15 Must-See Places in Nayarit in 2026

These are the 15 must-see places in Nayarit in 2026: the places and experiences you shouldn’t skip on a first trip. They run from the Riviera Nayarit to the mountains, from Pacific islands to the inland Pueblos Mágicos (Mexico’s officially designated “Magical Towns”), and fit into a 5- to 7-day trip based on the coast and in Tepic, the state capital.

2026 is shaping up as an extraordinary time to discover Nayarit. Beyond its world-famous beaches, the state packs in crater lakes, mangroves, islands that are national parks and towns with centuries of history. This list is our essential pick, with the distance from Tepic, the best season and a link to the full guide for each place. If you’d rather have a broader, region-by-region tour of 25 places, see things to do in Nayarit.

Nayarit’s 15 must-see places at a glance

#	Must-see	Area	From Tepic (approx.)	Best time
1	Sayulita	Riviera Nayarit	130 km (81 mi), 1 h 45 min	Year-round; gentle surf Nov–Apr
2	Islas Marietas and Hidden Beach	Riviera Nayarit	Boats leave from Punta de Mita	Nov–May, calmer seas
3	Humpback whales	Banderas Bay, Guayabitos, San Blas	Depends on departure point	Dec–Mar
4	Punta de Mita	Riviera Nayarit	45 km (28 mi) from Puerto Vallarta airport (50–70 min)	Year-round
5	San Blas and La Tovara	North coast	70 km (43 mi), 1 h	Nov–Apr (fewer no-see-ums)
6	Isla Isabel	Open sea, off the north coast	Boat from San Blas, 2 h 30 min – 3 h	Feb–May
7	Mexcaltitán	Santiago Ixcuintla	95 km (59 mi), 1 h 40 min + boat	Year-round; June 29 festival
8	Historic downtown Tepic	Central	—	Year-round
9	Santa María del Oro lagoon	Central	50 km (31 mi), 45 min	Nov–May
10	Jala and Ceboruco volcano	South	80 km (50 mi), 1 h	Nov–May; August corn fair
11	Los Toriles, Ixtlán del Río	South	About 82 km (51 mi), 1 h 05 min	Year-round
12	Amatlán de Cañas	South	About 120 km (75 mi), 1 h 50 min	Nov–May
13	Islas Marías (Puerto Balleto)	Open sea	Ferry from San Blas, Mazatlán or Puerto Vallarta	Depends on the year’s sailings
14	El Novillero	North coast, Tecuala	About 160 km (99 mi), 2 h 20 min	Nov–May
15	Pescado zarandeado	The whole coast	—	Year-round

Road distances calculated in 2026; driving times go up in the rainy season and on long weekends.

The 15 must-see places, one by one

1. Sayulita, the surf Pueblo Mágico

A fishing village turned into one of Mexico’s best-known surf spots, and a Pueblo Mágico since 2015. Its beach break is ideal for learning, and around the plaza you’ll find galleries, Wixárika (Huichol) crafts and restaurants. It’s about 40 km (25 mi) from Puerto Vallarta airport. Full guide: Sayulita travel guide.

2. Islas Marietas and Hidden Beach

For an unforgettable marine experience, the Marietas Islands remain an icon. They have been a National Park since 2005 and a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2008; the famous Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach) sits inside a hollow in the island. You can only land with an authorized tour and a quota of 116 people a day, so book early. Details in how to visit the Marietas Islands.

3. Humpback whale watching

From December to March humpback whales come to Banderas Bay and the coast of Compostela and San Blas to mate and give birth. The official 2025-2026 season ran from December 8 to March 23. Dates, rules and prices in our whale watching guide.

4. Punta de Mita

The northern tip of Banderas Bay combines waves for every level, bay beaches, golf courses and the closest departure point to the Marietas. Its fishing village, Corral del Risco, sits next to some of the most exclusive resorts on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Read the Punta de Mita guide.

