Planning a Riviera Nayarit getaway? We’re here to help

Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit is the perfect vacation hot spot for friends, families, honeymooners, and even corporate retreats. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Western Sierra Madre mountains, it’s fast making a name for itself as the newest Mexican beach destination, owing to its 200 miles of picture-perfect sandy beach coastline. Filled with enticing seaside towns, fishing villages, nature reserves, first class resorts, and a buzzing foodie scene, there much to do in this beautiful part of the world, if you can bear to drag yourself away from your luxury villa with panoramic views of the ocean.

There is a thriving food scene in the idyllic town of nearby Puerto Vallarta, or PV, as it is affectionately known by those who live there. With over 400 restaurants to choose from, there is an eatery suited to everyone’s tastes. For fine-dining, many flock to Cafe des Artistes, a French fusion restaurant on a hillside overlooking the Malecon boardwalk. Chef Thierry Blouet serves delicious concoctions such as octopus carpaccio and magret and confit duck to a rapt audience daily.

Also in PV, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s former vacation home, Casa Kimberley, has now been transformed into an open-air bar and restaurant. Visit it for the breathtaking views and palatial grandeur of this Hollywood couple’s 1960s vacation villa. If you’d like to eat like a local, take an evening taco tour, a three-and-a-half-hour-long experience highlights all the hidden dining spots off the tourist trail.

A large part of any Riviera Nayarit vacation will be spent on or alongside the water. With azure blue seas and sandy beaches the norm over in this part of the world, it is easy to see why that’s the case! Surf fans should head over to village Sayulita, to experience the swells this laidback village has to offer, while paddle boarding, sea kayaking, snorkeling, and paragliding are also on offer. Just ask your Luxury Retreats concierge for more information.

December to March is the season for humpback whale watching. Book a guided tour with Vallarta Adventures to see this once-in-a-lifetime experience close up. Any time of the year, a sunset cruise is an awesome idea. Book a sunset sail and let the professional crew wine and dine you as you watch the stars slowly come out over the coastline.

Landlubbers have no fear, it’s not all water sports and ocean-based activities. The Riviera Nayarit is famous for its lush tropical rainforests, rocky mountain terrains and dense nature reserves. Bird-lovers will enjoy spending time in the La Tovara National Park and San Blas Mangrove forest. Bird watching tours can be organised and you can expect to see a huge variety of indigenous and migratory birds, including heron, flamingos, and pelicans. A canopy tour offers another way of experiencing the lush forestry on offer in this region; a zip line tour, with over two miles of cables to whizz your way through. The adjacent animal sanctuary and tequila bar hep to soothe overexcited nerves.

This area is loved for its open-air markets, which offer a variety of local produce and handicrafts to take home with you. First stop is the weekly Saturday Farmers market in Puerto Vallarta. It’s a producer-only market, which means everything sold has to be made at least 75 kilometers away from P.V. Over in Nuevo Vallarta, there’s a Saturday market specializing in artisanal produce, flowers, and fresh fruit and vegetables. The little town of Bucerias, close to P.V., hosts three markets every week. The Monday and Wednesday markets showcase Mexican specialties, such as leather goods, handwoven rugs, and line embroidery, while the Thursday affair is devoted to art, with over 15 art galleries opening its doors to display the local art produced by its artists.

Where to stay – Riviera Nayarit vacation rentals

Every square inch of Riviera Nayarit is beautiful, and what better way to enjoy this natural splendor than in a luxury apartment or villa, with views of the ocean and pristine white beaches from every room?

Close to Puerto Vallarta is the gated community of Real del Mar, a striking hilltop community, filled with properties that are made for relaxing in. Overlooking the beach and with sporting amenities nearby, therentals in Real del Mar , are an enticing proposition for vacation parties large and small. With villas sleeping parties of eight to 12, the architectural emphasis in each property is on space, light, and open plan living. With expansive terraces filled with palapas (traditional palm-covered pergolas), landscaped gardens, open-air bars, curved infinity pools, and surround sound speakers ensuring fun is always on the agenda 24 hours a day.

Housekeeping and a cook service are available and five minutes’ walk from the villas is a private beach club with two clay tennis courts, wellness spa, private restaurant, and gym. During the winter and early spring months, Humpback whales and dolphins can be spotted in the bay. Golf fans will be pleased to know that world class golf courses are nearby. The picturesque fishing village of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is a short car journey away and is well worth a visit for a spot of alfresco dining.

We have severalLos Veneros homes to choose from at Luxury Retreats. The Los Veneros development is a sought-after location, situated between the Punta Mita peninsula and Puerto Vallarta. It offers the amenities of a world-class resort, with the intimacy and seclusion of a private home. Catering to vacation parties of eight to 32, these elegant villas all have exquisite views of the Bay of Banderas and are close to the W Hotel, Four Seasons resort, and St Regis hotel for added first-class fine dining and after dark entertainment.

Each property has been carefully designed to ensure the outdoor and indoor space flows freely. With floor-to-ceiling windows, vaulted ceilings, ocean view terraces, open-air barbeques, and sleek, modern furnishing just some of the luxury finishing touches of the properties. Just outside each villa’s door is a myriad of activities and destinations just waiting to be explored. Choose from the shopping opportunities at Punta Mita, the sea kayaking or paddle boarding experiences at Marianas or Veneros beaches close by, or surfing at nearby surfing hotspot Sayulita. The decision is yours.

Nuevo Vallarta is an expansive, planned resort, just north of downtown Puerto Vallarta, catering to every vacationers’ needs. Choose from one of Luxury Retreats’Nuevo Vallarta vacation rentals for a vacation filled with exciting activities, as well as plenty of downtime. Large groups of families, friends or work colleagues, will love the 12 to 15 person homes on offer, due to their proximity to sandy beaches, horseback riding, surfing, parasailing, and sport fishing opportunities.

Each home has landscaped gardens filled with bougainvillea, lilies, and jasmine, which make lounging on the terraces by the infinity pool, an absolute pleasure. A butler, housekeeping, and cooking service are all standard offerings in these world-class villas, as are the private terraces and balconies opening out from each bedroom.