Riviera Nayarit

Riviera Nayarit is the stretch of Mexican Pacific coast that runs north from Banderas Bay through the state of Nayarit, a string of beaches, headlands and small towns backed by jungle-clad hills. Its polished southern end centres on the Punta Mita peninsula, a gated resort area of golf, marinas and beach clubs on a point reaching into the Pacific, while further up the coast the surf town of Sayulita and its neighbours keep a more relaxed, bohemian character.

The coast is warm year round, with the dry winter season from roughly November to April the prime time to visit, coinciding with the arrival of humpback whales in the bay. Days divide between the surf, the beaches, the golf and boat trips out to the offshore Marietas Islands. For families and groups who want space, a pool and their own stretch of Pacific coast, luxury villa rentals in Riviera Nayarit concentrate around Punta Mita and the beaches to the north.