I may be home but my heart is still in Riviera Nayarit. I can’t get my mind off of this beautiful region of Mexico. For me, vacationing is part relaxation and unplugging, part exploring and adventure. Riviera Nayarit is the perfect mix of both.
Riviera Nayarit, “Mexico’s Pacific Treasure” is located on the west coast of Mexico with Puerto Vallarta being the closest airport to the region making it very accessible from nearly everywhere. I had never traveled to the west coast of Mexico so when I was invited to visit I immediately checked to make sure my passport was still valid and began packing my bags.
I quickly learned that Riviera Nayarit is an ideal destination for a family vacation. Home base for my stay was the Reflect Krystal Grand Nuevo Vallarta, an all-inclusive resort located on the Bahia de Banderas. It was everything I needed. Actually, everything a family would need. Pools that go on forever. Rooms with their own swim-out pool. Restaurants. Spa. Fitness Club. WiFi. Beaches. Even iguanas. And easy access to shops, towns and activities. While I was not vacationing with my own kids on this trip, it was nice to look around and see and hear so many families having fun and enjoying the hotel.
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One evening we encountered a family with a young boy who was very excited to practice his English with some Americanas and his mother beamed proudly as he was able to have a conversation with us. He was as impressed that we were from all over the USA as we were that he was a young boy from Monterey, Mexico who spoke pretty fantastic English and was not afraid to try it out on a group of strangers.
I’m not a fluent Spanish speaker but trying to communicate with the little Spanish I knew always ended in smiles, laughter (mostly others laughing at me and my terrible Spanish) and me learning new words and phrases. Por llevar. Desculpe. And I mastered como se dice. I was a little hesitant to try my Spanish at first but my confidence grew, especially after seeing this young boy have the courage to try out his English. It actually took me a few days after I arrived home to stop saying “hola” to everyone I saw.
Part Relaxation & Unplugging
Let’s talk beaches because, like many, when you think of a relaxing vacation it’s often an image of you and your family at the beach that comes to mind. Many vacations are planned around a beach and Riviera Nayarit will not disappoint as the coastline stretches for 200 miles along the Pacific Ocean. And, I know parents will appreciate this treat we encountered. We walked onto a beach in Sayulita, Mexico and immediately had a gentleman ask us if we’d like an umbrella and a beach mat. We did have to pay for it but for anyone that’s carried all of your gear across the hot sand, having someone else put up an umbrella and put down a beach mat for you is worth every peso! The time it took from stepping on the beach to relaxing in the shade of an umbrella was the fastest, and easiest I had ever encountered!
I was also astounded by the treasures we found along the beach. There was your typical sea shells but we also found beautiful pieces of sea glass and broken pieces pottery perfectly smoothed and weathered by the ocean waves. Priceless treasures now filled with memories from my Mexican adventures and I have them on my desk so I can go back to the beach in my mind anytime I need a little break.
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Part Adventure & Exploration
Here's an important tip I learned while hiking in the rainforest: Don’t eat the caterpillars.
The caterpillars are poisonous but if you are in a bind the termites and grasshoppers are rich in protein. I learned these interesting tidbits and so much more on an off-road adventure with Vallarta Adventures. (Oh, and I learned about the need for bug spray. So much bug spray.)
Vallarta Adventures is an adventure tour company offering everything from swimming with dolphins to cultural experiences to zip lining and more. I don’t think I could have had any better experience exploring Riviera Nayarit than I did with Vallarta Adventures. It was authentic, educational and eco-friendly with an eye toward giving back to local communities. I was fortunate to do two separate tours, the Off-Road Adventure and San Pancho and Sayulita. In both tours, we learned about local cultural and eco-friendly living and participated in an activity to give back to the local communities.
On our off-road adventure, after a beautiful walk through the rainforest seeing trees, flowers and yes, even insects I had never seen before, we learned how to make our own corn tortillas. I’ve eaten a lot of tacos in my day but hands down these were the best I’ve ever had. Hot and sweaty after the hike, sitting outdoors under a shade canopy with friends. All I can tell you is those tacos were perfecto! I’m not sure I can eat at my favorite Mexican restaurant again after being spoiled with such an authentic meal of tortillas being made before my eyes surrounded by palm trees and a glorious rainforest.
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As part of Vallarta Adventures efforts to give back, we all made an extra taco to drop off at a local fire station. Unfortunately, when we got to the fire station no one was there as they were out fighting a fire. So they firefighters missed their tacos. Sometimes things don’t go as planned and that’s ok! I just hope they weren’t too hungry when they returned to the station.
It’s one thing to be able to spend time in a new place and it’s entirely different to actually experience being in a new place. Vallarta Adventures really made that possible. We didn’t just stay on a tour bus driving through towns. We stopped. We shopped at local markets. We got the most delectable smoothies imaginable at Mexicolate. We learned about the culture and history. We were delighted to see all of the dogs walking around the streets and even on rooftops. And we gave back to the community or at least tried to as evident with the tacos.
While exploring San Pancho we planted trees along the roadside next to a park in the center of town. The heat in July is pretty intense and the shade of trees is a must to offer even a small respite from the sun. Planting trees to help provide much-needed shade to the local community is pretty special. Our group planted 20 trees and I would love to return to this area in the future and sit in their shade. I love knowing that families in San Pancho will get to do that in a few years as the trees grow.
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Our days ended with delicious meals with mi familia, a little Mexican water (aka tequila), the ocean as the backdrop, so tired yet still smiling and laughing. I realized that for the first time in a long time I was truly relaxed and content in a way that is much needed and almost impossible to do at home.
Unparalleled beauty where the mountains and the ocean meet.
There are not many places where you can wake up to a sunrise over the mountains and go to bed with the sunset over the ocean. The beauty of Riviera Nayarit unparalleled but that is not the only reason Riviera Nayarit checks off everything on my family vacation must-have list.
✔️ Gorgeous scenery
✔️ Authentic and delicious food
✔️ Family-friendly accommodations and activities for all ages
✔️ Time to relax with my toes in the sand
✔️ Time to explore and go on unimaginable adventures
✔️ Forgetting to check my phone except to look back at the pictures I had taken during the day
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It’s not saying goodbye to Riviera Nayarit but until we meet again. And next time, I'm bringing my family!
To learn more about Riviera Nayarit please visit rivieranayarit.com
I was a guest of the Krystal Grand Nuevo Vallarta and treated to excursions with Vallarta Adventures for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.
