El cerro de los monos

“El cerro de los monos” is the name locals call the mountain Cynhia, Erin, Alyssa and I hiked on Saturday. Everyone assumes this translates to “Monkey Mountain” in English, including Mexi Treks, the outdoor trekking company that led us to the top of the mountain. The name is peculiar because as you walk through the forest there are no traces of monkeys to be found.

Our tour guide, Steve, has a deep understanding of the land in and around Sayulita, including its history. Throughout the tour he told us all he knew about the land, which helped clear up the confusion surrounding the mountain’s name. “Mono” can be translated into English in two different ways: “mono” and “figurine.” The correct, though uncommon, translation is “Figurine Mountain.” Years ago the mountain was used by indigenous groups. They would make figurines out of clay dug from the soil. Then, they would climb to the top of the mountain and leave the clay figurines as offerings to the gods they worshiped. When other people came to this area they heard the name and assumed “mono” meant “monkey.” Like the four of us, they were confused when they hiked to the top without seeing or even hearing a single monkey. For some reason the incorrect translation has persisted throughout time. Though some people, like Steve, know the true name of the mountain.

Steve is pretty sure this is another remnant from the

indigenous groups. The "X" on the lower left corner

is supposedly one of their markings. 

Even though we didn’t come across any monkeys, we did encounter heaps of ram bull poop, herds of the actual animal, and all kinds of spiders and bugs. Luckily, Steve blazed the trail so the tics attached themselves to him, and he pointed spiders out before we walked into their intricately woven webs. The spiders were not considered big for Mexico, but by Midwest standards they were enormous. I never thought I would describe a spider as cool, but the coolest spider we saw was like a turtle—it actually had a shell!

Cynhia and I posing with our hiking sticks.

I'm pretty sure Steve made them himself!

The hike was taxing and treacherous. There were parts where the trail was so narrow that there was no room for mistakes. Some of the ascents were so steep that we had to use a rope to pull ourselves up. But one glance at the view from the top, a 1,300 feet elevation, made the hike well worth the effort it took to wake up early on a Saturday. We could see miles upon miles of the surrounding forest, not to mention the Pacific Coast from Punta de Mita all the way to Sayulita. Steve pointed out a beautiful hotel south of Sayulita that looked like giant brown mansions. The luxury hotels cost $5,000 a night and have hosted Jack Black from the White Stripes, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin in the past. Apparently this little town is a hidden gem for people from all walks of life—including the rich and famous!

One of our views was of the luxury

hotels. They cost $5,000 a night!

Once we reached the top of the mountain we chugged our bottles of water, gorged ourselves on the granola bars we packed, and took a lot of snapshots. After about an hour of this, we started the descent. Hiking down the mountain was much more difficult than the hike up. I sort of psyched myself out because Steve gave us a quick lecture before climbing down that most hiking injuries occur going down. I used my hiking stick for support, but still found myself sliding down certain parts of the mountain—mostly the sandy parts. But, I am here. I survived!

A beautiful view of the Pacific Coast. 

Sayulita is to the north so it can't be

seen in this photo.

Me at the top of el cerro de los monos. 

A hike well worth the effort :)

A view of Sayulita and the surrounding area--so much nature!

The houses and buildings along the coast at 

the top of this photo are those of Sayulita!

When we got home Cynhia and I rewarded ourselves with a trip to the beach. We took naps in the sand and woke up to cold water splashing our feet. There was a swell this weekend, so the waves were out of control. This was good news for the many seasoned surfing gurus of Sayulita. We sat and admired them surfing the giant waves for awhile before calling it a night and giving our legs a much deserved rest.