Riviera Nayarit is a big travel destination: the white sandy beaches, great surfing spots, and delicious tacos are just the beginning, and there’s much more to discover in this tropical paradise!

Riviera Nayarit is a gorgeous stretch of coastline boarding the Pacific Ocean.

The white sand beaches of the Riviera Nayarit are lined with small, colorful pueblos, set against a backdrop of lush jungle and dramatic mountains. There are a dozen or more good surfing spots, the food is delicious and you can do everything from waterfall rappelling to horseback riding.

If you’re looking for 23°C and sunny, then Riviera Nayarit is your place. The area has a mild tropical climate; it’s on the same latitude as Hawaii, so the weather is pretty similar. The hottest months are July, August, and September when the highs can reach the 32°C.

The rainy season is from late June to early November, which usually means rain in the afternoon.

Horseback Riding on Beaches in Riviera Nayarit

Litibú Beach – Visit this beach on a horseback ride and watch the sunset behind Punta Mita in the distance. There are a few resorts around, but a long open stretch with nothing but soft sand and clear water

Careyeros Beach – At Playa Careyeros, the sand is white, the water is a mesmerizing blue, and the sea cliffs make this place feel like you’re the only one around.

Pátzcuaro Sur Beach – Head to Playa Pátzcuaro Sur for some boogie boarding or climbing around the cool rock outcroppings.

Beautiful Beaches in Riviera Nayarit

Playa De Los Muertos – Sayulita can be pretty packed, but you’ll find significantly fewer people at Playa De Los Muertos, a short walk to the south. It’s named for the graveyard nearby. This little cove is a great spot to swim and snorkel.

Playa Las Cuevas and Playa Malpasos – These beaches are sandwiched between Sayulita and San Pancho, but you’ll hardly find anyone there. At low tide, you can even climb through a rocky passage that connects Las Cuevas to Malpasos.

Playa Novillero – Novillero Beach is located on the very northern edge of the state of Nayarit. It’s huge; it’s more than a third of a mile wide and more than 56 miles long, making it the longest and widest virgin beach in Mexico.

Surfing at La Lancha Beach in Punta Mita, Mexico

Sayulita – Sayulita gained popularity among surfers because its river break is so consistent.

San Blas – If you’re looking for some majorly long waves, San Blas held the record for the longest recorded wave at one point—almost a kilometer long!

Here’s a full list of the surfing spots in the Riviera Nayarit, but the swells change by the day, so it’s always to check the forecast on Surfline, or just ask a few people around town once you arrive.

Participate in a Sea Turtle Release

The beaches of Riviera Nayarit are a popular nesting ground for sea turtles. Of the 20,000 eggs a female sea turtle can lay in her lifetime, often only two of them will make it to adulthood.

That is why several volunteer organizations in the area protect the nests and the hatchlings and create a sea turtle release program to give these tiny sea turtles a better shot at survival.

A number of the hotels and resorts in the area have programs that charge fees to take part in the release, but community-based ones, like the Sayulita Turtle Camp, are looking for volunteers to help relocate nests and make their journey to the sea.

The Sayulita Turtle Camp is open year-round, but most hatchling releases take place from the end of October through January.

Hike among ancient Petroglyphs to the Sacred Pools of Alta Vista

This hike is a draw for both what you find along the trail and at the end.

An Aztec tribe lived along the Las Piletas River over two thousand years ago; the only trace of their inhabitance of the area is the hundreds of images carved into the rocks along the river.

You can try to guess the meanings of these petroglyphs, but there are also several signs posted along the trail that will give you some more information about the area.

At the end of the hike, you’ll reach a beautiful natural pool, where you can cool off before the warm hike back.

Snorkeling by Marieta Islands

The Marieta Islands and the surrounding waters are national parks, so they are protected from fishing and hunting. You should book a boat trip to reach the Marieta Islands.

The water has some of the best visibility, so you can easily spot all the bright yellow Mexican goatfish and Blacknosed butterflyfish.

Whale Watching in Banderas Bay

If you book a boat trip like the one above from December through March, you’ll probably get a two-for-one and get in some great whale watching too.

Humpback whales leave the icy cold waters of the Arctic to come and birth their young in the warm, shallow, and calm waters of Banderas Bay.

The crew on our boat estimated over 700 Humpback whales passed through Banderas Bay last year, so they said you’re pretty much guaranteed to see at least a few whales every time you head out into the water.

You can check out Whale Watching tours in Riviera Nayarit here.

Birdwatching at the La Tovara National Park in San Blas

La Tovara National Park in San Blas, an estuary surrounded by mangroves, is home to over 500 species of birds. You can spot plenty of birds year-round, but thousands more migrate here for the winter.

Tours are offered on small motor boats to explore the mangroves, where you might also spot a few fresh-water turtles sunbathing or crocodiles barely visible above the waterline. If you want to get a closer look at a crocodile, add a visit to the Kiekari Crocodile Farm rescue center.

