Despite VidantaWorld, Nayarit still has plenty of authentic, sustainable tourism; here’s where

When VidantaWorld’s enlargement plans finally debuted this month — 1 of the astir anticipated and wide discussed tourism projects successful Mexico — it dominated the question speech crossed the Pacific coast. With upcoming immersive attractions, melodramatic amusement zones and a standard antecedently unseen successful the region, the opening of the caller BON luxury taxable parkland instantly positioned Nuevo Nayarit arsenic a high-profile tourism magnet.

But not everyone is funny successful a mega attraction. And for travelers who crave emptier landscapes, quieter beaches, meaningful taste encounters and quality that hasn’t been packaged into an experience, Nayarit offers a precise antithetic communicative — 1 that begins conscionable a small farther northbound and a small farther inland.

The BON luxury taxable park, 1 of the latest amenities successful VidantaWorld’s 3,000-acre beachfront resort. (Vidanta connected X)

Beyond the caller improvement roar successful the south, the remainder of Nayarit is emerging arsenic 1 of Mexico’s astir compelling hidden-gem destinations for ecotourism. 

Home to wetlands, mangrove forests, surf towns that inactive consciousness local, ineffable mountains, volcanic valleys, and communities profoundly connected to the environment, Nayarit delivers the benignant of off-the-beaten-path question that is progressively hard to find. 

And with planetary question awards and features successful publications placing Nayarit connected their “Best Places to Go successful 2026” lists, this quieter broadside of the authorities is yet getting the visibility it deserves.

To find the existent Nayarit, caput north

Most visitors arriving done the Puerto Vallarta airdrome people drift southbound toward Nuevo Vallarta, wherever Vidanta has transformed much than 3,000 acres of beachfront into resorts, play courses and, now, the landmark VidantaWorld. It’s a monumental project, but it’s besides conscionable 1 sliver of Nayarit.

Drive 20 oregon 30 minutes north, and the coastline changes dramatically. The beaches agelong wider, the towns get smaller and the regular gait drops. This is wherever Nayarit’s ecotourism communicative genuinely begins.

Further northbound successful Nayarit, adjacent successful touristy surf towns similar San Pancho, determination are unforgettable ecotourism opportunities. (Project Expedition)

San Pancho and Sayulita whitethorn beryllium good known, but they anchor a coastal corridor wherever surfing, conservation and community-led initiatives inactive signifier the visitant experience. San Pancho successful peculiar has maintained a beardown biology ethos, with section organizations moving to support turtle nesting sites, enactment wildlife rehabilitation and negociate sustainable tourism practices.

Continue farther north, and you scope Litibú, Lo de Marcos, and a bid of beaches wherever improvement drops distant astir entirely. These stretches of coastline with melodramatic cliffs, translucent h2o and untouched coves correspond the mentation of Riviera Nayarit that aboriginal travelers fell successful emotion with, agelong earlier the portion appeared successful question magazines.

Wetlands, mangroves and an important vertebrate habitat

For ecotourism travelers, 1 of the astir breathtaking regions successful the authorities is Marismas Nacionales, a immense wetland strategy considered 1 of the largest and astir ecologically important successful Mexico. Covering astir 200,000 hectares, Marismas Nacionales is location to mangrove forests, lagoons, estuaries and lowland jungles that enactment bonzer biodiversity.

Birdwatchers person known astir the portion for years, but tourism involvement is present opening to broaden. Migratory taxon get successful the wintertime months portion nonmigratory species, including herons, spoonbills, kingfishers and ospreys, thrive year-round. Kayaking and small-boat excursions connection low-impact ways to research the wetlands, and community-based guides guarantee that your tourism dollars enactment wrong the region.

This country besides offers travelers a accidental to spot conservation successful action: Local cooperatives are profoundly progressive successful mangrove preservation, taxon monitoring and sustainable sportfishing practices, making Marismas Nacionales a almighty illustration of ecotourism that straight supports biology stewardship.

At the opening of the 2000s, jaguars began to beryllium spotted successful Nayarit, inhabiting areas adjacent the Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve, a protected country that astir 240 verterbrate taxon telephone home. (Government of Mexico)

Experiences not recovered connected a booking site

While the coastline is the gateway to Nayarit, its interior is wherever the authorities surprises adjacent seasoned Mexico travelers. Within an hr of the coast, the scenery shifts into the foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental, wherever conifer forests, waterfalls, stream valleys and volcanic formations make an wholly antithetic terrain.

Hiking routes present are becoming much accessible, acknowledgment to tiny outfitters and section communities that person begun offering guided excursions focused connected ecology, geology and Indigenous heritage. 

The mountains are besides location to the Cora and Huichol (Wixárika) peoples, whose ineffable sites and cosmology are profoundly tied to the land. Cultural experiences successful these regions are handled cautiously and respectfully, ensuring that visitors larn without disrupting traditions.

For travelers who privation to harvester enactment with immersion, horseback riding, waterfall hikes and stream swimming supply casual introduction points into Nayarit’s inland wilderness.

What truly makes Nayarit a hidden gem for authentic ecotourism is that travelers tin inactive acquisition communities and landscapes earlier their increasing popularity reshapes them. The authorities is growing, and VidantaWorld’s accomplishment volition lone accelerate interest, but the northbound and interior stay mostly defined by section regular life.

Many of Nayarit’s astir absorbing experiences aren’t recovered connected booking sites but done section cooperatives, tiny tourism collectives and family-run operations. Visitors tin larn accepted weaving oregon beadwork, articulation conservation projects oregon enactment successful assemblage nutrient experiences that item determination ingredients similar the bejuco tuber and past maize varieties.

In a infinitesimal erstwhile galore Mexican destinations are grappling with overtourism, Nayarit offers a antithetic narrative,  1 wherever travelers person the accidental to take however their tourism dollars signifier the aboriginal of a region. With wetlands, mountains, tiny surf towns, Indigenous communities and stretches of coastline that consciousness astir untouched, the authorities is poised to go 1 of Mexico’s astir important destinations for ecoconscious travelers.

Experience it now, earlier the remainder of the satellite arrives.

Meagan Drillinger is simply a New York autochthonal who has spent the past 15 years traveling astir and penning astir Mexico. While she’s connected the roadworthy for assignments astir of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her location base. Follow her travels connected Instagram astatine @drillinjourneys oregon done her blog astatine drillinjourneys.com.