Category: Travel

Photo: Hotel Conrad in Riviera Nayarit / Fernando Gutierrez / Unsplash

The coastline north of Punta Mita has long been considered one of Mexico‘s last accessible frontiers. Picture jungle-covered ridges dropping into the Pacific, estuaries where herons wade among crocodiles, and fishing boats pulled onto palm-shaded beaches.  For decades, reaching this part of Nayarit required patience and commitment, with travelers flying into Puerto Vallarta‘s international airport before enduring a two-hour (or longer) drive north on winding roads.

That equation is changing rapidly. A combination of expanded air service through Tepic‘s upgraded international airport, major highway improvements, and the planned Riviera Nayarit Express shuttle system is making this stretch of coast dramatically easier to reach. But the real story for travelers and expats lies in what awaits on the ground: protected natural reserves, uncrowded beach towns, and some of the most ambitious luxury hotel developments anywhere in the Americas.

Getting to Riviera Nayarit

Tepic-Riviera Nayarit International Airport (TPQ) has undergone a $249 million transformation that positions it as a genuine alternative to Puerto Vallarta for reaching the northern Riviera Nayarit. The project included a lengthened runway capable of handling long-haul aircraft, a 42-meter control tower (the third tallest in Mexico), and a new terminal building. International service launched in July 2025 with Volaris operating three weekly nonstop flights from Los Angeles. By December 2025, the route map expanded considerably: United Airlines began twice-weekly service from Houston, WestJet launched the first-ever direct connection between Canada and Nayarit with weekly flights from Calgary, and Air Canada added service from Vancouver.

For travelers flying into Tepic, the state government has announced the Riviera Nayarit Express, a shuttle system connecting the airport directly to coastal destinations including San Blas, Rincón de Guayabitos, Sayulita, Punta Mita, and Nuevo Nayarit. The service is designed to eliminate the need for car rentals or taxis for those heading straight to the beach.

Highway improvements are also reshaping travel times. A new 20-mile stretch of the Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta highway between La Florida and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle has cut the drive between Puerto Vallarta and the luxury Mandarina development to approximately 40 minutes. Additional highway sections extending farther north were scheduled for completion by late 2025, with a long-planned Jala-Bahía de Banderas freeway eventually expected to reduce drive times from Guadalajara to the Riviera Nayarit beaches from five hours to around two.

San Blas: Where History Meets Ecology

Travelers seeking both cultural depth and ecological immersion will find San Blas a compelling starting point. This small town served as one of the busiest ports during the Spanish colonial era when Mexico was known as New Spain. Today, San Blas draws visitors for its mangrove-lined waterways and reputation as one of Mexico’s premier birding destinations.

La Tovara National Park, accessible only by boat, protects an extensive mangrove forest and freshwater spring system that feeds approximately six kilometers of natural channels. The area shelters over 300 bird species, with roughly 80% of North America’s migratory birds passing through during winter months. Boat tours navigate through vegetation-covered passages where sunlight barely penetrates, passing crocodile habitats and stopping at natural swimming pools surrounded by wooden structures built for the Spanish film, Cabeza de Vaca.

San Blas also serves as one of two departure points for the Islas Marías, an archipelago located roughly 60 miles off the Pacific coast. This former penal colony, which operated from 1905 until 2019, has been reinvented as the Muros de Agua José Revueltas Biosphere Reserve and opened for tourism in 2022. The islands are often called the Galápagos of Mexico due to their endemic species, including the Tres Marías cottontail rabbit, the Tres Marías raccoon, and the Tres Marías hummingbird.

Visiting requires booking through an all-inclusive government-regulated package that includes ferry transportation (departing Fridays, returning Sundays, alternating between San Blas and Mazatlán), accommodations in renovated former prison buildings, meals, and guided tours. Packages start around 3,500 pesos (approximately $210 USD) for tourist-class ferry seating, plus food costs of about 1,900 pesos. Activities range from touring the former prison facilities to hiking to a 60-foot Cristo Rey statue, snorkeling in clear Pacific waters, and observing endemic wildlife.

Rincón de Guayabitos: The Family-Friendly Alternative

South of San Blas, Rincón de Guayabitos offers one of the Riviera Nayarit’s most accessible beach getaways for families and budget-conscious travelers. The town sits on a wide, shallow bay with calm waters, drawing Canadian snowbirdsduring winter months and Mexican families year-round.

