In Bahía de Banderas you will find some of the best beaches in the country. Places like Punta Mita, Destiladeras, Sayulita and San Francisco, just to mention a few, are true paradises on the exuberant coast of Nayarit.
Since New vallarta, which has a first-rate hotel and restaurant infrastructure, you can start the tour to get to know these natural beauties. It is advisable to stop first in Bucerías to enjoy excellent seafood and fish in one of its many restaurants on the beach.
Later it is worth stopping at Stills to enjoy its sandy cliffs, its white sand and its placid transparent waters. Only a few kilometers later is Punta Mita, perhaps with the best beaches in the region.
In The Anclote there is the jetty from where the boats leave to visit the Marietas Islands, a true natural wonder. Thousands of crabs, boobies and seagulls swarm in this place of white rocks, chaparral, and the loud sound of the waves breaking on the huge cliffs.
Continuing north you reach Sayulita, a beautiful coastal town with magnificent beaches, a favorite corner of surfers.
In Nuevo Vallarta you cannot miss a visit to the Dolphinarium, where you can swim with the dolphins. A short distance from here in the town of MezcalesIt is possible to visit some ranches, where the agave brandy is distilled. The process is interesting: in the middle of a typical and cozy atmosphere, the oven is heated with green wood for several hours, and then the agaves are baked for a full day; then they are crushed and then passed with distilled water to the containers where they will ferment for a week; finally comes the distillation process.
BAHÍA BANDERAS HISTORY
In 1525, the natives of the municipality of Bahía de Banderas received the conquerors dressed in their showy garments and decked out with the luxury of colorful plumaria, which led to the name with which the region was baptized.
Subsequently, Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán practiced a violent and destructive colonization that caused the depopulation and ruin of the region. It was not until the 19th century that Bahía de Banderas was favored by the mining boom of Jalisco.
In the 20th century, especially from the 70s, with the creation of the Bahía de Banderas trust, the region became a tourist emporium that still continues its vertiginous development. However, other important economic activities are evident such as the production of mango, watermelon, papaya, soursop, tobacco, commercial ostrich farming and, of course, fishing.
The Valle de Banderas, the municipal seat, is fertile and has a beautiful natural environment; it extends from the Ameca river to the Vallejo mountain range. Here people are dedicated to the cultivation of the land and livestock.
The tourist vocation of the entity is evident, above all, in the community's efforts to carry out events that dignify and promote the region. An example of this is the festival that begins on February 24, Flag Day. For a week all the communities participate in this celebration of tradition.
One of the most anticipated events is the route that dozens of boats take for people to see and photograph the humpback whales that visit these latitudes year after year in the first months. The experience is unforgettable, since the cetaceans walk by hundreds among the boats that have previously turned off their engines; The calm waters of Bahía de Banderas are one of the main sanctuaries of this giant of the seas, which makes migrations of thousands of kilometers to mate in the Mexican Pacific, which also on these dates is the scene of a spectacular parade of boats through the bay .
These are decorated with multicolored pennants and flags; the enthusiasm of the attendees is enormous; families and children greet each other from afar, girls and young men show off their best clothes, and pilots use their nautical skills.
Sand figure competitions are held on the beach of Bucerías with surprising results; It is worthwhile to turn around, especially if you take into account that gastronomic samples with the delicacies of the region are also presented here, such as, of course, “zarandeado” fish, ceviches, seafood, lobster, and so on.
Similarly, in Bucerías you can admire the colorful Huichol handicrafts, especially the yarn paintings (nieric), which are the most representative of the region. The artisan exhibition is open every day of the festival with affordable prices.
