Why Riviera Nayarit Is One of the Best Places to Travel in 2026

Stretching along Mexico’s Pacific Coast 200 scenic miles north of Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Nayarit is rich with pristine golden beaches, lush forests, and sunset views over the waters of the Bahía de Banderas. Resorts brands from Auberge and Four Seasons to Rosewood have planted their flags in recent years, but what makes this region most appealing has been here all along.

“What makes the Riviera Nayarit special is that even as new world-class resorts, restaurants, and golf courses emerge, the sense of tranquility, privacy, and connection to nature remains unchanged,” says Eduardo Pinto, Director of Sales & Marketing for Secrets & Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort.  

As a growing number of flights and enhanced infrastructure projects make access to the region easier than ever, the Riviera Nayarit is one of Travel + Leisure’s best places to visit this year. Here’s how to plan the perfect trip.

Best Hotels + Resorts

Rosewood Mandarina

Hidden away at the north end of the Riviera Nayarit, the low-density, sustainably built community of Mandarina is now home to the exclusive Rosewood Mandarina. It’s hard to find a downside to this 134-key property, which boasts private outdoor space and plunge pools in every room. “The execution of this resort—the service, the food, the striking design, with suites on the beach, flora-surrounded flatland rooms, and still-to-come mountain accommodations on a peak overlooking the crescent-shaped beach—is near perfect,” reported T+L senior editor Maya Kachoo-Levine after a first-in visit.

Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Collection

Set alongside an almost half-mile-long swimmable beach, Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Collection feels intimate with just 59 rooms and suites and 30 private villas that radiate outward from three waterfront pools and indoor-outdoor dining outlets. ONDA, an Auberge spa, offers an entirely immersive and holistic wellness experience, from traditional treatments to indigenous-inspired healing. The property was selected by T+L readers as the number two best resort in Mexico in the most recent World’s Best Awards.

Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita

A sibling property to Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, is a luxury tented resort on 48 acres of untouched nature reserve just up the coast. With just 15 standalone suites, Naviva delivers private oases; each spacious suite comes with an oversized private terrace and plunge pool, plus a dedicated concierge who coordinates and plans a laundry list of adventures guests can choose from, from surf lessons and fishing trips to hikes and mezcal tastings.

W Punta de Mita

Home to Daniela Soto-Innes’ Rubra and a dedicated Casa Dragones tasting room-meets-palapa bar tucked into the property’s organic gardens, W Punta de Mita is the Riviera Nayarit’s newly-crowned culinary heavyweight. But with its two seaside pools, indigenous Huichol-inspired design, and recently renovated suites featuring everything from gardens with fire pits to private oceanfront plunge pools, it has been a favorite spot for years. A new all-inclusive plan has made for even more effortless stays.

Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort

The Sordo Madaleno-designed Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort seems to unfold from the jungle and tumble towards the coast, making it one of the most visually stunning spots in the region. Design aside, the Hyatt-affiliated property boasts a spectacular array of amenities that make it a favorite for families: a splash pad and a waterpark for kids, more than a dozen dining venues, and a new jungle zipline and surf lessons for older kids. It sits side by side with the adults-only Secrets property, which offers even more dining outposts and divine rooftop pools you won’t be able to peel yourself away from.

Best Things To Do

Go whale watching.

Every winter, pods of humpback whales migrate from cooler northern latitudes back to the warm, protected waters of the Bahía de Banderas and the Riviera Nayarit to give birth, offering travelers an up-close-and-personal encounter with these gentle giants. Beachgoers can often spot whales breaching right from the coastline or from a hotel balcony, but dedicated whale-watching tours are by far the best way to spot them close up.

Hit the beach.

Part of the appeal of the Riviera Nayarit has always been its immense diversity of beaches, from tiny coves to miles-long stretches of sand dotted with seaside eateries in laidback surf towns and fishing villages. Throw a surfboard and a cooler in the back of the rental car and hit the road to some of the best under-the-radar beach towns in Mexico, from livelier Sayulita to artsy San Pancho.

Try surfing.

“Surfing is also part of the region’s DNA, whether right off the beach in Punta de Mita or at iconic nearby breaks like Sayulita and La Lancha,” says Oscar Gonzalez Ibarra, General Manager of W Punta de Mita. The Punta Mita area alone boasts seven surf breaks, but even more farther up the coast have made the region a world-famous destination for surfers for decades. Adventure-seekers will find everything from beginner waves in the more protected parts of the Bahía de Banderas to more intense waves in the north near Chacala and San Blas.

Sail to Islas Marietas.

Flung out into the sea off Punta Mita, the Islas Marietas are a cluster of islands often considered one of the most beautiful places in Mexico. Half-day or full-day sailing excursions to these UNESCO-recognized islands often include stops for snorkeling and visits to the famous Playa del Amor, a beach that resembles a cenote, partially enclosed by caves while remaining open to the sky.

Sample lesser-known Mexican spirits.

Imbibers will find tequila and mezcal aplenty in the Riviera Nayarit, but the truly curious will love taste-testing even more local products, including lesser-known but increasingly popular agave spirits like raicilla. Another local favorite is tepache, which the San Pancho-based brand Tepache Sazón is now popularizing beyond Mexico. Resorts like Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit offer next-level tasting experiences, and Conrad Punta de Mita even has a dedicated Agave Studio.

