About a mile away, near the good restaurants, on the opposite side of Bucerías, consider the inviting, moderately priced Casa Tranquila (Morelos 7A, tel. 329/298-1767, cell 322/728-7519, www.casatranquila-bucerias.com). Welcoming owners Patricia Mendez and Joan Quickstad offer five compact one-bedroom kitchenette apartments that open to a lovely tropical garden pool patio. All of the apartments are clean, comfortable, and individually decorated (in Aztec, Gringo, Vaquero, Suzie Wong, and Quimixto styles). Rates range from about $40 d to about $55 d, depending on season and whether you prefer air-conditioning or fan. Amenities include bookstore/coffee shop next door, massage, laundry service, airport pickup, and services and good restaurants close by.

Around the corner, less than a block away, find the inviting Hotel Palmeras (35 Lázaro Cárdenas, tel./fax 329/298-1288, from U.S./Can. 1-647/722-4139, www.hotelpalmeras.com). Here you have all the basics for a cozy tropical beach vacation: about 20 comfortable, attractively decorated one- and two-bedroom kitchenette apartments built around a tranquil and spacious tropical pool patio, just a block from the beach. If some of the apartments seem a bit dark, ask for one upstairs for more light and privacy. Recent construction has added a new wing of apartments. Prices, moreover, are right, with the one-bedrooms in the old wing running about $35 low season, $55 high, two bedrooms about $65 low, $90 high for four persons, all with air-conditioning, fans, and kitchenettes. The new-wing apartments, all either studios or one-bedroom, run about $65 low season, $80 high ($90 and $105 for the penthouse), all with air-conditioning, fans, and cable TV. Amenities include lounge with satellite TV, in-house wireless Internet, and good restaurants close-by.

About four blocks farther south is the popular Bungalows Arroyo (500 Lázaro Cárdenas, tel./fax 329/298-0076, bungalowsarroyo [at] hotmail [dot] com). The dozen-odd roomy two- bedroom apartments are clustered beside a palmy swimming pool and garden half a block from the beach. The units are comfortably furnished, each with king-size beds, private balcony, kitchen, and living and dining room. Units rent for about $100 low season, $120 high, with discounts available for monthly rentals. They’re popular; get your winter reservations in months early.

(Note: Development has eliminated both of Bucerías’s trailer parks. As of this writing, the closest trailer parks are south in Puerto Vallarta and north in Sayulita.)