Beyond Nayarit’s Beautiful Beaches and Sea

Nayarit is a state rich in tourism, not only sun and beach but also adventure, rural, religious, and gastronomic, to mention a few.

It is best known for being a destination of large and luxurious hotels in the state’s south, in the Riviera Nayarit. And now, the new government intends to generate actions for the benefit of sustainable tourism, as ecosystems worldwide are visibly damaged, both in that area and in the north of the state.

“The change in Nayarit is going to be of substance, not only of form,” said Juan Enrique Suárez, new Secretary of Tourism of the state. The beneficiaries will be the native and indigenous peoples for whom the recognition and vindication of linguistic rights and revaluation of the state’s cultural, historical, social, and natural richness will be promoted.

Tourist Jewels of the State
The Marietas and Islas Marías Islands were included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the Man and the Biosphere Program (UNESCO MaB) in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Nayarit has four sites in the List of Wetlands of International Importance, known as the Ramsar List, and six federal Protected Natural Areas.

In the cultural sphere, the town of Mexcaltitán de Uribe was declared a Historical Monument Zone by INAH in 1986, and the Náayari (Cora) and Wixárika (Huichol) indigenous languages, with their various variants, were recognized in 2012 in the national inventory of intangible cultural heritage.

For its part, the federal government will also have a hand in boosting tourism in the state of Nayarit. “We are going to develop more the north of the state for tourism because everything that is the south of Nayarit has had a good development, what is next to Vallarta, Banderas Bay, Punta Mita, but towards the north even more development is required, and there is great tourism potential,” expressed the president.

“That is why we are already building the new highway from Las Varas to Compostela, and we are also going to build the highway from Compostela to Tepic, and we are going to modernize the Tepic airport so that it will not only have access to those beaches from the Vallarta airport,” he commented.

López Obrador informed that in addition to strengthening the state’s image, he plans to provide better security conditions for residents and tourists.

“This will always go hand in hand with security, but I still can’t explain it in full because, if not, they will be attacking us when I propose what has already been conceived to guarantee security in tourist areas; because, in effect, if there is security, with all that potential we will have a lot of income, many jobs, a lot of wellbeings,” he explained.

Renewed Destinations
Compostela’s tourist destinations are preparing to receive more than 30,000 foreign tourists, mainly from the United States and Canada, during the winter period that runs from November to December and extends until March of next year.

Tourist service providers, especially lodging establishments, report an increase in the reservations of tourists who stayed away due to the COVID-19 pandemic and imposed restrictions.

So for this winter season, the flow from the different cities of North America to all of Mexico is expected, especially to the state of Nayarit and more specifically, to the destinations of the municipalities of Bahía de Banderas and Compostela.

Ken Salazar, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, stated that Nayarit is perceived as one of the safest in Mexico. Considering that for foreign tourists this is one of their priorities when choosing the destination to vacation and spend the winter season, this is what allows for forecasting one of the best seasons for foreign tourism in the Riviera Nayarit.

During the last 10 years, the tourist destinations of the municipality of Compostela have seen an increase in the flow of international tourism, especially the Canadians who arrive mainly from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, while from the United States the main issuers are: California, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Illinois, Washington and Arizona.

The increase in foreign tourists, in addition to seeking safety, is seduced by the weather conditions and natural beauty of this strip of the Mexican Pacific. And if we add to this the gastronomy, the art on the walls, the kiosks and squares, but above all the kindness and treatment of its people, it is a unique and highly valued place. This is the reason why the promotion of destinations such as Rincón de Guayabitos, La Peñita, Los Ayala and Chacala, is accepted and replicated among the groups and communities that usually have these visitors.