Riviera Nayarit

The Pacific coast north of Puerto Vallarta, with the surf town of Sayulita, the Punta Mita resort area, and secluded beaches in the Marietas Islands, where boat trips in winter offer sightings of humpback whales.

Riviera Nayarit stretches along the Pacific coast of southern Nayarit State, Mexico. It runs north from Nueva Vallarta, just north of Puerto Vallarta, to San Blas, a distance of about 300 km. Its core area is the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, which includes the seaside towns of Bucerías, La Cruz, Punta Mita, Sayulita, and San Pancho.

There are three main ways to spend time here. First, learn to surf in Sayulita and stroll through its hippie-style town with fluttering flags, or visit the quieter fishing villages of San Pancho and Lo de Marcos. Second, check into high-end resorts in Punta Mita and Nueva Vallarta to play golf and enjoy spa treatments. Third, head out to sea: take a boat to Marietas Islands National Park to explore its famous hidden beaches (only with licensed boat operators, and daily visitor numbers are limited). From December to March, humpback whales breed in the bay, and you can spot them on almost every trip. Heading north, Guayabitos and Chacala are mostly calm family beaches. Farther north are the colonial port of San Blas and the Tovara mangroves.

The best season is November to April, the dry season, with clear skies and little rain. June to October is the hot, humid rainy season, with hurricane risk around September. Getting there: Puerto Vallarta International Airport is the most convenient. It is 10 minutes to Nueva Vallarta and about 45 minutes to Sayulita, and frequent local buses run along Highway 200. Note that Nayarit and Jalisco are in different time zones (Nayarit is one hour behind Puerto Vallarta, but Bahía de Banderas municipality follows Jalisco time), so confirm times when booking boat tours. Plan 4–6 days: choose one town as your base, with a day at sea and a day for surfing or the beach. A trip north to San Blas takes a full day.

Top sights

• Islas Marietas – An uninhabited volcanic island group at the mouth of Banderas Bay, protected as a national park and biosphere reserve, famous for its 'hidd…
• Sayulita – A surf town and 'Magic Town' in Nayarit, with colourful flags strung across the streets, hippie boutiques and beginner-friendly waves that…
• Punta de Mita – A peninsula at the northern tip of Banderas Bay with luxury resorts, surf breaks and calm beaches, and the closest departure point for the…
• San Pancho (San Francisco) – A quiet town north of Sayulita with a long beach, a polo ground and a community arts centre, with a more relaxed atmosphere than Sayulita.
• La Cruz de Huanacaxtle – A northern-shore fishing village and marina, where the Sunday market and the dawn 'Mercado del Mar' (Sea Market) at the fishing harbour are…
• Bucerías – A calm fishing town on the north shore of Banderas Bay, with a long beach suited to swimming and kitesurfing. Its weekend craft markets and…
• Playa Destiladeras – A long golden-sand beach between La Cruz and Punta de Mita, named after the freshwater seeping from the cliff walls, with gentle waves suit…
• Nuevo Vallarta – A resort area on the Nayarit side, right next to Puerto Vallarta airport, with wide beaches, a marina and a concentration of all-inclusive…
• Lo de Marcos – A quiet fishing village north of San Pancho, with a curved bay of small waves and warm water, a low-key retreat favoured by Mexican local f…
• Rincón de Guayabitos – A family beach town in a calm bay, where glass-bottom boat trips to Coral Island offer snorkelling. It is a popular holiday destination for…
• Altavista Petroglyphs – Ancient rock carvings with spiral motifs in a tropical forest gorge, still regarded as a sacred site by the Huichol people.
• Chacala – A small bay fishing village ringed by palm trees, with golden sand, small waves, seafood shacks and yoga guesthouses. It is a hidden beach…
• San Blas – A Spanish colonial Pacific port town, with the La Contaduría fortress on the hilltop overlooking the river mouth. It is known for birdwatch…
• La Tovara – A mangrove waterway near San Blas, where small boats glide through a green tunnel to spot crocodiles and waterbirds, ending at a clear spri…

Where to eat

• Tuna Blanca – A seafood restaurant run by celebrity chef Thierry Blouet on the Punta de Mita beach, popular for sunset dinners.
• El Itacate Tacos – A popular taco stand in Sayulita, known for signature tacos that swap the corn tortilla for crispy pan-fried cheese.
• El Rincón de Ensenada Fish Tacos – A small shop in downtown Bucerías serving Ensenada-style fried fish tacos. Affordable, and often busy at mealtimes.

Itineraries

• Riviera Nayarit Northbound Road Trip – Drive north along Highway 200 from resort bays to surf towns, petroglyphs, and the San Blas mangroves.
• Guadalajara, Tequila & Pacific Coast – From the great western city through the Tequila region down to the coast, covering cities, wine country, ruins, and bea…