At the end of the estuary, there’s a freshwater spring where you can even hop in (no crocodiles here).

Hike the Salto del Cora Waterfall

For something more adventurous after birdwatching, drive one hour outside of San Blas, where you’ll find a 40-meter waterfall called Salto del Cora. Once you reach the village of El Cora, take a short hike down to the base of the waterfall where you can jump in for a refreshing swim!

When the Mexican military used the Marieta Islands for target practice in the early 1900s, little did they know their efforts would lead to the creation of a future tourist destination.

But, in fact, repeated bombings on the islands are thought to have created what is now known as Hidden Beach. Yet, it’s not quite so hidden these days.

Wild Islas Marietas

The Marieta Islands are located just a few miles off the tip of Punta Mita on the west coast of Mexico. This archipelago in Banderas Bay (Bahía de Banderas) is thought to have been formed by volcanic activity thousands of years ago.

The islands have never been inhabited by humans, only by wildlife.

An aerial view of the islands reveals a large circular crater, and within the crater is the secluded beach Playa Escondida (“Hidden Beach”). It’s also called Playa del Amor or Lovers’ Beach.

The beautiful, hard-to-access spot is highly sought out by tourists from around the world. No doubt its somewhat “secretive” location adds to its allure, but its pristine, sugary white sand and bright blue water help, too.

The challenge of actually getting there – the short stretch of beach is only accessible by swimming through an underwater tunnel – plays a role in its intrigue too.

Overcoming the beach’s elusiveness is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Damage control

Unfortunately, an increase in visitors eventually led to pollution and trash build-up, which, in turn, placed the coral reef and endangered species living on the Marieta Islands in jeopardy.

Instagram is not all to blame, however. Efforts to protect the islands and the mystical Hidden Beach actually began long before the internet went gaga over the photos.

During the late 1960s in an effort to preserve the environment and prevent harm to the area, scientist and marine conservationist Jacques Cousteau stepped in. Bringing much-needed attention to the islands when he began advocating for their protection, his efforts ultimately paid off.

Some 40 years later, in 2005, the islands were finally designated a national park – Parque Nacional Islas Marietas. Offering further protection from destruction, in 2008 they were also designated as a UNESCO MAB (Man and Biosphere) Reserve.

MAB sites are those which aim to strengthen the relationship between people and the environment with the help of science.

These protective measures were, however, deemed not enough. By May 2016, there were almost 2,500 tourists visiting daily. Both natural phenomena and bad tourism practices continued to negatively impact the coral colonies in the area.

Officials declared the temporary closure of Hidden Beach as they worked to evaluate the best way to keep the popular tourist attraction open for the long term.

On August 31, 2016, the beach reopened, albeit with stricter visitation limits in place. Authorities allow visitors to swim, but they’re not allowed to wear fins, and scuba diving is prohibited. Additionally, only reef-friendly sunscreens are permitted.

Down from the thousands of people visiting each day, now only 117 people are allowed per day, and the beach is closed to visitors on Mondays and Tuesdays.

These limitations may have decreased visitation, but demand to check off this bucket list item has, unsurprisingly, only increased.

After all, it’s one thing to ooh and ahh over pictures on Instagram (users can search the hashtag hidden beach and be transported to turquoise waters and pristine sand), it’s another to experience it in the flesh.

Visiting Hidden Beach

In order to respect the maximum number of allowed visitors, only five operators (including Punta Mita Charters, Nayarit Adventures, and Ally Cat Sailing Adventures) have permission to take groups to the Marietas Islands. Tours incorporate only a 20-minute visit to Hidden Beach.

Interested travelers would do well to book a tour at least a month or two in advance.

Here’s the kicker, though: Just getting a spot on the tour doesn’t guarantee a stop at Hidden Beach. Sea conditions could potentially omit the special stop.

Home stretch

From Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Punta de Mita, and Sayulita, the voyage takes approximately one hour.

As you motor out towards the islands, you may spot dolphins or whales in the water. About 75 m from the entrance to Hidden Beach, the tour boat will drop anchor. After the boat is moored, you will be fitted for a life preserver and helmet.

Even skilled swimmers will need to wear a life preserver as the only way to actually reach Hidden Beach is by swimming to it through a tunnel.

Tour staff will be in kayaks nearby monitoring you as you approach the cave, but this is still not a swim for water-wary individuals. You must swim in during low tide when there is a maximum amount of clearance between the water and the top of the rocky entrance.

And even then, the passageway only has approximately six feet of vertical clearance. But, get ready for a major adrenaline rush as the tide pushes you in through the opening. You might even feel like your head grazes the top of the cave.

When you finally burst through the opening and into the crater, you will come right up on the shores of Hidden Beach. With a sea of crystal clear blue ocean water surrounding you, if you look up, you’ll see a large dome opening straight up into the bright blue Mexican sky.