The 7 Best Resorts in Jalisco and Riviera Nayarit for 2026

Key takeaways

• Best overall on Banderas Bay: Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, a AAA Five Diamond resort with two Jack Nicklaus courses and two swimmable beaches, about 45 minutes from Puerto Vallarta's airport on the Nayarit side of the bay.

• Best for couples: Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, on the same peninsula, with 15 adults-only tented bungalows and an all-inclusive rate that covers meals, drinks and a 90-minute spa treatment.

• Best resort inside Jalisco: Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo on the Costalegre, voted the No. 1 resort in Mexico in Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards.

• Know which state you're booking: Puerto Vallarta and its airport are in Jalisco. Nuevo Vallarta, Punta Mita and the rest of the Riviera Nayarit are north of the Ameca River in Nayarit.

• Distance changes the trip: Punta Mita is under an hour from PVR, while the Costalegre resorts in southern Jalisco are closer to Manzanillo's airport.

The best resorts in Jalisco and the Riviera Nayarit

Ask for the best resorts in Jalisco and you'll usually get a list of Puerto Vallarta hotels. That leaves out the Costalegre, Jalisco's quieter southern coast, and it blurs the fact that many of the resorts people picture when they think of a Puerto Vallarta trip are in the neighboring state of Nayarit.

This list covers both sides of Banderas Bay and the Costalegre, and every entry carries its state and town so you know what you're booking. Four of the seven resorts are in Jalisco and three are in Nayarit.

We ranked them on independent recognition (AAA Five Diamond, the Michelin Guide's Keys and Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards), on what the resort offers on site, and on how practical it is to reach from Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo.

Jalisco or Nayarit: where the state line falls

The Ameca River marks the border between Jalisco and Nayarit where it meets Banderas Bay. Puerto Vallarta, its international airport (PVR), Marina Vallarta and the South Shore are on the Jalisco side. Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías and the Punta Mita peninsula are on the Nayarit side, and the Riviera Nayarit coast runs north from the river mouth.

In practice the border is a short drive. Punta Mita is about 45 minutes by road from PVR, and Nuevo Vallarta is closer still. The Costalegre is the longer journey: its resorts sit between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, and most guests fly into Manzanillo (ZLO) instead.

Jalisco and Riviera Nayarit resorts at a glance

1. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita - Nayarit, Punta Mita peninsula

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita opened in 1999 on 52 acres inside a gated 1,500-acre community at the northern tip of Banderas Bay. It's the closest of the large luxury resorts to PVR, about 45 minutes by road, and it appears on AAA's list of Five Diamond hotels for 2026. The Michelin Guide gives it Two Keys.

The resort has 177 casita-style rooms and suites plus a rental program of villas, residences and beach houses. Its two Jack Nicklaus courses, Pacifico and Bahía, include the optional par-3 "Tail of the Whale" hole on a natural island green. Families come for the two swimmable beaches, the Kids For All Seasons club and a teen lounge, and there are 10 tennis courts, the 13-room Apuane Spa and a mezcal bar, MEZ, that pours more than 70 labels. Room and villa details are on the resort's website.

Dining is à la carte across the resort's restaurants, and Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, an adults-only sister property, sits on the same peninsula.

State and town: Nayarit, Punta Mita peninsula

Getting there: About 45 minutes from PVR

Recognition: AAA Five Diamond (2026); Two Michelin Keys

Best for: Families and golfers who want a full-service beach resort close to Puerto Vallarta

2. Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo - Jalisco, Costalegre

Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo sits inside a 3,000-acre private nature reserve on the Costalegre, and it's the strongest answer if the resort has to be in Jalisco itself. Readers of Travel + Leisure voted it the No. 1 resort in Mexico, and No. 31 in the world, in the 2026 World's Best Awards. It has 157 rooms, 63 of them suites, and an 18-hole course designed by David Fleming. The trade-off is distance: it's about 35 to 50 minutes from Manzanillo's airport and around four hours by road from Puerto Vallarta.

State and town: Jalisco, Costalegre

Getting there: 35 to 50 minutes from ZLO; about 4 hours by road from PVR

Recognition: Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2026, No. 1 resort in Mexico

Best for: Travelers who want a remote reserve with golf and don't mind the journey

3. Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort - Nayarit, Punta Mita peninsula

Naviva opened in December 2022 on the edge of the Punta Mita peninsula as a separate resort from Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita. It has 15 tented bungalows on 48 forested acres, each with a private deck and plunge pool, and hosts no more than 30 adult guests. The rate includes meals, drinks and one 90-minute spa treatment per guest per stay, and the resort's temazcal and spa pods sit in the forest.

State and town: Nayarit, Punta Mita peninsula

Getting there: About 45 minutes from PVR

Recognition: Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star; Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2026

Best for: Couples who want a small, all-inclusive stay with wellness built in

4. Las Alamandas - Jalisco, Costalegre

Las Alamandas opened in 1990 on a private reserve of more than 2,000 acres on the Costalegre, founded by Isabel Goldsmith. It holds Two Keys from the Michelin Guide and is one of two Costalegre hotels Fodor's recommends. The estate has 18 suites spread across its villas, four private beaches and three restaurants. It's about two and a half hours by road from Puerto Vallarta and an hour and a half from Manzanillo, with the Chamela airstrip about 15 minutes away.

State and town: Jalisco, Costalegre (Highway 200, km 82)

Getting there: About 2.5 hours from PVR; about 1.5 hours from ZLO

Recognition: Two Michelin Keys

Best for: Couples who want a small, private estate

5. Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta - Jalisco, South Shore

Hotel Mousai is an adults-only hotel on the coast road along Puerto Vallarta's South Shore, and it's the only Jalisco hotel on AAA's 2026 Five Diamond list. Guests must be 18 or older. Rates can be booked room-only or with an all-inclusive plan.

State and town: Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta South Shore

Getting there: On the coast road south of Puerto Vallarta

Recognition: AAA Five Diamond (2026)

Best for: Adults who want a resort stay with Puerto Vallarta close by

6. Casa Velas - Jalisco, Marina Vallarta

Casa Velas is an adults-only, all-inclusive hotel of 80 suites on the Marina Vallarta golf course, a few minutes from PVR. It isn't on the beach; the plan includes transport to a beach club about five minutes away. TripAdvisor gave it a Travelers' Choice Best of the Best award for 2026.

State and town: Jalisco, Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta

Getting there: Minutes from PVR

Recognition: TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best (2026)

Best for: Adults who want an all-inclusive near the airport

7. Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit - Nayarit, Nuevo Vallarta

Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit is an all-inclusive resort in Nuevo Vallarta, about 15 minutes from PVR, and has held AAA Five Diamond status every year since 2007. Its 267 suites are all 1,000 square feet or larger, and a $30 million renovation of several suite categories was completed at the end of 2025. It has separate kids' and teens' clubs.

State and town: Nayarit, Nuevo Vallarta

Getting there: About 15 minutes from PVR

Recognition: AAA Five Diamond (2026, consecutive since 2007)

Best for: Families who want an all-inclusive close to the airport

How to choose a resort in Jalisco or the Riviera Nayarit

• Decide how far you'll travel from the airport. Nuevo Vallarta and Marina Vallarta are minutes from PVR, Punta Mita is about 45 minutes, and the Costalegre is a half-day trip unless you fly into Manzanillo.

• Check the state if it matters to you. A trip billed as Puerto Vallarta may land you in Nayarit, which is fine for most travelers but worth knowing for planning.

• Pick a rate basis. Naviva, Casa Velas and Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit are all-inclusive, Four Seasons Punta Mita, Tamarindo and Las Alamandas offer à la carte dining, and Hotel Mousai offers both.

• Match the resort to the group. Families do best with a kids club and a swimmable beach, as at Four Seasons Punta Mita, while couples have Naviva on the same peninsula, the adults-only hotels in Puerto Vallarta and the small estate at Las Alamandas.

Frequently asked questions about resorts in Jalisco and Riviera Nayarit

What is the Costalegre, and how do you get there?

The Costalegre is Jalisco's coast south of Puerto Vallarta toward Manzanillo. Its resorts, including Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo and Las Alamandas, are about 2.5 to 4 hours by road from PVR and roughly 35 minutes to 1.5 hours from Manzanillo's airport (ZLO).

Which resort was voted best in Mexico in 2026?

Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, on Jalisco's Costalegre, was voted the No. 1 resort in Mexico in Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, in Nayarit, also appears on the list.

Which resorts in Jalisco and Nayarit are AAA Five Diamond in 2026?

On AAA's 2026 Five Diamond list, Hotel Mousai is the only Jalisco hotel. The Nayarit entries include Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit.