Copala. Now This Is a Relaxing Village.

You want a colonial village close to Mazatlán that has cobbled streets, a nice restaurant with a breezy veranda and a fine view, an old cathedral with grass growing out the bell tower, typical buildings, a relaxing atmosphere verging on comatose and you don't want cheeky boys on donkeys, ulama players, people bugging you to eat in their restaurants and buy all that tourist pap, then Copala is the place to go after you have been to  El Quelite , where the tour operator will take you anyway.

Drive towards Durango and don't blink when it's time to turn off or you will miss the road to this tranquil village and even then when you eventually find the turning and drive down you will still think you are heading nowhere. Keep going around a few blind corners, up and down, pigs, cows and shacks and bright washing on a line and up and over vibradores, cobbles rattling under the car or donkey cart if that's your mode, a street lamp then you will appear in the village under a big shady tree. Park up and start walking.

Daniel's Pool 

Daniel's Kitchen

Wouldn't anyone desire a kitchen like this at home instead of those shiny brushed aluminium impersonal things that generally has a servant to keep it spotless.

You can have the  whole of Daniel's restaurant to yourself where you can really
s p r e       a         d                                                                out.
The blurb says  the banana cream pie is the best in Mexico but if you've come here from Alaska only to try it and it isn't..........

Daniels' Restaurant

......you can even dive off the edge if you have the notion. The drop is high enough if you take off from your table. There is also a grotto under there with bats and things where you can stroll and cool off. The tale goes that throughout Mexico's history every famous brigand and revolutionary on the run from the Federales hid in there. It's not a very exciting walk in the dark (there are a couple of lightbulbs hanging) because you may break a leg on a rickety wooden step but it's more exciting than watching a boy on a smelly donkey ask for money just for the excitement of you seeing him sit on a donkey in El quelite.

Poor person's shack down the road. I bet this is the most photographed house there as everyone who passes by takes a picture like this. 

We at MAZREAL are certainly going back to COPALA if only to have a  stroll and then a simple meal and drink a few beers on that cool verander with our feet up and think of the poor wretches back in  big city buzzing around slowly killing themselves from stress and anxiety. 


So if you want to go to a tranquil colonial town come here first but watch out for those construction lorries on the road.