AURA WINARICK

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Ligita Lapé: Following Cacao

A world traveler comes to Troncones and stays to share her passion for chocolate-making

Cacao. It’s “kuh·kau”, a tree, native to South America, that produces a pod containing seeds, or “beans”, which for over 7000 years have been harvested, heated and transformed into beverages and foods, liquors and chocolates. Its scientific name, Theobroma cacao, is Greek for “food of the gods”, a reflection of the bean’s place in Mexico’s Mayan and Aztec culture where it was considered a gift from the gods, where its use was typically reserved for special occasions, weddings and ceremonies. Among many of Mexico’s indigenous tribes, cacao as a dried bean became a currency, its value and status plainly understood. Cacao. It’s nourishment. It’s medicine. It’s an essential. It’s a luxury. It’s comforting. It’s over-stimulating. It’s earthly. It’s sacred. It’s everyday. It’s special. It’s complicated. Ligita Lapé and her Troncones-based brand Tribu Del Cacao, caught my eye on Instagram before I happened to meet her for the first time at Jahvé, the vegetable and fruit store just south of the T. Ligita knows the complexities of cacao first-hand, as a maker, artist and brewer and as someone who’s sure cacao speaks to her, as a guide, a co-conspirator and a source of inspiration. We sat down together in her treehouse-like apartment in early September and talked about how she was drawn to cacao’s magic.

AMANDA HARRIS: ORGANIC FARMER

Bringing new ways, new foods and new life to people along the Costa Grande

Led by Amanda Harris, Gente Viva is a local permaculture farm focused on sustaining the land, the aquifer and the watershed. It’s changing food culture throughout Guerrero. Founded on agroecological principles, Gente Viva farms approximately 10 hectares set in a tranquil coastal plain about 40 minutes south of Troncones. Amanda’s field team makes use of regenerative practices, composting systems, passive rainwater harvesting, as well as age-old concepts like sembrando agua (planting water), to nourish both soil and community.

Chef Profile: Axee Nava

A young culinary artist from Troncones blends formal training, private-chef experience and a sourdough obsession into a path that is distinctly his own

At 26 years old, Axee Nava has already spent more than a decade working in kitchens. What stands out most in speaking with him is not his technical training—it’s his ambition. He talks openly about wanting to move beyond simply being known as “the chef from La Mexicana” and towards building a recognizable culinary identity for himself.

OPEN FOR THE SEASON

Places to eat and drink right now in Troncones, Majahua & Saladita

The rhythm shifts this time of year. The waves get bigger, the beaches are quieter, and the pace slows way down. Some places close, but plenty stay open—and honestly, this is one of the best times to go enjoy them. Gone for the season? Coming to visit? Don’t worry—we’re still here. It’s not really low season anyway—it’s surf season, chill season, quiet season—and once the rains come, we call it, “green season”. Here we are, open as always—no crowds, no pressure, no reservations needed. Just good food, familiar faces, and a little more room to breathe.

Clémentine Didi at Playa Viva

A New York Times recommended chef and designer brings her perspectives and flavors—a little of France, Southeast Asia and Baja California—to our coast

This weekend, from Friday to Sunday, eco-resort Playa Viva will host a residency with Clémentine Didi—the creative force behind Tiger Club in La Paz, Baja California Sur—with the Dijon, France-born Clémentine bringing her Southeast Asian–inspired cooking to our local coast for a series of lunches and dinners built around locally grown and sourced foods.

Cocos Fríos: Lorenzo by the Bridge

You can’t miss him

Just next to the first bridge in Troncones, under the trees, there’s a hand-painted COCOS FRIOS sign on an old surfboard. That’s where Lorenzo sets up each day, with a stack of green coconuts. His stand is as simple as it gets—two old refrigerators laid on their sides, doubling as both coolers and tables. He’s got a bit of shade, a machete, some buckets, some ice. It’s totally refreshing.

Josefina & María Jetzabel: Mother & Daughter

The mother’s restaurant is named for her daughter; the daughter does her own thing in her own kitchen

María Jetzabel, at the T in Troncones. At one end of the property, Josefina stands over a pan set on the flame, watching a fish as it hits hot oil. At the other end, her daughter María Jetzabel builds Tostilocos for a younger crowd—lime, chamoy, noodles, chips, candy, something crunchy and bright, served in a cup or bag. Same name. Same family. Two very different restaurants, side-by-side in a town that’s evolving around them.

The Fruit Truck

A conversation with Brayan and Jony

It’s a rolling community center, farmers market and treasure chest—all in one—the fruit truck. It’s in Troncones somewhere, every other day. It’s always surrounded by people smiling. The guys on the truck—brothers Brayan and Jonathan Moctezuma Acosta—are part of the reason why they’re smiling. That and their produce, which is exactly what you need, even if you didn’t know you needed it.

Inside the Troncones Cooking School

A family-run cooking school rooted in wood fire, clay and everyday Mexican food

Just beyond the dining room at Rufi’s is a working kitchen where traditional Mexican cooking is taught over wood fire, by the same family that’s been feeding Troncones for decades. It’s a beautiful way to touch and taste tradition.

