Wonderful beach
It’s a safe bet that most families considering a vacation in Mexico are familiar with Cancun and Los Cabos. There’s now a fresh destination in Mexico that has been refining its appeal over the last decade.
That’s the Riviera Nayarit region, on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Bloomberg said in 2018 article the area was “primed to be the next big ‘it’ destination.”
The destination first attracted mainstream attention with luxury resorts on the Punta Mita peninsula. Since then, it’s developed its draw for families, with new resorts and attractions coming on board.
Most visitors will first fly into Puerto Vallarta International Airport and then drive north; a 45-minute drive will put travelers roughly in the middle of Riviera Nayarit’s tourism action. Visitors will find one beach town after another, with lots of different price points when it comes to accommodations.
The pace is laid-back, even for Mexico.
While Riviera Nayarit’s 200-mile stretch of coastline is lush and green year-round, the colors are especially eye-popping in the weeks after the rainy season, which is late June through early November.
There are lots of activities to fill a family’s vacation itinerary. One of the most popular is whale watching excursions on Banderas Bay. These boat trips bring passengers close to humpback whales migrating south to the bay during the winter months. During my excursion, a mother, father and baby whale all breached in the waters 30 feet off the bow of our boat.