Tepic’s growing airport opens the door to a different Nayarit

A displacement is happening successful Nayarit. Long dominated by the planetary postulation flowing into Puerto Vallarta, this agelong of Mexico’s Pacific seashore has agelong relied connected its confederate neighbour to funnel successful sun-seekers bound for the Riviera. But now, conscionable a fewer hours up the road, the state’s superior of Tepic is carving retired its ain path, 1 runway enlargement and nonstop formation astatine a time.

With the caller motorboat of Volaris’ caller nonstop formation from Los Angeles to Tepic’s revamped airport, Tepic-Riviera Nayarit International (TPQ), travelers person a caller — and notably little congested — mode to scope the Bay of Banderas and bluish Nayarit Riviera. The formation runs 3 times a week for now, but it signals a larger communicative of strategical investment, improved connectivity and a increasing appetite for question experiences successful Mexico’s Pacific portion that spell beyond the beachfront.

The recently renovated and expanded airdrome provides a stunning gateway to the remainder of the authorities of Nayarit. (FCAZ95/Wikimedia)

A modernized gateway

The LAX-TPQ way takes conscionable nether 3 hours and arrives successful a recently renovated terminal equipped with upgraded migration and customs, rental car counters and a refreshed road strategy linking Tepic to the seashore successful little than an hour. For travelers headed to fashionable coastal destinations similar San Blas, Punta Mita oregon Sayulita, it’s a compelling alternative, particularly for those seeking to debar the postulation and bottlenecks astir Puerto Vallarta’s planetary airport.

But the accomplishment successful Tepic besides presents an accidental to acquisition a broadside of Nayarit that galore travelers miss entirely.

A detour worthy taking

Set successful the shadiness of the Sierra Madre, Tepic is becoming much than a transit point. It’s a metropolis of historical plazas and modern hotels, highland java farms and Indigenous roots. The city’s historical halfway is compact, anchored by the soaring Catedral de la Asuncion and the leafy Plaza Principal. A stroll present reveals quiescent cafes, shaded arcades, restaurants and bars. 

Just extracurricular the city, Cerro de San Juan has hiking trails done unreality wood terrain, portion adjacent Xalisco, a 15-minute thrust away, is emerging arsenic a hub for small-scale java producers. You tin station up astatine java shops similar Cata y Mindo to effort the section brew, on with a enactment of tapas and pastries. Art lovers should not miss the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Emilia Ortiz, wherever the region’s Wixárika (Huichol) creation is connected afloat show successful psychedelic colors.

Toward the coast: San Blas and the bluish Riviera

From Tepic, the roadworthy westbound leads to San Blas successful nether 90 minutes. San Blas remains 1 of the champion places to acquisition coastal Nayarit earlier the crowds swoop in. Here, seafood shacks inactive service full reddish snapper — snag a palapa astatine Tunabreak connected Playa el Borrego for fantabulous seafood — and the astir fashionable formation portion is simply a salty michelada, not a curated cocktail. The town’s birdwatching tours and vessel rides done La Tovara National Park uncover a satellite of crocodiles, herons and freshwater springs.

Continue southbound from San Blas and the Riviera Nayarit starts to flicker into view. Bucerias, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Punta Mita and Sayulita are each wrong scope via the Compostela road network, which links easy backmost to Tepic. 

Tepic besides opens casual entree to immoderate of Nayarit’s lesser-visited inland destinations. Less than an hour’s thrust southeast, Compostela is simply a cobblestoned historical municipality surrounded by greenish hills and java farms. Its colonial-era church, tree-lined plaza and cafes marque it a beauteous halt for a dilatory day oregon an overnight.

Further east, tucked astatine the basal of the Ceboruco volcano, Jala is 1 of Mexico’s smallest Pueblos Mágicos. Known for its volcanic ungraded and monolithic ears of autochthonal corn, Jala is besides location to a Baroque basilica built with hand-carved chromatic and a walkable historical core. It’s the doorstep to the region’s outdoor adventure, too. The hike up to the crater of the Ceboruco volcano is simply a bucket-list indispensable for progressive travelers. 

Not acold from the seashore is 1 of Nayarit’s astir stunning earthy wonders: the Santa María del Oro lagoon. This astir perfectly circular crater water shimmers successful heavy blues and greens, ringed by forested cliffs and peppered with cozy cabins. Popular with locals but inactive blissfully nether the radar for astir planetary visitors, the water is perfect for kayaking, paddleboarding oregon hiking.

The Volaris formation is conscionable the beginning. Tepic’s airdrome has undergone significant concern implicit the past fewer years, including a lengthened runway that tin present accommodate long-haul aircraft, caller terminal infrastructure and expanded road entree from the coast.

But adjacent if aboriginal flights instrumentality clip to arrive, what’s already successful spot is simply a displacement successful however Nayarit is experienced. The infrastructure improvements are helping presumption Tepic arsenic an alternate airport, arsenic good arsenic a standalone destination. For travelers who person done the beachfront villa and are seeking a deeper dive into Mexico’s diversity, starting the travel successful Tepic opens the doorway to mountains, mangroves, museums and mariscos.

Meagan Drillinger is simply a New York autochthonal who has spent the past 15 years traveling astir and penning astir Mexico. While she’s connected the roadworthy for assignments astir of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her location base. Follow her travels connected Instagram astatine @drillinjourneys oregon done her blog astatine drillinjourneys.com.