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Just north of the border from Puerto Vallarta in the state of Nayarit, Nuevo Vallarta certainly lives up to its name: Unlike its historic neighbor to the south, Nuevo Vallarta is all shiny, polished, and new. Prior to the 1990s, there wasn't much to show for the place.
But thanks to some of the widest white-sand beaches on Banderas Bay, this spot 30 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta was the perfect place for brand-new planned developments, in the form of luxury all-inclusives, golf courses, and a sparkling marina and yacht club that attract adventurous expats. It's hard to deny the appeal of a place built expressly for stylish relaxation, but if you're looking for a true taste of Nayarit — something a little less nuevo — all you have to do is head out of town in almost any direction.
Just inland, you'll find the Sierra Madre Occidental range, where the native Huichol make colorful beaded crafts in tiny villages, surrounded by lush tropical forests and hidden waterfalls. These jungles are best explored by horseback or from above on a canopy zip line tour. And stretching north from Nuevo Vallarta is a 192-mile strip of beach towns known as the Riviera Nayarit. Each seaside hamlet has its own unique flavor, from the surfer haven of Sayulita to colonial San Blas to luxurious Punta Mita. And out to the west, in the deep waters of Banderas Bay, you'll find an underwater world teeming with so much wildlife that Jacques Cousteau himself helped turn it into a national park!
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Overlooking the Nuevo Vallarta marina, Dolphin Adventure offers the opportunity to come nose to bottlenose with some of the most friendly and playful creatures in the sea, during a small-group educational session in their pools. In addition to dolphins, you can also opt for a unique sea lion encounter, during which you'll have a chance to shake their flippers and pet them as if they were slippery swimming dogs. Perhaps most immersive of all is the 4.5-hour Trainer for a Day program, during which you'll learn feeding and training techniques as you interact with the team in and out of the water. Spots often fill up early during the winter high season, but spring brings the perfect mix of smaller crowds and pleasant temperatures.
Summertime highs may be in the 90s, but relief from the heat is always close at hand. At Nuevo Vallarta's popular Splash Water Park, you'll have your choice of intense thrill rides, such as high-speed waterslides and bumpy tubing adventures, as well as milder attractions, such as lazy rivers and dolphin, seal, and sea lion comedy shows.
Rainy season on Mexico's Pacific coast runs from roughly June through October, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing! The start of fall also happens to bring with it larger and more consistent waves that make this Nuevo Vallarta's prime surf season. For the best surf spots, you'll want to head north of town to Punta de Mita and Sayulita. The swells here are still relatively beginner-friendly, but if you want more of a challenge, continue farther up the Nayarit coast to beaches like San Pancho, Chacala, and Santa Cruz.
Like many tropical beach spots, Nuevo Vallarta hits its tourist peak during the winter, when cold weather back home pushes vacationers down south. For a temporary escape from the crowds, take a detour just north along the Riviera Nayarit to the neighboring beachside village of Bucerías, well-known in these parts for its quaint cobblestone streets and colorful houses. Though the town's name means "the place of the divers", there's plenty of action back on shore as well. Bucerías is split roughly in half: The south side is filled with art galleries and gourmet eateries that attract expats, while the north side is a more traditional Nayarit fishing village, where you'll find some of the coast's freshest ceviche, lobster, and pescado zarandeado (a grilled whole fish in a spiced sauce).