Playa Las Islitas
It's no surprise that Riviera Nayarit is popular with families these days. Both Punta Mita and Sayulita are wonderful tiny surf villages with brilliant, blue sea, white sand, great dining, and a plethora of wildlife excursions to take in the magnificent, jungled mountains. However, for the ultimate in laid-back appeal, visit to the tranquil, drowsy backwater of San Blas.
The beaches here, Playa Los Cocos, Playa Miramar, and our personal favorite, Playa Las Islitas, are popular for surfing and offer palapas where you can relax and drink fresh coconut water. Playa Las Islitas is a great swimmable beach with a fairly mild surf, making it ideal for novices.
If you're looking for surf, however, travel to Troncones, where world-class surfing has been luring ex-pats for several years. There's also terrific mountain biking in the hills, as well as day outings to see petroglyphs in a nearby cave and soak aching surfer muscles in a nearby hot spring.