Accommodation options range from midrange hotels like the Costa Alegre Hotel & Suites and the Casablanca Resortto several all-inclusive properties operated by Decameron, including the Isla Coral, La Marina, and Los Cocos resorts. The variety provides genuine value compared to the higher-priced Puerto Vallarta hotel zone, with beachfront rooms available from around $50-150 USD per night, depending on the property and season.

During the day, visitors can join whale-watching tours during migration season (December through March), take boat trips to Isla del Coral for snorkeling among colorful fish and sea turtles, or drive 20 minutes south to the quieter beach village of Los Ayala. The Tianguis Market in town offers souvenirs, including hand-painted ceramics and beaded art created by the indigenous Huichol people.

Tips & Tactics

Best Time to Go: The dry season runs from mid-October through April, with December through March being peak season. Whale-watching is best December through March. The rainy season (May through mid-October) brings afternoon showers but also lower prices and fewer crowds.

Getting to Riviera Nayarit:

• Via Tepic (TPQ): Direct flights from Los Angeles (Volaris), Houston (United), Calgary (WestJet), and Vancouver (Air Canada). The airport is approximately 40-90 minutes from coastal destinations, depending on location.
• Via Puerto Vallarta (PVR): More flight options but longer drives to northern Nayarit properties. Puerto Vallarta is approximately 45 minutes to Mandarina, 90 minutes to Siari, and 2+ hours to San Blas.
• Ground Transportation: Rental cars available at both airports. Taxis and the forthcoming Riviera Nayarit Express shuttle offer alternatives. Local buses connect coastal towns but require  

Photo: Courtesy INAH

When you visit the circular pyramid at Cuicuilco, it seems impossible that this remarkable Mexico City site, hemmed in by a shopping center and residential towers, was once the ceremonial center of a civilization that predates the Aztecs by more than a millennium. 

Yet here, where worshippers once honored Huehueteotl, the ancient fire god, small groups of visitors can enjoy official Mexico City walking tours led by archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)

For expats and long-term residents who think they’ve seen everything Mexico has to offer, the INAH tour program presents a unique opportunity to experience some of the country’s lesser-known archaeological heritage. And with Mexico preparing to host matches at three stadiums during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the timing couldn’t be better for cultural tourism to take center stage.

Official Mexico City Walking Tours

The institute’s cultural walks, known as Paseos Culturales, trace their origins to 1957, when an INAH archaeologist began sharing the organization’s research findings with colleagues and students. What started as informal academic excursions has evolved into a public program offering approximately 130 official Mexico City walking tours per year in the downtown area alone, with additional expeditions to sites throughout the country.

The process works like this: historians and archaeologists propose walking itineraries to the INAH, selecting locations that showcase Mexico’s cultural heritage. Once approved, tours open to the public at roughly 260 pesos (approximately $15 USD). Each excursion is led by academic specialists who bring decades of research expertise to their narration.

According to tour guides, the program’s mission centers on sharing Mexico’s living heritage with content that reflects the latest archaeological research and discoveries. Program coordinator Mónica de Alba has noted that public interest has grown substantially in recent years, with residents increasingly recognizing the depth of cultural offerings available in their own city. 

INAH’s Hidden Gems

While places like Teotihuacán and Chichén Itzá remain Mexico’s most-visited archaeological destinations, the official Mexico City walking tour program deliberately focuses on lesser-known sites. The October schedule, for example, incorporates Day of the Dead traditions with visits to places like Xochimilco, where participants take moonlit boat tours through the ancient canal system and chinampas, the floating gardens that predate the Spanish conquest.

Other recent excursions have explored the Ecatepec neighborhood on Mexico City’s outskirts, where open-air markets, street food vendors, and religious festivals maintain traditions that connect directly to pre-Hispanic practices. A tour timed to coincide with the feast of Our Lady of Mercy took participants through La Merced market, one of the city’s oldest commercial districts.

Historian Jesús López del Río, who leads tours examining human sacrifice practices among Mesoamerican civilizations, has emphasized that these walks allow the general public to connect with societies separated by vast distances of time and space. Understanding the pre-Hispanic past, he notes, extends beyond famous achievements like Mayan mathematics or Aztec engineering: it requires grasping how these civilizations understood and related to their world.

