Best of the Nayarit Coast

Sayulita [1]: This palm-tufted beachfront village offers abundant opportunities for sunning, surfing, swimming, and snorkeling. Add the good local food, comfortable hotels, a fine beachfront trailer park and campground, and it becomes irresistible.

Playa San Francisco [2]: In this quiet beach village, you can enjoy strolling the pristine wildlife-rich beach, wandering tropical woodlands trails, good dining in local restaurants, and staying in comfortable lodgings.

Alta Vista Archaeological Sacred Site [3]: Make the side trip to this fascinating forested site. The petroglyph-decorated trail climaxes in a magnificent wonder-evoking natural spring and stone amphitheater.

Playa Chacala [4]: Spend a day or week at this loveliest of beaches, a strip of golden sand that enfolds a petite half-moon bay. A magnificent grove provides shade, good restaurants, and fresh seafood, and either homey or deluxe lodgings provide restful nights.

La Tovara Jungle River Trip [5]: Along the river’s winding, vine-festooned, orchid-swathed channel, enjoy close-up views of snoozing crocodiles, basking turtles, and fluttering herons and egrets. Top off your tour with lunch and swimming at crystal-clear La Tovara natural springs.

Mexcaltitán [6]: From San Blas, make an excursion to the island-village of Mexcaltitán, believed to be the fabled Aztlán homeland of the Aztec people. Stroll the automobile-free village lanes, visit the excellent historical museum, and stay at the town’s modest hotel.

Crater Lake Santa María del Oro [7]: Traveling southeast from Tepic, don’t miss idyllic Laguna Santa María, spectacularly set in a dormant now-forested volcanic crater. Swim, kayak, sail, and hike the mountain trails, then camp by tent or RV or stay in a comfortable hotel room or bungalow.