Your Riviera Nayarit (Punta de Mita) CME conference.

Riviera Nayarit after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM local time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: a beach walk around Punta de Mita, a stroll along Sayulita’s cobblestone streets, or time on the calm sand at Bucerías. Leave time for getting there and for the Pacific sun.

Travel, accommodation and any tour or activity are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests; the coast is simply the setting you choose for it.

Punta de Mita itself

Punta de Mita was once home to artisans, merchants and fishermen and is now a developed resort town. The tourism board says the peninsula is surrounded on three sides by the Pacific, with almost ten kilometers of coastline backed by rolling green hills. Coral del Rusco and El Anclote beaches are lined with hotels along about 500 meters of shoreline. The board also says the Pacífico golf course admits only residents and guests of certain hotels, so check access before you plan a round.

Whales, islands and boats

Riviera Nayarit’s tourism board lists mid-December through March as the whale-watching season, with tours running daily. It says humpbacks are often curious and may float under or around tour boats for many minutes, and it also lists blue, sperm and gray whales, orcas and dolphins among the species of the region.

The board advises choosing a small boat, which it says disturbs the whales least. Tours usually last up to four hours, so compare the length with your 2:00 PM finish and consider a morning that is free of study. The board’s water-activities page also links a tour of the Marietas Islands and Hidden Beach to Punta de Mita; ask the operator for the details when you book.

Sayulita or San Pancho?

Sayulita is a small fishing town of about 5,000 people, according to the tourism board, and surfing is its main draw. The board gives December through April as the surf season, with beaches for beginners through advanced surfers. Small businesses and cafés line the cobblestone streets, and there are art galleries and Mexican handicraft shops.

San Francisco, known as San Pancho, lies about five kilometers north of Sayulita. The board calls it the cultural capital of Riviera Nayarit: it describes murals near the beach, Huichol handicrafts, galleries and a polo club. The beach is wide and sandy, and the waves attract surfers. Sayulita’s lodging includes campsites near the beach, with room for tents and RVs. Choose Sayulita for shops and surf, or San Pancho for galleries and sand.

Bucerías, La Cruz and the bay

Bucerías sits on Bahía de Banderas, about twenty kilometers from Puerto Vallarta, roughly a half-hour drive according to the tourism board. Its beach has fine sand and calm surf, and the board says the water suits young children, sailing and kayaking. Restaurants and bars line the main streets, ceviche tostadas and shrimp cocktail are local specialties, and a communal market sells silver jewelry, handicrafts and sweets.

La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is home to the Riviera Nayarit Marina and La Cruz Market. Its five-kilometer beach is divided into five sections, and beachside restaurants serve fresh fish. Snorkeling and scuba diving are listed there, and surfing is listed for the winter months. Deep-sea fishing for tuna, marlin and mahi-mahi is also listed, and La Cruz Market is at the marina.

Turtles and resort beaches

Olive Ridley turtles nest on Nayarit’s Pacific beaches, and the tourism board says sea turtles in Mexico nest mostly between June and November. Visitors can join hatchling releases organized by government agencies and marine biologists. Nuevo Nayarit also has a turtle sanctuary that protects nesting turtles and their hatchlings.

Nuevo Nayarit has a five-kilometer shoreline of golden beaches, two marinas and a large number of hotels and resorts. The board gives its water temperature as 25–31°C all year, and adds golf courses, mangrove boat tours and birdwatching. It is a twenty-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta’s airport, according to the board.

When to visit Riviera Nayarit

November through April is a useful starting point for a visit. Mid-December through March brings the whales, December through April brings the surf, and the sea stays warm all year. Turtle nesting falls mostly in the other half of the year, from June to November. Use the local forecast when you plan boat trips or beach time.

Getting to Riviera Nayarit and your study setting

Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR), also called Puerto Vallarta International, is the arrival point shown in this guide. Its operator places it in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, about 7.5 kilometers from the city and about 10 miles from Nuevo Vallarta in Nayarit. The tourism board places Punta de Mita about 15 kilometers southwest of Sayulita.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.