For expats interested in exploring Mexico’s archaeological heritage through the INAH tour program, reservations are required. Upcoming official Mexico City walking tours and booking information are available by visiting the official Paseos Culturales website at www.paseosculturales.inah.gob.mx. Tours fill quickly, particularly for popular destinations. 

Photo courtesy Aman Group

The luxury hotel group behind some of the world’s most exclusive retreats is finally planting its flag in Mexico. Aman will open Amanvari, an 18-room resort on the East Cape of Baja California Sur, in spring 2026, marking the Swiss-based brand’s first property in the country and its sixth in the Americas and Caribbean.

The resort takes its name from the Sanskrit words for “peace” and “water,” a fitting choice for a property positioned where desert sands meet the Sea of Cortez, in waters that famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once dubbed “the aquarium of the world.”

A Remote Setting with World-Class Neighbors

Amanvari will occupy a parcel within Costa Palmas, a 1,500-acre (607-hectare) residential and resort community near the town of La Ribera, roughly 45 minutes by car from Los Cabos International Airport. 

The development already includes the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, which opened in 2019, along with an 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones II, a 250-slip deep-water marina capable of accommodating yachts up to 250 feet (76 meters), and three miles (4.8 kilometers) of swimmable beach along the calm Sea of Cortez.

The Aman site sits at the westernmost edge of the community, where the land transitions from beachfront dunes into estuary and high desert. Beyond the resort’s boundaries rise the peaks of the Sierra de la Laguna, a mountain range designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1994. The reserve protects more than 112,000 hectares (276,000 acres) and contains the only pine-oak forest in Baja California Sur, along with more than 900 plant species, approximately a quarter of them endemic to the region.

Architecture That Rises from the Landscape

The resort’s 18 casitas will be built at an elevated height, their forms rising from the terrain like islands, allowing desert flora and fauna to pass uninterrupted beneath. Each two-level pavilion will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, wrap-around terraces, and views that sweep across the Sea of Cortez to one side and the Sierra de la Laguna to the other.

Interiors draw on a palette of sand-hued materials intended to echo the surrounding terrain. White concrete, natural stone, and tropical hardwoods define the design language, with open-air courtyards directing attention toward the horizon. Some casitas will include cantilevered private pools.

As well as the hotel rooms, Amanvari will offer a collection of branded residences ranging from four to seven bedrooms. Positioned on the sand, above the coastline with open views, or overlooking the golf course, each home will feature private entrances, landscaped courtyards, and generous swimming pools. Residence owners will have access to the Aman Private Office, which provides 24-hour global support, in-residence dining, housekeeping, and private chef and butler services.

Dining and Wellness Rooted in Place

The resort will include multiple restaurants. An Italian concept and a Japanese offering will join a third venue focused on regional Baja cuisine, drawing on the peninsula’s seafood traditions and seasonal produce. Costa Palmas maintains 18 acres (7.3 hectares) of organic orchards and farms, and Amanvari’s kitchens are expected to source locally where possible, continuing the community’s emphasis on fresh, sustainable ingredients.

Guests staying at Amanvari will also have access to dining options throughout the broader Costa Palmas development, including Nancy Silverton’s Mozza and Delphine, a day club helmed by Michelin-starred chef Ludo Lefebvre that brings Niçoise-inspired fare to the marina’s edge.

The Aman Spa will anchor the property’s wellness offerings, with a design that draws on both innovation and tradition. A contemporary interpretation of the temazcal, the ancient Mesoamerican sweat lodge ceremony dating back more than a thousand years, will form a centerpiece of the spa experience. The word temazcal derives from the Nahuatl term meaning “house of heat,” and the ritual was historically used by Aztec, Mayan, and Toltec cultures for purification, healing, and ceremonial preparation.

Treatments will take place in the brand’s signature Spa Houses, and an open-air yoga pavilion will offer sessions overlooking the desert and sea. The spa programming reflects Aman’s longevity-focused approach, developed in collaboration with the brand’s global wellness adviser, tennis champion Novak Djokovic.