5. San Blas and the La Tovara mangroves

On the coast, San Blas is Nayarit’s birding capital: the 2019 Christmas Bird Count logged 310 species in one week. It was founded as a port in 1768 to supply the expeditions to the Californias, and the ruins of that era still crown Contaduría hill. A boat ride through the mangroves to the La Tovara spring is a must. See the La Tovara route and the beaches of San Blas.

6. Isla Isabel, the Mexican Galápagos

A National Park since 1980, about 70 km (43 mi) from San Blas, where thousands of blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds nest a few steps from the trails. There are no hotels or services: you go with an authorized operator by boat. All the logistics in Isla Isabel Nayarit.

7. Mexcaltitán, the island of origins

An island about 400 m (1,300 ft) across in a coastal lagoon, linked by tradition to the mythical Aztlán. You reach it by boat from La Batanga, and in the rainy season some streets flood, hence its nickname, the “Mexican Venice”. What’s history and what’s legend, in Mexcaltitán, the island where Mexico was born.

8. Historic downtown Tepic

Your trip can start in the capital. Tepic surprises with a lively historic center: the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception facing the main square, the Government Palace and its murals, the Amado Nervo House Museum and the Museum of the Five Peoples, devoted to Wixárika, Cora, Tepehuano, Mexicanero and mestizo art. It’s the ideal base for the interior. See Tepic.

9. Santa María del Oro lagoon

A geological showpiece: a flooded volcanic crater about 2 km (1.2 mi) across and some 65 m (213 ft) deep, whose water shifts from blue to turquoise with the light. Perfect for swimming, kayaking and eating fried fish chicharrón. Practical guide: Santa María del Oro lagoon.

10. Jala and Ceboruco volcano

A Pueblo Mágico since 2012, home to the Lateran Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption and the August Corn Fair (Feria del Elote). Next to it rises Ceboruco, Nayarit’s only active volcano, with trails across hardened lava and steaming fumaroles. In the Jala highlands you’ll also find the Meseta del Cielo vineyard, at about 1,900 m (6,200 ft). More in volcanoes of Nayarit.

11. Los Toriles, Ixtlán del Río

The state’s most important archaeological site, with a circular temple that, according to INAH (Mexico’s national institute of anthropology and history), was dedicated to Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl, god of the wind. Pair it on the same day with Jala and Ahuacatlán, along the highway to Guadalajara.

12. Amatlán de Cañas

A Pueblo Mágico since 2023 at the state’s southern tip, almost two hours from Tepic. Its laid-back feel, El Manto natural swimming spot, hot springs and artisanal chocolate workshops offer the kind of authenticity more travelers are looking for. More ideas in waterfalls and hot springs in Nayarit.

13. Islas Marías and Puerto Balleto

Some places have transformation stories that make them fascinating. Puerto Balleto, on María Madre island, was a federal penal colony from 1905 to 2019 and is now a Pueblo Mágico (2023) inside a biosphere reserve. It can only be visited on a ferry package; in 2026 sailings leave from San Blas, Mazatlán and, since January, Puerto Vallarta, and include visits to the museum, the former prison and the Muros de Agua José Revueltas environmental and cultural center.

14. El Novillero

Up north, Tecuala boasts one of the longest beaches in Mexico: miles of sand with gentle surf, seafood palapas and very few people outside Holy Week. See El Novillero.

15. Eat pescado zarandeado

Nayarit’s culinary ambassador: a whole fish butterflied, brushed with sauce and grilled over coals. Try it at a beach enramada (open-air seafood shack) and add taxtihuili from Mexcaltitán and fried fish chicharrón from Santa María del Oro. More in traditional dishes from Nayarit.

