The current offer amounts to about 33,000 hotel rooms, more than 950 establishments; in addition to 7,000 temporary apartments or residences.
One of Nayarit’s current strategies to attract tourism is the diversification of products and the promotion of various segments. Thanks to the geographical diversity of the state, the activities that can be carried out range from community tourism to nature tourism.
According to the head of the local Secretariat of Tourism, Juan Enrique Suárez del Real Tostado, in addition to promoting business tourism, other segments such as culture, sports, nature, and adventure stand out.
“In sports tourism, we have many people who arrive between seasons that are not holidays to practice surfing, diving, cycling (…) Another segment that is growing a lot is nature, much of it bird watching, whale watching, turtle release; to also find issues that have to do with the part of wellness, wellness tourism, in many coastal areas, in an interesting trend, for example, of groups that come to practice meditation and yoga,” he told El Economista.
Magical Towns
He also emphasized that the secretariat has had the opportunity to diversify the state’s offer and also to bet on community cultural tourism within the nine Magical Towns they have: Ahuacatlán, Amatlán de Cañas, Compostela, Ixtlán del Río, Jala, Mexcaltitán, Puerto Balleto (Islas Marías), San Blas, and Sayulita.
“In the Magical Towns, people can already find the opportunity to develop workshops and generate handicrafts,” he said.
Such is the case of the Magical Town of Compostela, home to historic buildings such as the parish of Santiago Apóstol, built in colonial times, and where traditional saddlery businesses are located. In the municipality, you can carry out activities such as entering the coffee plantations with a tasting (in the Café Molote Artisan Workshop), the production of cigars (La Flor de Chila), and handmade leather accessories (Talabartería Profe Nacho).
Within this town is located Rincón de Guayabitos, one of the most popular beaches in the state, where Isla Coral stands out; surfing, boat rides, and bird watching are the main attractions. At certain times of the year, Guayabitos beach is visited by sea turtles that come to lay their eggs.
Different activities
Sayulita is another of the state’s Magical Towns, located in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas in the Riviera Nayarit and recognized as one of the best places to learn to surf and practice it all year round. There are beaches for all levels, from beginners to advanced.
In addition to surfing, there are other activities such as fishing, diving, and snorkeling. The main square is characterized by its colorful appearance.
Another favorite place for snorkeling and diving is the Islas Marietas National Park, which is located 9.5 kilometers southwest of the coast of Nayarit, made up of a couple of islands and rocks. It is also home to migratory and continental seabirds, including the world’s largest population of yellow-footed, brown, and blue-footed booby birds. Its marine park protects a total of 44 species of flora and fauna.
25 minutes from the capital, the Magical Town of San Blas is a destination that offers beaches, mangroves, rivers, and streams, thanks to its natural wealth. In addition, it is a temporary home to more than 300 species of migratory birds.
A must-see is La Tovara National Park, where you can sail through the mangroves where birds, turtles, crocodiles, and various fauna of the area live.
In the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, in the town of Higuera Blanca, the Vista Paraíso Ranch is located. Through tours, outdoor activities are part of the adventure tourism offered by the state: hiking, horseback riding, razing, among others.
“We have a project called Nayarit, the School of Adventure, which is a school, for example, of paragliding, mountain biking, surfing, and kitesurfing. In Nayarit, you can come not only to vacation but also to learn a sport,” said the secretary.
Projections
Juan Enrique Suárez del Real Tostado stressed that in 2025 they promoted more than 60 tourist routes, “and this year (2026) we are going to generate tourist attractions, artisan workshops, sanctuaries so that people can observe the flora and fauna. We are going to generate trails, and we are going to generate these tourist experiences to complement the tourist routes that we are already launching and increase the economic branch in the state.”
“We have the opportunity for this diversification, to go to a workshop where we make cigars and also to adventure tourism (…) So it is also part of this diversification that people know that they can not only go to carry out certain activities, but that there is a world to do there,” he concluded.
Source: El Economista