Adventures on Land and Sea

The East Cape is one of the least developed stretches of the Los Cabos region, and the surrounding landscape provides ample opportunity for exploration. The Sea of Cortez, a body of water spanning more than 60,000 square miles (155,000 square kilometers), supports nearly 900 species of fish and 39 percent of the world’s marine mammal species. Guests can arrange snorkeling excursions, scuba diving trips, and sailing charters through the Costa Palmas marina.

Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, located a short drive north, protects a 20,000-year-old coral reef and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home to five of the world’s seven endangered sea turtle species and offers some of the finest diving in North America.

For anglers, the East Cape has long been considered sacred ground. Roosterfish, dorado, yellowfin tuna, and marlin patrol the waters, and the region hosts prestigious tournaments, including the Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore fishing competition.

On land, hiking trails wind through the Sierra de la Laguna, and the Costa Palmas golf course offers 18 holes that weave from hillside to marina to beach. The Costa Palmas Beach & Yacht Club provides members-only access to fitness facilities, tennis courts, and a Beach Club with direct access to the shoreline.

A Growing Portfolio in the Americas

Amanvari will join a pipeline of Aman properties currently under development in the Americas, including Aman Beverly Hills and Aman Miami Beach, both expected to open in the United States in2026 and 2027, respectively, as well as Amancaya in the Bahamas. The brand currently operates properties in Wyoming (Amangani), Utah (Amangiri), New York (Aman New York), Turks and Caicos (Amanyara), and the Dominican Republic (Amanera).

For travelers seeking a quieter alternative to the bustling hotel corridors of Cabo San Lucas, the East Cape represents a different kind of Baja experience, one where empty beaches and untouched desert still define the landscape. Amanvari intends to preserve that character while introducing the kind of refined retreat that has made Aman a destination unto itself for nearly four decades.

Photo: Yucatán Magazine

Mexico is entering 2026 on the strength of a record-breaking tourism performance that has cemented the country’s position as the sixth most visited nation on the planet. The numbers tell a compelling story: between January and October 2025, the country welcomed 79.3 million international visitors, a 13.6% jump over the same period the previous year. Those travelers pumped US $28.2 billion into the Mexican economy, representing a 6.5% increase in foreign exchange earnings. With a surge of new airline routes launching in early 2026, hotel occupancy rates climbing toward 80% in key resort destinations like the Riviera Maya and the FIFA World Cup set to draw an additional 5.5 million visitors between June and July, the momentum shows no signs of slowing.

Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora summed up the sentiment at a recent press conference alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum: “Mexico is in fashion.” The data supports that assessment. October 2025 shattered previous records with 8.3 million international visitors arriving in a single month, generating US $2.44 billion in spending, a 9.3% year-over-year increase. The ministry attributed the performance to a combination of expanded air connectivity, cultural pride, and what officials described as growing international confidence in the country’s stability.

The growth has been remarkably broad-based. While American visitors remain the largest segment at 67.3% of total arrivals, the real acceleration came from other markets. Italian arrivals climbed 14.8% through October, followed by Argentina at 14.3%, South Korea at 11.6%, Canada at 11.4%, and China at 10.6%. Even U.S. arrivals, already at substantial levels, managed a 0.6% increase. Cruise tourism contributed 8.9 million passengers to Mexican ports in the first ten months of 2025, an 11% gain over the prior year, with Cozumel and Mahahual serving as primary gateways for ships operated by lines including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Disney Cruise Line.

Cultural tourism emerged as a significant driver of growth. Museum visits across the country increased 17.3%, while attendance at archaeological sites rose 2.1%. The Maya Train, the government’s flagship rail project connecting destinations across the Yucatán Peninsula, transported more than 75,000 foreign passengers through October, a 181% increase compared to earlier periods. The train links major sites including Chichén Itzá, Tulum, and Palenque, offering travelers an alternative to the bus transfers that have traditionally dominated the region’s ground transportation.

New Air Routes Connect Three Continents

The airline industry has responded to Mexico’s tourism momentum with an aggressive expansion of service.Cancún International Airport alone will gain 17 new international routes launching through June 2026. Of these, 11 connect to cities in the United States operated by carriers, including American Airlines (Oklahoma City launching December 2025), Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines (Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham in spring 2026), and Breeze Airways (Charleston, Norfolk, New Orleans, and Providence beginning January 2026).

