Jala, Nayarit: Magical Town and the Ceboruco Volcano

A Magical Town since 2012

Jala has been a Magical Town since 2012 and holds Nayarit’s oldest unbroken designation: Mexcaltitán received it earlier, in 2001, but lost it in 2009 and regained it in 2020. The state now has nine Magical Towns. Surrounded by hills, crags, and the active El Ceboruco volcano, it offers a different postcard in every season of the year, especially during the rainy season, when everything turns green.

Useful facts

Population: ~5,600 in the town center
Altitude: 1,070 m above sea level
Ideal if you like: nature, history, traditional cuisine

How to get there

Via the Tepic–Guadalajara highway or federal highway 15.

What to do in Jala

Lateran Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción — one of a kind in the region.
Corn Fair (August) — with the famous contest for the largest corncob in the world (ears of corn over 45 cm).
El Ceboruco Volcano — hiking with views of the remains of its last eruption.
Plateau towns — Juanacatlán, Jalpa Grande, and Los Aguajes, ideal for cabins and cool weather.

What to eat

Leg and trotter tostadas, enchiladas in family eateries, corn cookies, and torrejas, the town’s traditional bread.

Climate

Warm almost all year, cool in winter, and with rains in summer. Average temperature: 22 °C.

Lodging

Jala offers everything from hostels to boutique hotels, which makes it an ideal base for exploring the entire southern corridor of the state.

Area map

1
Jala Basilica Lateran Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption.21.10463, -104.43682 · Open in Google Maps
2
Ceboruco volcano (crater) Active volcano, 2,280 m; last eruption 1870–1875.21.1252, -104.5076 · Open in Google Maps
3
Cofradía de Juanacatlán Village on the Jala plateau, near the Tinajas del Diablo pools.21.10794, -104.32191 · Open in Google Maps
4
Jalpa Grande Cool-climate village on the Jala plateau.21.17781, -104.37874 · Open in Google Maps
5
Los Aguajes Mountain community of Jala known for pine-needle crafts.21.10709, -104.35456 · Open in Google Maps