers on the booking have a valid passport. If this is not the case, you must let us know. It is important to ensure you have valid passports, visas and re-entry permits which meet the requirements of immigration and other government authorities. Any fines, penalties, payments, delay or expenditures incurred as a result of such documents not meeting the requirements of those authorities will be your sole responsibility.

Proof of COVID Vaccination is NOT currently required for this trip.

Please check the most recent CDC update to view any change in regulations.  Requirements for travel to Mexico can be found at HERE.   Information about return travel to the US can be found at HERE. 

Travel insurance is required for all of our trips and will help protect both your investment and our vendors should you need to cancel. There are many companies that offer travel insurance options. You can sign up with one such policy during the payment checkout portion of this registration.  If you are a AAA member, you may want to check with them.  I have also found that Faye insurance is very easy to purchase online (www.withFaye.com).  This WeTravel site also has a travel insurance policy you may purchase at checkout.

Once you have purchased your travel insurance, please let us know the company name and policy number you have with them.

If you don't have a policy already and don’t want to use the one offered at check-out here, feel free to CLICK HERE to purchase insurance through our affiliate company, World Nomads*.

*PLEASE NOTE:  We do not represent World Nomads.  As an affiliate, we receive a small commission when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link.  This is information only and not a requirement to buy travel insurance through this company.

Although restaurants, stores, and ATMs in most tourist destinations in Mexico accept VISA, MC, and other bank, debit, and credit cards for access to pesos, Chacala is a small fishing village where many of the stores and restaurants only take pesos.  For this reason, you may want to exchange some currency before you come, or you can easily do it at the airport or at any tourist money exchange kiosk in town once you arrive.

Guided Tours (and pricing) Tours will be further discussed and organized during day #1 of orientation (i.e., there is no need to pre-purchase of any of these packages).  Everything will be done in Chacala.  Payment may be made by cash (US Dollars or Pesos) or by credit card.  All prices below are per person in US Dollars.  All prices below are subject to change. 

1.  La Caleta /Surf Break (2-3 hours)

• $40 USD per person (4 person minimum)
• 2 miles north of Chacala, access by boat.

2.  Chacala Bay Tour (2 hours)

• $40 USD total (Up to 5 people max)
• Option to be dropped at Chacalilla, Las Cuevas beaches for Lunch. Swimming/Snorkeling are available at an additional cost including return pickup. This tour price is for whole group not per person.

3.  Whale Watching (2 hours) *Seasonal*

• $30 USD per person (4 person minimum)

4.  Alta Vista Petroglyphs (4 hours)

• $30 USD per person (4 person minimum)
• Engraved images in volcanic stone over 2000 years old. Important religious center for the Huichole Native Americans.

5.  AltaVista Nuevo Ixtlan Aguas Termales (½ day)

• $30 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• Hot springs near Guayabitos

6.  Jamurcca Hot Springs (Near las Varas) (2-3 Hours)

• $20 USD per person (4 person minimum)
• Near Las Varas/La Cuata short 30 minutes from Chacala
• Pools at different temperatures , picnic lunch areas.

7.  La Penita Market (Thursdays) (4+ hours)

• $30 USD per person (4 person minimum)
• Extensions available to stay for lunch at both these market locations

8.  Guayabitos Market (Mondays) (4 + hours)

• $30 USD per person (4 person minimum)
• Vendors exhibit all year at both of these markets, but there are more artisan-type vendors during the high season from November through Mid April.

9.  Isla de Coral Snorkeling (½ Day) (Boat from Chacala)

• $40 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• A protected nature reserve just a 30 minute boat ride from Chacala. Great snorkeling for all levels. Snorkeling equipment is included.

10.  Compostela (½ Day)

• $35 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• Tour the historic City of Compostela and its surrounding areas including a visit to Nayarit coffee farm specializing in the production of Organic Coffee.

11.  La Isla de Mexcaltitan (Full Day)

• $60 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• Known as the Mexican Venice, La Isla de Mexcaltitan is a community on a man-made island surrounded by a lake and canals.

