Tuxpan, Nayarit: Things to Do, Getting There and Coamiles

Tuxpan Nayarit is the smallest municipality in the state (about 315 km², or 122 sq mi) and one of the hottest, but it is also one of the most rewarding stops in northern Nayarit: it is home to the Coamiles archaeological site, the San Pedro River runs through it from east to west, and its estuaries supply much of the shrimp eaten across the state. According to Mexico’s 2020 census (INEGI), the municipality has 30,064 inhabitants, 22,013 of them in the town of Tuxpan itself.

It sits about 80 km (50 miles) from Tepic, roughly 1 h 15 min by road, and 30 minutes from Santiago Ixcuintla, so it works well as a stop on the way to Mazatlán or as a base for visiting Mexcaltitán, the Marismas Nacionales wetlands and the northern beaches of Palmar de Cuautla and El Novillero. Do not expect resorts: Tuxpan is a farming and fishing town with excellent food, quiet plazas and a hill carved with more than 150 pre-Hispanic petroglyphs.

Tuxpan Nayarit at a glance

• Population (INEGI, 2020 census): 30,064 in the municipality; 22,013 in the town of Tuxpan.
• Main localities: Tuxpan, Coamiles (2,857 people), Palma Grande, Peñas and Unión de Corrientes.
• Area: about 315 km², 1.1% of the state and the smallest municipality in Nayarit.
• Elevation: 0 to 400 m (0–1,300 ft); the town sits at roughly 10 m on the San Pedro River floodplain.
• Climate (INEGI): warm sub-humid with summer rains; mean annual temperature 26–28 °C (79–82 °F) and 1,100–2,000 mm (43–79 in) of rain.
• Neighbors: Santiago Ixcuintla to the south and west, Rosamorada to the north, Ruiz to the east.
• Municipality since: 1917. In 1919 the land grant that created the Tuxpan ejido, then the largest in Mexico, was formalized.

Things to do in Tuxpan, Nayarit

Coamiles archaeological site

Seven kilometers southeast of town, Cerro de Coamiles (also called Cerro del Águila, about 220 m high) was one of the main ceremonial centers of the Aztatlán culture, which occupied the northern coastal strip of Nayarit between roughly 850 and 1350 AD. INAH, Mexico’s national institute of anthropology, registered the site in 1993. More than 150 petroglyphs have been documented on its slopes, and in 2011 INAH archaeologists reported 30 more bas-reliefs whose designs repeat the motifs of Aztatlán ceremonial pottery: step-frets, spirals, birds and solar figures.

This is not a ticketed site with a museum: you visit with a local guide from the village of Coamiles who knows the trails and where the carvings are. Ask at the village delegation office or at the Tuxpan municipal hall. Go early, with water and repellent; the walk takes 2 to 3 hours. If West Mexican archaeology is your thing, pair it with the Mexcaltitán route in neighboring Santiago Ixcuintla.

The San Pedro River and the estuaries

The San Pedro Mezquital River, which rises in Durango, crosses the municipality and irrigates 70% of its land before emptying into the wetlands at a spot known as Unión de Corrientes. In town, riverside palapas serve fish and shrimp; in the western estuaries you can hire a boatman to run the mangrove channels and watch birds. The area is part of Marismas Nacionales, the largest mangrove system on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Downtown Tuxpan: parish church and plazas

You can walk the center in an hour: the Parish of San Miguel Arcángel, the main plaza with its bandstand, the municipal hall and the arcades with ice-cream shops. Tuxpan is known regionally for its coconut candies and dehydrated plantain, sold at the market and from stands downtown.

Cerro de Peñas

Next to the village of Peñas, a trail of about 5 km climbs to 400 m, the highest point in the municipality. It is a half-day hike with views over the San Pedro plain and the wetlands; best from November to April.

Nearby beaches: Palmar de Cuautla and El Novillero

Tuxpan has no beach of its own, but northern Nayarit’s beaches are one to two hours away. El Novillero, in Tecuala, is the longest beach in Mexico (about 90 km of sand) and lies roughly 100 km away (1 h 40 min). Palmar de Cuautla, in the municipality of Santiago Ixcuintla, is a fishing village with seafood ramadas on open ocean, about 2 hours by road. Just over an hour away is Boca de Camichín, famous for its farmed oysters.

Day trip to Mexcaltitán

The island of Mexcaltitán, a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) and possible birthplace of the Aztecs, lies in neighboring Santiago Ixcuintla, about 45 km (1 hour) from downtown Tuxpan to the La Batanga boat landing. It is the best excursion if you spend a night in Tuxpan.

