Welcome to the Tailwind Jungle Lodge

Perched amidst majestically swaying palm trees, Tailwind is a sustainable jungle lodge, retreat center and adventure tour company on the Mexican Pacific. Our motto? Enjoy life! Between kayaking, hiking, surfing, yoga and relaxing around the lodge, it's definitely easy to do just that.

The Tailwind lodge was founded by the adventurous Jacobi family in 2007. The lodge is located on the spectacular coastline, just north of the charming town of San Pancho (official name, San Francisco)in the state of Nayarit. The lodge's creatively designed, tree-house like bungalows, palapas and casitas are nestled amidst 5 acres of truly stunning jungle ridges descending to white sand beaches and vast pacific ocean.

This is truly a natural playground of jungle, beach and ocean.

The Tailwind Story

The Tailwind dream was conjured over the course of many long distance wilderness expeditions. The Jacobi family slowly turned their daydreams of a family business into reality and the Tailwind lodge was founded in 2007. We now work, play and thrive together in the Mexican jungle. The creation of the lodge has been one of the greatest and most challenging adventures that the family has undertaken! The Jacobi family has come a long way since our daydreams in the wilds.

Some of our family adventures have included:

• Mountain Biking 2000 miles of the USA's continental Divide
• Mountaineering Pico De Orizaba (3rd highest peak in North America)
• Sea Kayaking 900 miles down the Baja's Sea of Cortez
• Backpacking California's John Muir Trail (220 miles)
• Vermont's Long Trail (270 miles)

Tailwind Staff / Jacobi Family

Tigre, Financial Arm, Builder Designer Co-Founder of Tailwind

A lifelong dreamer and adventurer. A designer builder, and extreme traveler by nature. Tiger raised his family with a genuine love and appreciation for the outdoors. Creativity is something he has always admired and enjoyed and he is delighted to now have a jungle canvas to play with! Tiger worked in the outdoor industry for a number of years, allowing him to travel with his family to the most beautiful and remote parts of North America. He and the Jacobi family have always focused on the active outdoor life and it was only a matter of time before talk slowly evolved towards a business that the whole family could enjoy and be proud of. Thus the concept of Tailwind emerged. A lifelong dream, fulfilled.

Judi, Community Outreach & Environmental Protection

Judi began life humbly as 1 of 6 kids in Alaska. Her father was a commercial fisherman and Judi's fondest memories were of summers spent at our very remote fishing camp. In this wild and beautiful place, flanked by snow caped mountains, she and her family lived with bald eagles, whooping cranes, beluga whales and seals. The camp was accessible only by small plane or boat. There was no power or plumbing and they collected rainwater for drinking, etc. Living so close to nature planted a seed in Judi that has endured.

When Judi and her husband, Tiger, started a family, they backpacked, bikpacked, kayaked and canoed-leaving civilization behind and instilling a love of nature in our children. In 2005 they found this beautiful piece of jungle. Through the arduous process of obtaining legal right to the land, Judi promised the powers of the universe that she and her family would carve out a place to dwell here in the most delicate way possible with the natural setting as her first priority. Judi says "This vow has now given my life a most wonderful purpose. With like minded family members I am committed to sharing this special place with visitors from afar as well as the local community. Our mission is also to be an example to others building in this delicate environment."

Judi is now living far from her original Alaska home and says she has much to learn about this tropical area. "The more knowledge I gain about it, the more it teaches me about myself and the bond I have with it " she says.

Tamara, Tailwind Manager & Holistic Health Coach

Tamara has fallen in love with the jungle. For this member of the Tailwind family, the jungle path hasn't always been smooth, but the more time she spends in the jungle outside of San Pancho, the more she is captivated and intoxicated by its natural beauty and way of life!

While studying Sustainable Development in Australia in 2005, Tamara was elated to hear that her parents were buying 5 acres of wild jungle on the Mexican Pacific. After her studies abroad she took a semester off from college to help advise and assist her parents in building and designing a sustainable jungle lodge. Upon her return to Middlebury College (a small liberal arts college in VT), she wrote up a business plan for Tailwind Outdoor and graduated in Feb. 2007 with a degree in Environmental Economics. Since then, Tamara has poured all her energy into the creation of the Tailwind lodge and adventure tours.

Today Tamara is awed and inspired by the progress Tailwind, has made, as a jungle lodge and as a family business. "To watch the Tailwind lodge begin to thrive is a family dream come true!", she says with a smile.

Rhett, Kayak/Surf Guide, Surf School Director

Finally joining the family business full time in the fall of 2009, Rhett is the newest member of the Tailwind team. Graduating in 2008 from the University of Vermontwith a degree in Economics and Recreation Management, Rhett is ready to dive into jungle life, and be part of the family business.

Having been a ski instructor for 7 years, and a surf instructor during the past 2 holiday seasons, Rhett is a great teacher. With patience, and a positive attitude anyone can become a surfer. Rhett has had experience teaching people of all ages, so no one is too young or old to try kayaking or surfing for the first time.

Whether is it skiing back country peaks, surfing desolate breaks, of discovering hidden beaches from the seat of a kayak, Rhett is up for a fun day outside. Being certified in Wilderness First Aid, he has a mind for safety and fun. After spending 8 months discovering Central America's best surf spots, Rhett still claims that some of the best surf is right around San Pancho.

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