Discovering Culture, Luxury and Adventure in the Mexican Pacific

Mexico's burgeoning Nayarit region is preparing to welcome thousands of tourists this year with world-class products and services on beaches along its Riviera, Pueblos Magicos (Magic Towns), inland and mountains.

A relevant parameter to measure the interest of wholesalers, hotels, airlines, and travel agencies, traditional and online, is the recently celebrated Gala Riviera Nayarit-Puerto Vallarta 2025, where more than a thousand industry actors gathered to support these amazing destinations of the Mexican Pacific.

Nayarit promotes a strategy to position its different spots in the sports, adventure, gastronomy, leisure, wellness, and cultural segments, as is the case of the relevant Mesoamerican ruins of Los Toriles, located in the Magic Town of Ixtlán del Río, a short distance from Tepic, the capital.

History buffs will find this place, which was developed between 200 BC and 600 AD, one of the few circular buildings in the Mesoamerican area. This World Heritage Site comprises at least 14 architectural complexes around wide squares surrounded by rectangular basements. In addition, it has four large sections, including an imposing circular building dedicated to the god Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl, the deity of the wind, and the Plumed Serpent.

On the other hand, Nayarit is increasingly consolidated as an interesting sports tourism hub with world-class waves for surfers to enjoy in Sayulita, paragliding around the Ceboruco Volcano, and a series of high-magnitude sports events that, together with Sabino Producciones, Nayarit offers for those seeking adventure destinations. In addition, partnerships have been created with the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, and Vancouver Canucks to promote the visit of sports fans from the United States and Canada.

With the slogans Awaken Paradise (Riviera Nayarit) and Mexico to Discover (a state campaign), the destination is positioned for visitors searching for luxury resorts, adventure, high-level gastronomy, and cultural richness.

A sign of this commitment to make Nayarit one of the most important destinations in Mexico is the recent launch of The Tourism School, an innovative project focused on educating new generations of professionals in the hospitality and gastronomy segments. This place, open to guests, has all the amenities of a luxury hotel and is attended by students focused on offering products and services of the highest quality with advice from industry experts.

On the other hand, the tourism strategy of Nayarit promotes outdoor activities to raise awareness of the importance of its sustainable agriculture, such as the production of organic cacao, in which visitors learn about its history and the different products manufactured based on Mexico's endemic fruit. This is joined by visits to organic coffee fields produced in the highlands of Nayarit that offer a very particular flavor since it grows in a land full of volcanic minerals.

In addition to the renowned Magic Towns such as Jala, San Blas, and Compostela, the offer of high-level tourism in luxury resorts and family-friendly continues to rise in the incomparable Riviera Nayarit with the launch this year of Gran Meliá Hotel (180 rooms), Hotel Zel Sayulita, Belmond's Milaroca and, in 2026, much more new properties including Montage & Pendry (Punta Mita), AMResorts, Grupo Vidanta, Marriott International and Meliá.

In addition, luxury properties such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Ritz-Carlton, Westin, and Autograph Collection are also available. The family-friendly resorts segment includes Iberostar Grand and the Cirque du Soleil theme park.

Key to the connectivity of the different destinations is the transformation carried out at Nayarit International Airport as a regional hub that this year will have new jet bridges, some 33,000 square feet of retail and food space, an important car rental center of the Avis, Budget, and Hertz franchises, and a sophisticated system of digital immigration processes. The first direct flight to Los Angeles will confirm Nayarit as the first port of entry to the Mexican Pacific on July 16.

According to official figures, the rapid development of Nayarit's tourism offer reached a record 3.7 million air visits in the first half of 2024, representing an increase of 2.6 percent compared to 2023.

For the 2025 Nayarit-Puerto Vallarta Gala, the Nayarit Ministry of Tourism has worked closely with key industry players such as the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), and International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA), to expand Nayarit's offering into new markets.

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