Eating Cactus

A Primer of Local Prickly Delights

All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti—and somewhere on the long drive from the border, I learned that some of them are unforgettable.

Ever Have Tostilocos?

A Field Guide to Mexico’s Most Unhinged Snack

Tostilocos are the kind of snack that sound like a dare until you’ve had them. It’s when you find yourself defending them as a delicacy, as a cultural treat, that you realize you’re hooked, that you’re planning on having them again.

The Women Redefining Mexican Wine

Mexican wine isn’t new, but the people making it are

Mexican wine has existed for centuries, but the story being written now is entirely new. For decades, winemaking here followed European rules, European styles and European expectations. But, the most exciting wines in Mexico today are being made by a young generation reshaping the industry from the inside out—many of them women.

A Troncones Challenge

All the groceries and food you need are here

You don’t actually need to leave Troncones to fill your fridge. Sure, Zihuatanejo has two full-size air-conditioned supermarkets and a Sam’s Club just 30 minutes away, but the more time you spend here the less you’ll want to go.

Pozole: Eat Me, It’s Thursday

How Cannibalism Became a Nice Bowl of Chicken Soup

When I started researching pozole, I thought I’d be writing a love letter to the Thursday night corn-based soup you’ll find all over Guerrero. To me, pozole is comfort food, the Mexican cousin of the Jewish-mother chicken soup I grew up believing would fix anything. Warm, steady, medicinal. Therapy. I didn’t expect to stumble into a story about ritual sacrifice and flayed gods, or human flesh stewing along with maíz [corn]. Who knew?‍

GUEST CHEF: Paloma Solis

Empapelado de pescado • Banana leaf fish

A simple Mesoamerican technique for modern jungle kitchens

WHAT IS THAT FISH?

A look at what's what in the fish market and on your plate

Every fish has its flavor and its fan club

What’s on the Table:

Old faves, new ideas in Troncones, Majahua & Saladita

Restaurants are part of the fabric of daily life here: places to gather, linger, celebrate, or just grab something delicious and familiar. But it’s never static. Spaces change hands, chefs bring fresh ideas, and new spots quietly pop up in places you’ve walked past a hundred times. Dogs wander between tables, friends stop by to say hello, and more often than not you’ll run into someone you know. Our local food scene is casual, creative and always evolving—a mix of long-loved staples, fresh ideas, and small surprises that make you look twice and say, “Well, that’s new.” Old favorites to new arrivals, familiar kitchens to fresh projects, there’s always something happening—and while most places welcome walk-ins, the most popular tables do fill up fast in high season, so a reservation is sometimes a smart move. While we’re still putting together a full restaurant directory–complete with menus, hours and insider tips–here’s a taste of what’s cooking, morning, noon, and night.

Eat Like a Local

Street Tacos, Cenedurías, Fondas and the Secret Life of Mexican Comfort Food

If you’ve been in Troncones long enough, you already know some of the best meals aren’t mentioned on Trip Advisor and don't have a menu. You might just need to be in the know...they show up on Saturday or Sunday mornings, serving until they run out, or pop-up after dark in someone's house with a couple of plastic tables and a bare lightbulbs, or from a beautiful woman with her pots on a table on the sidewalk shrouded in embroidered towels.

LA HIGUERA

A visit to a spectacular home suspended off a Troncones hillside

A sign appeared on the road along Manzanillo Bay a few months ago reading “La Higuera”. Literally, the fig tree. Following the arrow up the mountainside a little ways leads you to an extremely unique sort of floating house.

ARCHIVE #1: HEROES & MORE

Every Story, Every Sponsor, Every Hero Shot—All in One Place

Archive already? Yep! Since we launched La Onda Troncones in early October, we've published nine newsletters, one every two weeks. If you missed one, or you're searching for a specific story, this is where you'll find them all—and where you can connect to our sponsors and the photographers behind our hero shots.

Palm Trees Aren’t From Here Either

A guide to the palms that shape Troncones—and how they got to the Costa Grande

Palm trees feel inseparable from life in Troncones. They frame the beach, shade the road, soften new buildings, and quietly define what “tropical” looks like. But here’s the thing: most of the palms you see here didn’t originate in this region. Some arrived centuries ago. Others came much more recently. A few don’t belong botanically at all—they just look the part.

Your Day of the Dead Altar

How to Build your Own Ofrenda

In Mexico, welcoming guests always begins with food, drink and a warm embrace. This ritual of la bienvenida—the welcome—is so central to local culture that it extends beyond the living. Every autumn, we-the-living prepare the same kind of welcome for those who have passed on. It’s called la ofrenda, the altar, built to guide our loved ones back home for Día de los Muertos. An altar is more than decoration. It is memory, tradition, and love made visible. Some are simple — a few candles, flowers, and a photo. Others are elaborate displays with arches, tiers, and dozens of offerings. All are equally valid. What matters most is intention.