The Most Peaceful Setting in Mexico?

If you’re searching for extreme tranquility in Mexico, in our opinion you don’t have to look farther than the Jardin del Pulpo — the Octopus’ Garden — in La Cruz on Banderas Bay.

The ‘Garden’ is an enclosed shaded refuge surrounded by a number of whimsical yet functional structures, with a central fountain providing soothing background music. The compound currently functions as a coffee shop, hostel, Huichol art gallery, dance and exercise workshop, and a venue for frequently unusual educational presentations.

The Jardin has been the passion of Waylan Combe Wright of England and his wife Aruna Piroshki, who was born in Egypt but raised in England after age seven.

The couple met while studying architecture, but soon decided that they were more interested in artistic and performance endeavors. For example, they built a little cart they would tow behind their bicycles and take to fairs in London. Dressed in costume, they would sell samosas — which are deep-fried vegetable curry pastries — from the fanciful cart.

Somewhere along the line they got a bee in their bonnet to sail across the Atlantic and Caribbean and up the Columbia River, and to Pt. Townsend, Washington. To that end they built a 32-ft catamaran out of locally obtained materials — which meant canvas, tar and paper, over a pine-and-ash wood frame. The pine came from the floors of their former home in London. Aruna describes the vessel as "a cross between an Irish curragh and a Polynesian catamaran."

The bold couple set sail across the Atlantic in 1982 with their seven-month-old daughter Kaerolik. She was given the Eskimo name because she was born during the coldest winter ever recorded in England. Aruna says that after Kaerolik spent so much time on the boat "she couldn’t wait to dive into schooling." The woman with the Eskimo name has since grown up in the tropics to become an environmental engineer.

The family spent two years in Nicaragua and four years in Costa Rica before finally arriving at then-quiet La Cruz in 1990. Somewhere along the way the cat’s single mast was replaced with a mast on each hull. Very innovative. The sails are vaguely reminiscent of those on Maltese Falcon. The family never did make it to Port Townsend.

After renting the Jardin grounds starting in 1994, Waylon and Aruna bought it in 1999 and have continued to make additions and improvements. A do-it-yourselfer all the way, the 66-year-old Waylan tragically fell from a ladder last year, suffering considerable damage to his spine. Mostly bedridden ever since, he’s been making progress as evidenced by three recent assisted visits to a swimming pool. He reports that his body and spirits have been buoyed by regular visits by very good friends in the local community. Thanks to a voice-activated computer, he’s beginning to write a book about the couple’s adventures.

From the minute we met Waylon and Aruna, we’ve felt a close affinity and deep admiration for their unconventional yet productive lifestyle. During our life we’ve made several dismal attempts at meditation. Ironically, about the most successful meditations we’ve experienced have been while writing next to the fountain and greenery of the Jardin del Pulpo. If you’re looking for something a little different and very peaceful, we recommend a visit to the Octopus’ Garden.

Do you have a favorite tranquil place in Mexico — or anywhere else in the sailing world? We’d love to hear about it.