Best beaches in Nayarit: 15 beaches south to north

Nayarit has close to 300 kilometers of Pacific coastline and a beach for every kind of trip: flat bays where kids float without a worry, world-famous surf points, reefs for snorkeling, protected islands and the longest beach in Mexico. This guide brings together the 15 best beaches in Nayarit, ordered from south to north, from Nuevo Vallarta to El Novillero, with the type of sea, who each one suits, what services exist and how to get there.

The south of the state (Bahía de Banderas and Riviera Nayarit) is explored from Puerto Vallarta airport (PVR); the north (San Blas, Isla Isabel, El Novillero) from Tepic, the capital. Distances are approximate and by road.

Bahía de Banderas: the beaches closest to the airport

1. Nuevo Vallarta (Nuevo Nayarit)

A wide golden-sand beach with gentle water, only 10 km from the airport. This is the zone of all-inclusive resorts, a marina and golf: every service, little village feel. Blue Flag certified for 2025-2026. Best for resort families and short trips. Read what to do in Nuevo Vallarta.

2. Bucerías

Eight kilometers of calm, walkable beach in front of a town with a plaza, seafront promenade and market. Low surf and a gentle slope make it good for swimming; on windy afternoons you will see kitesurfers. Palapas (thatched beach restaurants), eateries and mid-size hotels. 20 km from PVR (25 minutes). Best for families and sunsets. Guide: what to do in Bucerías.

3. La Cruz de Huanacaxtle / La Manzanilla

A fishing town with the Marina Riviera Nayarit (also Blue Flag 2025-2026), a Sunday market and a small fish market. Its beach, La Manzanilla, is short, sheltered and calm. Boats and sailing trips to the Islas Marietas leave from here. 27 km from PVR. Best for local atmosphere and boat outings. Guide: what to do in La Cruz.

4. Destiladeras

A long, open beach between La Cruz and Punta de Mita, with pale sand and moderate surf: swim with care, and beginner surfers will find soft waves. Parking off the highway and seasonal palapas. 35 km from PVR. Best for a full beach day with a cooler and a tent.

5. Punta de Mita / El Anclote

At the northern tip of the bay, El Anclote is a calm-water beach with restaurants on the sand, beginner surf schools and the pangas (small open boats) that run to the Marietas. It is the base for snorkeling in the area. 45 km from PVR (50 minutes). Best for snorkeling, first surf lessons and good food. Guide: Punta de Mita travel guide.

6. La Lancha

Reached on a ten-minute walk through mangrove from the highway. White sand, turquoise water and a long right-hander considered one of Mexico’s best waves for intermediate surfers. No services. Best for surfing.

7. Litibú

A broad, breezy beach north of Punta de Mita, with luxury hotels at one end and nearly empty stretches. Open sea with surf: good for progressing surfers, swim with caution. Few services outside the hotels. Best for long walks and intermediate surfing.

Central Riviera Nayarit: beach towns

8. Sayulita

The surf Pueblo Mágico (a federal “Magical Town” designation) par excellence. A bay beach with a gentle wave that breaks year-round, surf schools, restaurants and nightlife. Swimmable, watching out for boards; for families, Playa Los Muertos, a small cove south of town, is better. 38 km from PVR (45 minutes). Best for beginner surfing and atmosphere. Guide: what to do in Sayulita.

9. San Pancho (San Francisco)

A long, open beach with postcard sunsets and a laid-back town of cafés and galleries. The sea has currents and heavy surf: for experienced surfers and for wading at the edge, not for swimming with kids. 45 km from PVR. Best for sunsets and slow stays. Guide: what to do in San Pancho.

10. Lo de Marcos

A wide two-kilometer beach, a town of retirees and families, water that is swimmable in winter, and Blue Flag 2025-2026. To the south, the coves of Los Venados and Las Minitas are good for snorkeling. 52 km from PVR (1 hour). Best for families and quiet.

11. Rincón de Guayabitos / Los Ayala

Jaltemba Bay has the flattest sea in Nayarit: “the world’s largest natural swimming pool”. Budget hotels, pescado zarandeado (butterflied fish grilled over mangrove wood) sold on the sand, and boats to Isla del Coral for snorkeling. 70 km from PVR and 96 km from Tepic. Best for small children and family trips. Guide: Guayabitos.

12. Chacala

A horseshoe bay sheltered by two points, with minimal waves, seafood palapas and community-run lodging. The Altavista petroglyphs are nearby. 105 km from PVR and 80 km from Tepic. Best for swimming with kids and switching off. Read our guide to Lo de Marcos, Chacala and Platanitos.

13. Platanitos

A small 400-meter bay with a row of seafood palapas, a lookout on the road above and moderate surf. Tepic’s favorite seafood excursion. 69 km from Tepic (1 h 10 min) and 125 km from PVR. Best for eating and groups.

San Blas and the north: long beaches and nature

14. San Blas: El Borrego and Las Islitas / Matanchén

The Pueblo Mágico of San Blas has two main beaches. El Borrego, next to town, is three kilometers of golden sand, moderate surf and palapas. Las Islitas, on Matanchén Bay (7 km south), is a beach of family-run shelters, gentle water and a summer wave that the Guinness Book of Records listed as the longest in the world, with rides of over a kilometer when a southern swell arrives. Bring repellent: the jejenes (tiny biting sand flies) come out at dawn and dusk. 70 km from Tepic (1 hour). Best for longboard surfing, families and combining with La Tovara. Guide: San Blas beaches.