Reasons to visit Nayarit in 2026

Why choose Nayarit this year over another beach destination? These are the reasons that carry the most weight, with facts you can check:

• It’s on the 2026 lists. Travel + Leisure named the Riviera Nayarit one of its 50 best places to travel in 2026, and Condé Nast Traveler picked it among the best places to go in North America and the Caribbean this year.
• Wildlife in every season. Humpback whales from December to March, sea turtle hatchling releases during nesting season (see sea turtle release season), more than 300 bird species around San Blas and booby and frigatebird colonies on Isla Isabel.
• A living culture, not a museum piece. The Wixárika (Huichol) people keep their ceremonies and art alive: the God’s Eye or tsikuri and yarn paintings (nierika). Learn their meaning in the origin of the Ojo de Dios; in the mountains, the Cora people hold a Holy Week unlike any other in Mexico.
• Five centuries of history. Compostela was capital of the kingdom of New Galicia in the 16th century; San Blas, the port for the expeditions to the Californias from 1768; and Mexcaltitán keeps the legend of Aztlán alive.
• Sea and mountains in one trip. In two hours you go from the warm coast to Tepic, at about 915 m (3,000 ft), or to the Jala highlands, where nights are cool. The year has two clear seasons: dry from November to May and rainy from June to October.
• A state with nine Pueblos Mágicos. From Sayulita’s surf to the hot springs of Amatlán de Cañas; tour them with our guide to Nayarit’s Pueblos Mágicos.
• A cuisine with identity. Pescado zarandeado, taxtihuili, fish chicharrón, tejuino (a fermented corn drink) and, as a surprise, high-altitude wine from the state’s first vineyard, Meseta del Cielo.

Tips for your 2026 visit to Nayarit

To make your trip through these fifteen must-sees smooth and memorable, keep these practical tips in mind:

• Book capacity-limited places early: access to the Marietas Islands and trips to the Islas Marías are regulated. Book with authorized operators and, in high season (December through Holy Week), weeks in advance.
• Respect the ecosystems: at the Marietas, San Blas, Isla Isabel and Santa María del Oro lagoon, follow your guide’s instructions, use biodegradable sunscreen and never take coral, shells or feathers.
• Pack for variety: comfortable shoes for downtown Tepic, closed-toe shoes for Ceboruco, binoculars for San Blas birds and insect repellent for the mangroves.
• Try the low season: to avoid crowds and pay less, travel in May, June or from September to mid-November, outside school holidays. Compare months in the best time to visit Nayarit.
• Get around by car: the interior and the north coast are best explored with your own or a rental car; the islands, always with an operator.
• Go local: eat at Tepic’s markets, buy crafts directly from Wixárika artisans and hire boatmen from the San Blas cooperatives. More practical advice in 15 tips for your first trip to Nayarit.

Frequently asked questions

Nayarit in 2026 isn’t just a spot on the map; it’s an invitation to be part of a story that keeps evolving. From a former prison turned environmental education center to birdsong in a mangrove at dawn or the view from the rim of a volcanic crater, every experience here leaves a mark. These fifteen must-sees are more than items to tick off a list: they are windows into a generous state overflowing with beauty. Explore with curiosity and respect.

Area map

1. 1
   Sayulita plaza Heart of town: church, restaurants and galleries.20.8689, -105.4407 · Open in Google Maps
2. 2
   Hidden Beach (Isla Redonda, Islas Marietas) National park; authorized tours only.20.7013, -105.5682 · Open in Google Maps
3. 3
   Tepic Cathedral Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, facing the main square.21.5119, -104.89125 · Open in Google Maps
4. 4
   Santa María del Oro lagoon Flooded volcanic crater; kayaking, paddleboarding and boat rides.21.36939, -104.5689 · Open in Google Maps
5. 5
   Jala Basilica Lateran Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption.21.10463, -104.43682 · Open in Google Maps
6. 6
   La Tovara (spring) Spring at the end of the mangrove boat tour.21.54027, -105.22174 · Open in Google Maps
7. 7
   Isla Isabel (National Park) Volcanic island with seabird colonies.21.8472, -105.8836 · Open in Google Maps
8. 8
   Mexcaltitán Island Pueblo Mágico; island about 400 m across, reachable only by boat.21.90568, -105.47525 · Open in Google Maps