Riviera Nayarit

The Riviera Nayarit stretches along Nayarit's Pacific coast and offers a diversity of experiences hard to match anywhere in Mexico. Sayulita, the region's surfing heart, is a colorful town with perfect beginner waves, artisan craft markets, art galleries, and a vibrant beach nightlife scene. San Blas, a former Spanish colonial port, is an ecotourism paradise: boat rides through the La Tovara mangroves reveal crocodiles, exotic birds, and freshwater springs deep in the jungle; Playa del Borrego draws experienced surfers with its powerful waves. Compostela, birthplace of Nueva Galicia's first capital, surprises with its colonial heritage, the spectacular Laguna de Santa María del Oro —a volcanic crater lake surrounded by mountains— and the Haramara cultural center. The Marieta Islands, off Punta de Mita, harbor the famous Hidden Beach and serve as a sanctuary for seabirds like the blue-footed booby. From December to March, humpback whales arrive in the region's waters to breed, and during summer and fall, sea turtle release events are organized on the beaches.