15. El Novillero (Tecuala)

At nearly 90 kilometers, it is the longest beach in Mexico and one of the longest in the world. Firm sand, a very gentle slope (you can walk dozens of meters out with the water at your waist) and seafood palapas in the village of El Novillero. It is part of the Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve. About 135 km from Tepic (2 h 15 min). Best for walking, seafood and travelers who want to reach the end of the map. Guide: El Novillero.

The islands: Marietas, Isla Isabel and Mexcaltitán

Islas Marietas. A national park off Punta de Mita, famous for Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach), a beach inside a collapsed crater open to the sea. Access is capped daily by CONANP, Mexico’s protected areas agency, and only allowed with authorized operators from Punta de Mita or La Cruz; the snorkeling around the islands is among the best in the state. Read how to visit the Islas Marietas.

Isla Isabel. A national park 74 km from San Blas (3 hours by boat) or 35 km from Boca de Camichín (1 h 30 min). It is a sanctuary for frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies; you can camp with a permit and by paying the CONANP fee (approx. $125 MXN per day in 2026). See the Isla Isabel route.

Mexcaltitán. Not a beach but an island in a lagoon, considered the mythical birthplace of the Mexica (Aztecs). It is reached by boat from the La Batanga pier in Santiago Ixcuintla. See Mexcaltitán.

Summary table: Nayarit’s beaches at a glance

Beach	Area	Sea	Best for	Distance
Nuevo Vallarta	Bahía de Banderas	Gentle	Resorts, families	10 km from PVR
Bucerías	Bahía de Banderas	Gentle	Families, sunsets	20 km from PVR
La Cruz / La Manzanilla	Bahía de Banderas	Calm	Local feel, boats	27 km from PVR
Destiladeras	Bahía de Banderas	Moderate	Beach day, beginner surf	35 km from PVR
Punta de Mita / El Anclote	Bahía de Banderas	Calm	Snorkel, first surf	45 km from PVR
La Lancha	Bahía de Banderas	Long wave	Intermediate surf	42 km from PVR
Litibú	Bahía de Banderas	Open	Walking, surf	47 km from PVR
Sayulita	Riviera Nayarit	Soft wave	Beginner surf, vibe	38 km from PVR
San Pancho	Riviera Nayarit	Strong	Sunsets, surf	45 km from PVR
Lo de Marcos	Riviera Nayarit	Swimmable in winter	Families, quiet	52 km from PVR
Guayabitos / Los Ayala	Riviera Nayarit	Very calm	Small children	70 km from PVR
Chacala	Riviera Nayarit	Sheltered bay	Kids, unplugging	80 km from Tepic
Platanitos	Riviera Nayarit	Moderate	Seafood, groups	69 km from Tepic
San Blas (Borrego / Islitas)	San Blas	Gentle to moderate	Longboard surf, families	70 km from Tepic
El Novillero	Tecuala	Very gentle	Walking, seafood	135 km from Tepic

Beaches by the kind of trip you want

• With kids: Guayabitos, Chacala, Bucerías and El Anclote. Flat water, shade and food steps from the sand.
• Surfing: Sayulita to start, La Lancha and Litibú to progress, San Pancho for experienced surfers and Las Islitas in summer for longboards. More in where to surf in Nayarit.
• Snorkeling: Islas Marietas, El Anclote, Isla del Coral (Guayabitos) and Las Minitas (Lo de Marcos). Clearest water from November to May.
• Sunsets: San Pancho, Bucerías and Litibú, all facing west with an open horizon.
• No crowds: Punta Raza (El Monteón), El Novillero on weekdays and the beaches north of Platanitos.

Blue Flag: certified beaches in Nayarit

For the 2025-2026 season Nayarit has three beaches and one marina with the Blue Flag award, granted by the Foundation for Environmental Education for water quality, safety, services and environmental education: Nuevo Nayarit (Nuevo Vallarta), Lo de Marcos, the Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and the beach at Laguna de Santa María del Oro, a lake rather than the sea, but it counts. San Blas is working toward its first flag. If the award matters to you, check current status on the official CONAGUA site before traveling.

When to go

From November to April the weather is dry, the sea calmer and the water clearer; it is high season and whale season. May and June are hot but uncrowded. From July to October it rains in the afternoons, surf picks up on open beaches and the turtles come ashore to nest. See how to get to Nayarit and our tips for your first trip.

Frequently asked questions

Area map

1. 1
   Destiladeras Beach Wide beach between La Cruz and Punta de Mita.20.74226, -105.42348 · Open in Google Maps
2. 2
   Sayulita Beach Main beach with surf schools.20.87102, -105.44197 · Open in Google Maps
3. 3
   Lo de Marcos Beach Wide family beach in Bahía de Banderas.20.96219, -105.3563 · Open in Google Maps
4. 4
   Guayabitos Beach Calm beach in Compostela.21.03057, -105.26774 · Open in Google Maps
5. 5
   El Borrego Beach San Blas town beach.21.5281, -105.2835 · Open in Google Maps
6. 6
   El Novillero Beach Very long beach in Tecuala.22.3778, -105.6832 · Open in Google Maps