Introduction

Two and a half hours north of the port is the verdant Costa Esmeralda, or Emerald Coast, 12 miles of coastline that’s home to dark grey sandy beaches lapped by translucent green waters and cooled by slender palms.

Earmarked for further development, the area already features notable accommodations. Billed as an “eco boutique hotel,” the partly solar-powered Taboga (www.taboga.com.mx) combines boutique ho-tel services and amenities with ecotourism activities in a tropical chic 10-room property on the beach, in-cluding a spa with sea views. The palm-thatched Azucar (www.hotelazucar.com) offers 20 attractive beach-front bungalows and a spa.