Riviera Nayarit, a three hundred kilometre stretch of Mexico’s central Pacific coast, is fast becoming one of the country’s top sun and beach destinations. The area around Banderas Bay, where the region’s gateway airport is located, shared with neighbouring Puerto Vallarta, together with the magnificent hotel infrastructure, is a privileged place for its natural environment and the authenticity of its people.
However, for the European traveller, Nayarit’s inland tourism potential is still largely unexplored.
Moving from the Bay of Banderas to the north and northwest of Nayarit, a state about the same size as Belgium, means getting to know an impressive mountain range, the Sierra Madre, which crosses almost the entire Mexican territory from north to south. Beautiful valleys surround Tepic, the state capital, and there is an extensive wetland region near the historic town of San Blas, home to the Marismas Nacionales, a protected rural complex of tropical forests, lagoons and grasslands.
For the tourist, this region offers wonderful scenic hiking trails around impressive waterfalls, rivers and volcanic craters; breathtaking bird watching sites; Pueblos Magicos – a designation given by the Mexican government to those communities that have maintained their original traditions, history, culture and architecture over time, places with great symbolism and legends that connect visitors to the essence of Mexico; archaeological sites; and culinary routes with delicious seafood, fresh mountain produce, tropical fruits and excellent coffee. This beautiful and lush land is still relatively “undiscovered” by international travellers, despite being home to indigenous cultures whose mystical rituals and colourful art enhance the unique character of this region of Mexico. The most renowned being the Wixárika or Huichol culture.
Actividades Nearby activities
For visitors staying at any of Riviera Nayarit’s many hotels, the mountains with their temperate tropical climate offer a wide range of land-based activities.
Classics include canopy or zip lining through Mexico’s lush rainforests, therapeutic yoga classes or even jungle trail walks.
Other fun things to do in Nayarit include abseiling, off-road vehicle adventure tours or a guided cross-country eco-adventure tour.
Nature lovers can enjoy the nearby mountains of Riviera Nayarit on a horseback riding tour or participate in a bird watching tour, visit the El Cora crocodile sanctuary or the Lo de Perla Jungle Garden, an exceptional orchid garden hidden between the mountains and the beautiful beaches of San Pancho. Lo de Perla is one of the state’s hidden gems not to be missed with a tour of the incredible Jungle Garden lasting approximately three hours. Truly fascinating.
Another exciting option is to head into the hills and forests to witness the incredible Mexican sunsets. Cerro del Mono Mountain, ten minutes from Punta de Mita, offers 360-degree views: the stunning Pacific coastline on one side and a soft blanket of tropical forest on the other.
But there is more
Mountain biking has gained many followers in recent years and Nayarit, with its incredible natural beauty and splendid mountain range, has hosted important cycling competitions. Among these is the Riviera Nayarit MTB Race held in Litibu, just north of Punta de Mita, which takes in mountains and ocean views along its route. For fans of this discipline there are also many established trails within the mountains.
Abseiling, climbing and canyoning are extreme alternatives for nature lovers, incredible experiences that can be practised in the nearby mountains. Here adventurers can enjoy the natural and cultural attractions while exercising, guided by experts from Onca Expeditions and Travesia Cora, who lead tours to Cora Canyon in San Blas and Tenamache Canyon in Ruiz. These activities include rappelling from cliffs up to ten metres high and descending among impressive waterfalls. Canyoning, hiking and rappelling are also offered at the Ceboruco Volcano and La Papalota Route.
Road journeys of less than four hours
In its picturesque mountain micro-destinations, such as Santa María del Oro or Salto de Jumatán, Nayarit offers a wide variety of activities for all tastes and abilities. Here you can swim in its waterfalls, rappel, relax in the traditional temazcal baths, the ancestral pre-Hispanic ritual with medicinal and aromatic herbs, or hike through nature. For the more adventurous there is the Cerro de San Juan, where you can practice rappelling, climbing and where it is possible to observe the marvellous flora and fauna through the thirty-five metre high zip-line circuits, as well as from the spectacular hanging bridges that cross the forest zone and the ravines.
The Nayarit Valley has four main volcanoes and a good way to see them is on a tour of some of the region’s Magical Towns, including a visit to an old hacienda at La Pupa, a mining ghost town where traces of the metallurgical industry remain. Los Aguajes and the Magical Town of Jala stand out for their incredible colonial architecture and for the possibility of admiring the fumaroles of the Ceboruco volcano, the most active volcano in the region.
Nearby, unforgettable experiences await coffee lovers in the municipality of Compostela, where one of the best coffee beans in all of Mexico is grown and roasted. Tastings and cupping can be done in the Pueblo Mágico de Compostela, named after the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. Here you can sample many of the region’s delicacies: fresh seafood, the zarandeado fish dish, shrimp tamales, aguachiles, a kind of spicy ceviche and fish carpaccios, as well as the traditional chocolate of neighbouring Amatlán de Cañas. Many of these villages are located within a few kilometres of archaeological sites such as La Pila del Rey, where cave engravings dating back many thousands of years are preserved.
A visit to Compostela should include a seafood dinner at Platanitos beach and a trip to the historic port of San Blas, where tourists can enjoy an encounter with the sea and the opportunity to observe the many species of birds found within the seven ecosystems that coexist in San Blas. These estuaries are home to more than two hundred and fifty endemic species, but also to migratory birds that arrive from the northern areas in the winter months. Other birding sites are just a boat ride away, on any of the charming neighbouring islands such as Islas Maria, Isla Isabel, Laguna El Quelele or Laguna La Cortada. As always, the best part is the open sea trip to the islands and spotting turtles, manta rays, dolphins, whales and whale sharks in winter. Other treasures are the Marietas Islands with the famous Playa Escondida and Coral Island.
Sierra del Nayar in the Huichol Mountains
Nayarit Adventures DMC offers tours that extend deep into the Huichol land. When visiting the region it is almost obligatory to join in the sacred rituals of the Huichol people, who in recent years have been happy to share their culture, including cleansings and regenerative baths. Tours can start with a hike across the Aguamilpa dam, the highest in Latin America, to visit Anaki Island, a sacred place for the Wixárikas where limpias are performed and legends are told, and where the Wixárika community of Potrero de la Palmita offers guided services and tours along the trails of “El Cuate Hill”.