12.  Tequila (Full Day)

• $70 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• Visit Tequila, Jalisco, where you will explore the Agave plantations that make some of the world's most renowned Tequilas. Tasting is available at all locations. Adults 18 and Over for this trip.

13.  San Pancho (½ day)

• $30 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• Visit the sea-side artists colony of San Pancho

14.  Sayulita (½ Day)

• $30 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• Visit the sea-side surf capital the Nayarit Coast

15.  La Tovara Jungle Boat Ride/San Blas (½ Day)

• $40 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• Visit these extensive mangrove forest in a protected animal reserve. Tour the region's only crocodile reserve where you will learn about these amazing creatures as well as exotic birds and tropical fish. Includes beach lunch.

16.  Santa Maria Del Oro (Full Day)

• $60 USD per person (6 person minimum)
• Beautiful town with large Crater Lake, artisan shopping, and restaurants along the lake front.

CLICK HERE For Our Best Tips On Travel Preparation And Packing.

• Should you cancel less than 14 days of booking and greater than 180 days before the trip, you get a 100% refund of total cost minus a $150 admin fee.
• Should you cancel after 14 days of booking and up to 180 days before the trip you will get a 50% refund of total cost minus the $150 admin fee.
• Once we are within 180 days of the trip starting there are no refunds.
• Note:  should you find someone to fill your spot, we can transfer your balance to them minus the $150 fee. Should you become sick or have other issues it’s highly likely the required travel insurance would kick in and reimburse you so be sure and check with your provider. 
• It is the responsibility of the trip attendee to reach out in the event of a cancellation and make their payments on time. We reserve the right to hold payments according to the cancellation policy above to pay our vendors to make this trip happen. 
• By making a deposit you agree to above terms of service and cancellation policy.

Liability:

We exercise care in the selection of reputable travel service providers but we are not ourselves a provider of travel services and have no control over, or liability for, the services provided by third parties.  

In no event do we accept any liability in contract, tort or otherwise, for any injury, damage, loss, delay, additional expense or inconvenience caused directly or indirectly by the acts, omissions or default, whether negligent or otherwise, of third party providers over whom we have no direct control, force majeure or any other event which is beyond our control or which is not preventable by reasonable diligence on our part. We also do not accept any liability in contract, tort or otherwise, for consequential loss (meaning indirect loss, loss of revenue, loss of reputation, loss of profits, loss of actual or anticipated savings, lost opportunities, including opportunities to enter into arrangements with third parties or loss or damage in connection with claims against you by third parties) howsoever caused in connection with your booking.

Risks of Travel and Release: 

We assume no responsibility for and shall not be liable for the acts or omissions on the part of any other party not under our control or any acts of God, unsafe conditions, terrorism, health hazards including pandemics, illness, weather hazards, or the suitability for a disabled person of any portion of any trip. We have no special knowledge of dangers during travel or at destinations. For information related to such dangers, we recommend going to the State Department travel website at travel.state.gov, click on "Find International travel Information" then click on "Country Information", and fill in the name of the destination country. For medical and health information, we recommend going to the Centers for Disease Control website at cdc.gov/travel, then click on "Destinations" and scroll to the name of the destination country. It is your personal decision to travel, and you are doing so with full knowledge of current travel recommendations and travel restrictions with regards to the risks of COVID-19. YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY ASSUME ALL OF THESE RISKS AND DANGERS, AND YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY AGREE TO FOREVER RELEASE, DISCHARGE AND HOLD US, AND OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, ASSOCIATES, AFFILIATED COMPANIES, GUIDES, GROUP LEADERS, AND SUBCONTRACTORS HARMLESS AGAINST ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, ACTIONS, CAUSES OF ACTIONS, SUITS, CLAIMS, AND DEMANDS OF ANY AND EVERY KIND AND NATURE WHATSOEVER WHICH YOU NOW HAVE OR WHICH MAY HEREAFTER ARISE OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE RISKS AND Dangers.

If you have any questions, please contact us at danceadventures@comcast.net