How to get to Tuxpan, Nayarit

Tuxpan sits on the free Federal Highway 15 (Tepic–Mazatlán), between Villa Hidalgo and Rosamorada. If you take the 15D toll road, use the Tuxpan/Santiago Ixcuintla exit. Approximate driving distances and times in 2026:

From	Distance	Time	Route
Tepic	approx. 80 km / 50 mi	1 h 15 min	Free Federal Highway 15 via Villa Hidalgo, or 15D toll road and the Tuxpan exit
Santiago Ixcuintla	32 km / 20 mi	35 min	Santiago–Tuxpan state road
Rosamorada	29 km / 18 mi	30 min	Free Federal Highway 15
Mazatlán, Sinaloa	approx. 220 km / 137 mi	3 h	15D toll road to Acaponeta/Rosamorada, then Highway 15
Guadalajara	approx. 280 km / 174 mi	3 h 40 min	15D toll road via Tepic
Puerto Vallarta	approx. 245 km / 152 mi	3 h 20 min	Highway 200 to Compostela, toll road to Tepic, then 15D north

By bus: frequent departures from Tepic’s bus station to Santiago Ixcuintla and Tuxpan (approx. $120–180 MXN / 7–10 USD in 2026, about 1 h 30 min). The closest airport is Tepic (TPQ), roughly 90 km away; Mazatlán (MZT) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR) have far more international flights. See every option in our guide on how to get to Nayarit.

Climate in Tuxpan, Nayarit

Tuxpan’s climate is warm sub-humid: hot nearly all year, with a rainy season from June to October and a dry season from November to May. It is one of the hottest municipalities in Nayarit; in May and June, just before the rains, highs regularly exceed 38 °C (100 °F).

Months	Typical temperatures	Rain	What to expect
November – February	Lows 14–18 °C / highs 30–32 °C (57–64 / 86–90 °F)	Almost none	Best time to visit: cool mornings, clear skies, ideal for Coamiles and Cerro de Peñas
March – May	Lows 18–22 °C / highs 34–38 °C (64–72 / 93–100 °F)	Dry	Intense dry heat; municipal fair in April and Holy Week crowds on the river and beaches
June – September	Lows 24–26 °C / highs 33–36 °C (75–79 / 91–97 °F)	Heavy afternoon storms	High humidity, mosquitoes, lush landscape; the San Pedro may flood
October	Lows 22–24 °C / highs 33–35 °C (72–75 / 91–95 °F)	Tapering off	End of the rains; hurricane season (Hurricane Willa hit Tuxpan in October 2018)

To compare with the rest of the state, read our guide to the best time to visit Nayarit.

Festivals and traditions

Date	Festival	What happens
April	Tuxpan municipal fair	Livestock and farm exhibitions, rodeos, dances, carnival rides and fireworks
March – April	Holy Week	Families head to the San Pedro River, the estuaries and the beaches of Palmar de Cuautla and El Novillero
September 29	San Miguel Arcángel (patron saint feast)	Pilgrimages, dances of pre-Hispanic origin, music and fireworks in front of the parish church
November 1–2	Día de Muertos	Altars and overnight vigils in the cemeteries, as across northern Nayarit

Food in Tuxpan

Tuxpan’s cooking revolves around estuary shrimp and the river: shrimp a la diabla (in a spicy red sauce), in garlic butter, in aguachile (raw shrimp cured in lime and chile) and in tamales; pescado zarandeado (butterflied fish grilled over mangrove wood) and fish baked in foil; crab soup; oysters and pata de mula clams at the estuary ramadas. Downtown you will also find wood-fired chicken, carnitas, birria and weekend pozole. For dessert, coconut candies and dehydrated plantain, the local specialty. Our guide to the cuisine of Nayarit explains where each dish comes from.

Where to stay and services

The town has simple hotels and family-run guesthouses (from approx. $600–900 MXN / 35–50 USD per night in 2026), gas stations, ATMs and pharmacies; Santiago Ixcuintla and Tepic offer more lodging. Check our directory of hotels and restaurants and the destinations of Nayarit page to combine Tuxpan with Rosamorada and Tecuala on a two- or three-day loop through the north of the state.

Map of Tuxpan, Nayarit

The map at the bottom of this page shows the town, Cerro de Coamiles, the beaches of Palmar de Cuautla and El Novillero, and Boca de Camichín.

Frequently asked questions

Area map

1. 1
   Tuxpan (municipal seat) Municipal seat, 22,013 residents (INEGI 2020). San Miguel Arcángel parish church and main plaza.21.9406, -105.2977 · Open in Google Maps
2. 2
   Coamiles archaeological site Cerro de Coamiles (Cerro del Águila): Aztatlán ceremonial center with 150+ petroglyphs. Visit with a local guide.21.9213, -105.2544 · Open in Google Maps
3. 3
   Palmar de Cuautla Fishing village and open-ocean beach in Santiago Ixcuintla, about 2 h from Tuxpan.22.2209, -105.647 · Open in Google Maps
4. 4
   El Novillero Beach The longest beach in Mexico (Tecuala), approx. 100 km / 1 h 40 min away.22.3778, -105.6832 · Open in Google Maps
5. 5
   Boca de Camichín Oyster-farming village in the wetlands; seafood ramadas. Approx. 70 km / 1 h 20 min.21.745, -105.4896 · Open in Google Maps