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About Us – Our Story
The Story of La Chuparosa de Saladita
La Chuparosa isn’t just a place. It’s also a story, an experience. There’s a beginning, a middle and so far no end in sight.
From Film Composer to Mexican Vacation Rentals Designer and Host
Life can take unexpected turns when you’re following what you love.
After spending decades sitting in dark, airless recording studios composing music for film and TV, I didn’t even realize how out of balance my life had become.
An invitation from an old friend to take some surfing lessons couldn’t have been more timely. I discovered a whole world I’d been missing. The salt air, the pelicans and dolphins as well as the physical challenge and joy of racing along powered by the waves… I fell in love with surfing!
Soon I was waking every day before dawn, putting my board in the car and driving half an hour to pull on my wetsuit and paddle out into the chilly ocean as the sun rose. A few years into that routine a fellow surfer saw that I was goofy foot and told me I had to visit Playa La Saladita in Mexico. So, of course, I did.
The La Chuparosa Dream. Here’s What Happened.
After a few spectacular rides on Saladita’s long left breaking wave, I sat out in the 84-degree water in only board shorts and a rash guard, looking back at the curve of the beautiful tropical beach with the majestic mountains beyond. I felt a deep connection to the place. A dream was born.
I also realized that this was one of those speak now or forever hold your peace situations. I contacted a local real estate agent right away to see what might be possible. There were only a few buildings on the beach so it seemed like there would be a lot of land for sale. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. There were no available lots that were close enough to the break to suit my vision. I went home bummed because it seemed that I had missed an opportunity.
The Dream Was Palpable and Compromise Wasn’t an Option
I considered looking into the available properties about a mile up the beach, but I kept seeing myself walking out the front gate with my board paddling right out to the break, no car needed please! A few weeks later the phone rang. It was the real estate agent calling to say that a couple of beach-front lots were just about to go on the market. They were in the perfect spot. And I was ready.
A quick trip back to Playa de Saladita, a crash course in the intricacies of buying land in Mexico and with the total support of my wife, Ann, we soon had our dream property.
Life was definitely taking a turn.
The Dream Crystalized into Guest Villas and Casitas at some of the Longest Left Breaking Waves on the Pacific Coast of Mexico
I began to visualize the kind of place I wanted to create to share this experience with future guests. I knew that the way the place would feel as well as the visual aesthetic mattered a great deal to me. There were some architects in the area that I admired, but none of them were available. I was disappointed, but then I had a crazy thought. I know what I want. I’ve always been fascinated by architecture. It’s not music, but it is basically another kind of creative problem solving right? I can do this! Curves and spaces designed with classic Mexican materials and colors began to take form in my mind. Dedicated to creating the property just how I envisioned it, I dove in, taught myself a simple autocad program and designed the entire property on my laptop. With the help of a local architect, we translated my 3D design into working plans, checked engineering, created plumbing and electrical plans and prepared for construction.
The hands-on, deep dive approach continued. I’ve heard that if building were a sport, getting something built in Mexico is an extreme sport. In those days there was a lot of truth in that. After some setbacks with our original contractor, I moved down to Playa la Saladita for about a year to oversee the completion of the project with a lot of help from our manager Beto.
The First Guests and Today’s Wonderful Repeat Visitors
In October of 2009 the first guests arrived. La Chuparosa was forging ahead. Now after ten years in business, I love hearing from guests about all the meaningful experiences they’ve had on their repeat visits to La Chuparosa. They tell us about the ways our dream has been part of their lives, how their kids have literally grown up vacationing with us. How they decided to get married after a romantic stay in a casita.
It makes the whole journey so worthwhile. What could be better?