Best Restaurants

Rubra

After working at some of the most celebrated kitchens in New York, beloved Mexican chef Daniela Soto-Innes lands at W Punta de Mita with Rubra. “Rubra is a reflection of everything I’ve lived, tasted, and loved throughout my life in kitchens, a reflection of Mexico’s abundance, its raw beauty, and its generosity,” she says. She recommends trying the banana flower with a mojo made from oregano orejón grown fresh in the restaurant’s garden, but standout dishes like flame-grilled lamb tacos and fresh-caught seafood are hard to pass up.

Codex

The signature restaurant at Conrad Punta de Mita, Codex crafts a menu highlighting classic Mexican cuisine, with a marked focus on regional flavors and traditional cooking techniques. After a recent visit, T+L assistant travel editor Jalyn Robinson recommended trying the tuna tartare molete with plantains and fried chili sauce, noting that even from arrival, the dining experience was memorable, starting with a smoke energy-cleansing ritual to ground guests into the sunset-lit seaside dining space.

Carao

From Chef Enrique Olvera of Pujol fame comes Carao, offering contemporary Mexican cuisine in a gorgeous cliffside setting at One&Only Mandarina. The fresh, seasonally inspired menu changes frequently but is held steady by a commitment to using local products in addition to paying homage to the region’s fresh seafood and to Mexico’s many diverse elaborations of maíz, which date back generations.

Hector’s Kitchen

After a decade in the kitchen at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Chef Héctor Leyva had already been a fixture in Punta Mita before opening his own Hector’s Kitchen at Kupuri Beach Club. Now one of the most celebrated restaurants in the upscale resort and residential community, Hector’s Kitchen serves a seasonal menu of fresh ingredients that artfully weaves Asian and Mediterranean influences into traditional Mexican dishes.

La Rústica

In the heart of Sayulita, La Rústica has made a name for itself with its commitment to wood-fired cooking and fresh seafood with bold flavors. Aguachile and tacos are hits, but don’t skip fish or octopus cooked in the zarandeado style, an open-fire method intimately linked to regional tradition. La Rústica is so well-loved that a second location has been opened in the Punta Mita community.

Areas to Visit

Nuevo Nayarit

Leaving behind Puerto Vallarta proper for the Riviera Nayarit, visitors first meet the closer-to-town stretch of coastline known as Nuevo Nayarit. Home to some of the region’s largest resorts and plenty of well-loved all-inclusive retreats, this area appeals to those looking for the convenience of being close to the city, though many prefer to head slightly farther outside of town for less busy beaches. Make a stop in Bucerías at one of its beachfront seafood restaurants, well-loved by locals, before heading north.

Punta Mita

The development of the 1,500-acre resort and residential community of Punta Mita has been a big part of putting the Riviera Nayarit on the map, especially with luxury travelers who flock here to spend their vacations beside the pool at the Four Seasons or St. Regis. Hotly anticipated new openings from brands like Montage and Pendry will soon draw even more residents and guests to this tranquil private peninsula, which offers plenty for more active visitors, including two Jack Nicklaus signature golf courses and some of the best wave breaks in the region.

Sayulita

The best-known beach town north of Punta Mita, “Sayulita offers a bohemian energy centered around surf culture, shops selling artisan-made goods, and vibrant street life,” says Gonazlez Ibarra. Sayulita has grown significantly more popular in the past fifteen years, but even with new development popping up, it maintains its tranquil feel.

How to Get There

A growing flight lift from across the Americas has been an undeniable part of the Riviera Nayarit’s increasing appeal, especially in the past few years. Just a short drive south of the region, Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) receives flights from most major cities across the United States and Canada, while the newer Tepic-Riviera Nayarit International (TPQ) steadily adds new flights from airlines like Volaris, Air Canada, and United, giving travelers even more options to consider.

Regardless of which international airport travelers find more convenient, visitors can expect smoother, quicker transport once they land, with a new section of the multimillion-dollar Puerto Vallarta-Guadalajara highway significantly cutting travel times to coastal destinations across the region.

Best Times to Visit

Consistently warm temperatures make the Riviera Nayarit a dream of a year-round destination, but “from November to May, the region’s weather is at its best, with sunny days, low humidity, and ideal temperatures for outdoor activities,” says Gonzalez Ibarra. Muggier, hotter rainy season lasts from late June through early November, though steep discounts at resorts make this time of year perfect for budget-conscious travelers.

Travelers should time a trip between late December and March for whale watching, or between May and October for surfing, when swells are the biggest and best. The culturally curious will want to plan a visit in late October or the first days of November to coincide with Día de los Muertos; nearby Puerto Vallarta is known for its Día de los Muertos celebrations, though many larger resorts now tend to offer engaging celebrations of their own around the holiday.

How to Get Around

Taxis, Ubers, and private cars of every shape and size await to whisk travelers from both Puerto Vallarta and Tepic airports to seaside resorts across the region. However, visitors looking for a more active vacation can also rent a car at the airport, with plenty of companies to choose from. Outside of busier areas like Nuevo Nayarit, it can be harder to reliably get an Uber, especially in the evenings, so local taxis tend to be the best bet for those skipping a rental car. However, you’ll want to negotiate a price before taking the trip.