Five Canadian routes will launch with carriers including WestJet and Porter Airlines. Perhaps most significant for European travelers, Aer Lingus will inaugurate service from Dublin on January 6, 2026, marking the first direct connection between Ireland and Mexico. “The transformation is moving forward,” said Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama in announcing the new routes.

Aeroméxico, the country’s flag carrier, is preparing for the World Cup with the addition of 29 aircraft to its fleet in 2025, with 20 of those directly tied to tournament preparations. The airline will expand its European network in early 2026 with direct flights from Mexico City to Barcelona launching March 28 and from Monterrey to Paris Charles de Gaulle starting April 13. These additions will increase the carrier’s transatlantic capacity by approximately 11%.

Hotel Construction Surges in Caribbean Destinations

The hotel industry has bet heavily on continued growth. According to commercial real estate firm CBRE, Cancún and the Riviera Maya accounted for 91% of all new hotel rooms opened in Mexico through May 2025, adding 2,070 rooms to the national inventory. Cancún alone contributed 1,715 rooms, with the Riviera Maya adding another 355. More than 5,000 additional rooms are under construction across the two destinations plus Los Cabos, with completion expected between 2025 and 2027.

Occupancy levels have absorbed the new supply efficiently. Cancún hotels achieved 80.6% occupancy during a mid-July 2025 survey week, with the Riviera Maya reaching 74.7% and Isla Mujeres posting 68.9%. Revenue per available room climbed roughly 12% in Cancún and 27% in the Riviera Maya through August 2025, while average daily rates increased 15% and 21% respectively. For the peak holiday period from December 20 through January 11, destinations including Cancún, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta are projected to exceed 80% occupancy, with some properties reporting complete sellouts.

Puerto Vallarta has emerged as the surprise leader of the 2025-2026 holiday season. The Pacific coast destination expects more than 300,000 visitors during the peak period, with the regional economy projected to generate 2.175 billion pesos in revenue. Some hotels are approaching 95% occupancy during the busiest weeks, a performance that has outpaced traditional leaders including Cancún and Los Cabos.

World Cup Preparations Drive Infrastructure Investment

The 2026 FIFA World Cup represents the largest single event on Mexico’s tourism calendar. The country will host 13 matches across three cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The opening match takes place at the recently renamed Estadio Banorte (formerly Estadio Azteca) on June 11, 2026. Official projections estimate the tournament will attract 5.5 million visitors and generate between US $1.8 billion and $3 billion in economic impact.

Infrastructure investments are substantial. Mexico City has announced more than 30 mobility and infrastructure projects surrounding the stadium. Monterrey is developing two new Metro lines connecting directly to Monterrey International Airport, along with a full renovation of Line 1 featuring new trains and expanded stations. The city has also committed to adding 4,000 new buses, 500 bus stops, and new pedestrian bridges in critical corridors. Guadalajara is improving the Chapala highway stretch to Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport at a cost of US $137.65 million.

The Mexican Football Federation estimates that the tournament will attract around 3 million visitors to Jalisco state alone during the tournament, on top of the state’s regular 34 million annual tourists. Local authorities project economic revenues as high as US $7 billion and approximately 40,000 temporary jobs in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The tourism ministry expects nearly 4.9 million tourists during the 2025-2026 year-end holiday season, a 5% increase over the previous year. Beyond the World Cup, Mexico will serve as the Guest of Honor at FITUR, the International Tourism Fair in Madrid, from January 21 to 25, 2026. For the first time, all 32 Mexican states will be represented, alongside a delegation of more than 800 tourism service providers and representatives of Indigenous communities.

In April, Acapulco will host the 50th Tianguis Turístico, the country’s largest tourism business platform. In November, Guadalajara will welcome the first edition of ITB Americas, modeled after ITB Berlin, targeting professionals in the events and conferences industry. The calendar positions Mexico for sustained international visibility throughout the year.

“The results we are presenting today foreshadow a historic 2026 for tourism in Mexico,” said Minister Rodríguez. “A year that, with the boost from the World Cup, FITUR, and other international promotional activities, will consolidate our country as a global tourism and cultural powerhouse.”