Rancho Alegre is the jungle home of Tom and Nehier Bachmaier. Photo. Tom is an artist from Germany who does very detailed paintings on bamboo beads and makes jewelry from them which was previously sold at Club Med Huatulco and in the United States. Photo. His Columbian wife, Nehier, keeps a beautiful garden that contains many ornamental as well as practical plants. Photos. (Don't miss these although it's 480K.) Included are mango trees, avocado, lime, banana, bamboo, sapote, stone tree (tallest tree in the area), coffee bean, ginger, king's scepter, bird of paradise, philodendron, hyacinth, mother-in-law tongue, hibiscus, bromeliads, bougainvillea, mandevilla. They have a few rooms that they used to rent out to guests. Although they no longer do this, if the rooms are not already occupied by family or friends and you ask nicely . . . Also, El Paraiso, which is a short walk down the road (GPS 15°50.090'N 96°27.073'W), has clean rooms with ceiling fans for rent for 80 pesos (7/97).
The place is located about a mile east of Chacalapa. There is a lot of dense growth including many tall trees filled with bromeliads. This, coupled with a bit of altitude makes the area pleasantly cooler than the nearby coastline. You can go hiking, see some waterfalls (in the rainy season), visit the sulfur springs, admire the jewelry, and sample the homegrown produce and coffee. There is a public swimming pool and restaurant within walking distance. Use your insect repellent.
| Directions: | Take Hwy 200 (Carretera Costera) to Pochutla (GPS 15°43.756'N 96°28.520'W). Go north on Hwy 175 about 8 miles to San José Chacalapa. Turn right at the basketball court (GPS 15°49.743'N 96°27.846'W). Drive across the court and take the first right and the next left. Stay on the most heavily traveled dirt road. The Balneareo El Paraiso is also on this road just past Rancho Alegre and water trucks and busses pass over it, so don't get on anything that looks like it couldn't handle those kinds of vehicles. You can ask for El Paraiso along the way to be sure you're on the right track. Rancho Alegre is one mile from Chacalapa on the left behind a Mother-in-Law's Tongue hedge (GPS 15°50.042'N 96°27.174'W). |
The mailing address is: A. P. #73, 70900, Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico.