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Riviera Nayarit town by town: where to base yourself from Nuevo Vallarta to San Blas
Riviera Nayarit town by town: where to base yourself from Nuevo Vallarta to San Blas
Where to stay on the Riviera Nayarit: 10 towns from Nuevo Vallarta to San Blas compared by drive time from the airport, pace, beaches, and who each suits.
Valentina Cruz
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Key takeaways
The Riviera Nayarit runs from Nuevo Vallarta, about 15 minutes from Puerto Vallarta's airport, to San Blas, about three hours north.
Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías, and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle sit on Banderas Bay, and none of them is more than about 30 minutes from the airport.
Punta Mita, Sayulita, and San Pancho are 45 minutes to an hour from the airport.
Rincón de Guayabitos is known for calm water. Chacala and San Blas are for travelers who want distance from the resort coast.
Towns from Rincón de Guayabitos north run one hour behind Puerto Vallarta.
Choosing a base on the Riviera Nayarit
The Riviera Nayarit is the coast of the state of Nayarit, starting at the Ameca River just north of Puerto Vallarta and running about 160 km by road to the old port of San Blas. The towns along it don't have as much in common as the shared name suggests. The coast mixes planned resort zones, working fishing villages, and surf towns.
The choice of town shapes a trip more than the choice of hotel: it sets your airport transfer, what you can walk to, how calm the water is, and even which clock you live on. Below you'll find one short profile per town, south to north, with drive time from the airport, the feel of the place, and who it suits. For specific properties, see our guide to resorts in Jalisco and the Riviera Nayarit.
Nuevo Vallarta: the shortest transfer
About 10 to 15 minutes from the airport, Nuevo Vallarta is a planned resort and residential development with a long beach, canals, and a marina. In 2022 the state of Nayarit renamed it Nuevo Nayarit, though plenty of signage hasn't caught up. It's mostly hotels and gated condominiums with little old-town street life.
Best for: short trips, families who want the shortest possible transfer, and visitors who plan to spend evenings in Puerto Vallarta.
Bucerías: a full-size town on the bay
Bucerías is a former fishing village that has drawn tourists since the 1980s, with cobblestone streets, a main square, and a long sandy beach on the bay. It had about 16,000 residents in the 2020 census, and seasonal visitors roughly double that number. It's 20 to 30 minutes from the airport.
Best for: longer stays and travelers who want restaurants, shops, and a beach within walking distance.
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle: the marina village
La Cruz, founded as a fishing village in the 1930s, has about 4,000 residents and a marina that opened after a 2008 harbor renovation. Many boat trips to the Islas Marietas start here. It's about 30 minutes from the airport and quieter than Bucerías next door.
Best for: sailors, anglers, and travelers who want a small-town base between Bucerías and Punta Mita.
Punta Mita: gated peninsula and surf village
Punta Mita sits at the northern tip of Banderas Bay, about 45 minutes from the airport, and has two sides. Most of the peninsula is a private, gated development of resorts and residential communities. Outside the gates, the small town of Punta de Mita runs along El Anclote beach, where long, gentle waves suit beginner surfers and paddleboarders. The Islas Marietas National Park is about 15 minutes away by boat. There's more on the area in our Punta Mita travel guide.
Best for: travelers who want a resort or villa base and plan to stay put, and beginner surfers in the town.
Sayulita: the surf town
Sayulita faces the open Pacific north of the bay and has drawn surfers since the 1960s. It was named a Pueblo Mágico by Mexico's tourism ministry in 2015. About 3,400 people lived there in the 2020 census, and thousands of visitors pass through each year. The airport is 40 minutes to an hour away. See our guide to hotels in and near Sayulita for places to stay.
Best for: surfers, younger travelers, and anyone who wants a lively town center.
San Pancho (San Francisco): the quieter neighbor
San Pancho, officially San Francisco, is a few minutes north of Sayulita and had about 1,400 residents in 2020, well under half of Sayulita's count. It's a quieter base with Sayulita's restaurants and surf a short drive away. The airport is 45 minutes to an hour south.
Best for: couples and families who want Sayulita within reach but not outside the door.
Lo de Marcos: a small fishing town
Lo de Marcos is a small fishing town about 11 km north of San Pancho and roughly an hour from the airport. Its golden-sand beach has waves that are neither flat nor heavy, and it has a few small seafood restaurants and beachfront rooms. It's the last town heading north that keeps Puerto Vallarta's clock.
Best for: travelers who want a low-key Mexican beach town and a slower pace.
Rincón de Guayabitos: calm water for families
Rincón de Guayabitos sits on Jaltemba Bay, known for its calm water, about an hour or a little more from the airport. Families fill its beachfront bungalows and hotels, and boats make the 10- to 12-minute run to Isla del Coral for snorkeling. It's in the municipality of Compostela, one hour behind Puerto Vallarta.
Best for: families with young children who want calm water for swimming.
Chacala: a quiet cove
Chacala is a small cove about 100 km north of Puerto Vallarta, 11 km off Highway 200, with about 300 full-time residents. It's roughly an hour and a half from the airport and runs on Nayarit's Pacific time.
Best for: travelers who want a quiet cove, a short list of restaurants, and few other visitors.
San Blas: history, mangroves, and birds
San Blas was founded in 1768 as a Spanish port for expeditions up the Pacific coast, and the colonial Contaduría fort and the ruins of the 1769 Nuestra Señora del Rosario church stand on the hill above town. Boats run into La Tovara, a protected mangrove preserve, and the local Christmas Bird Count regularly logs more than 200 species. The drive from Puerto Vallarta takes two and a half to three hours. If you're flying, Tepic's airport is about an hour away.
Best for: birders, history travelers, and anyone who wants to be far from the resort coast.
Matching a town to the trip
Short trip: Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías, or La Cruz keeps the transfer under about 30 minutes.
Surf: Sayulita for a surf town, El Anclote at Punta de Mita for gentle beginner waves.
Small children: Rincón de Guayabitos if calm water's the priority, or Nuevo Vallarta for the short transfer.
Quiet: San Pancho, Lo de Marcos, or Chacala, in rising order of distance.
Frequently asked questions
Which Riviera Nayarit town is closest to the Puerto Vallarta airport?
It's Nuevo Vallarta, about 10 to 15 minutes from the terminal. Bucerías is next at 20 to 30 minutes.
Is Nuevo Vallarta the same place as Nuevo Nayarit?
Yes. The state of Nayarit renamed Nuevo Vallarta as Nuevo Nayarit in 2022. Both names are in use, and much of the local signage still reads Nuevo Vallarta.
Is the Riviera Nayarit part of Puerto Vallarta?
No. Puerto Vallarta is in the state of Jalisco, and the Riviera Nayarit isn't. It's the coast of the neighboring state of Nayarit, beginning just north of the airport and running to San Blas.
Is San Pancho quieter than Sayulita?
Yes. San Pancho had about 1,400 residents in the 2020 census against about 3,400 in Sayulita. The two towns are a short drive apart.
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