Second homes: The Mexican Riviera migrates north

By Larry Olmsted
Courtesy of USA TODAY

You might not find the Riviera Nayarit on a map, because the name was coined just three years ago to describe the 190-mile coastline north of Puerto Vallarta. But development began a decade earlier, and this is now one of the hottest vacation home destinations in Mexico.

Puerto Vallarta sits on the Bay of Banderas, one of the largest bays in Mexico, at the northern tip of the state of Jalisco. A popular cruise port, the city is heavily developed for tourism and day visitors. But just north across the border in the state of Nayarit, more than 30 miles of less-developed beaches line the bay.

Essentially a suburb of Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta is the first community over the border in Nayarit, and as you head north things quickly become more rural. The bay ends with the Punta Mita peninsula, home to Mexico's premier luxury residential community, but the Riviera Nayarit continues north for more than 100 miles.

While many developments are stalled or on hold these days, Punta Mita just celebrated its 10th anniversary and continues to expand, also fueling growth in surrounding areas. The 1,500-acre gated community has almost 10 miles of continuous beach, with ocean on three sides of the narrow peninsula. It opened in the late 1990s with homes and condos, a Four Seasons hotel and a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course. This year Punta Mita got its second luxury hotel, a St. Regis, and its second Nicklaus course. Throughout are a broad mix of condos, townhomes and single-family homes, from $450,000 to more than $20 million.

"This newly minted Riviera is not just spas and luxury resorts. A half-hour drive north takes you to the funky clothing boutiques and beachfront surf shacks of Sayulita," says Mike Stevens of Endless Vacation magazine, who has covered the region extensively. "If you drive a little farther north, you'll need good suspension. Most beaches are reached only by dirt roads — for now."

The beachfront town of Sayulita, with its cobblestone streets and taco stands, boasts one of the best surf breaks in Mexico, and it has a relaxed, almost hippy vibe. It also has become a popular day and night destination for the entire region, thanks to a broad array of good restaurants and artisan boutiques.

"As an American, if your budget is in the $200,000-$300,000 range, your best bet is to buy in Sayulita or San Pancho," says Gary Pepin, vice president of sales for Punta Mita Properties. San Pancho is a less developed beach town 15 minutes farther north. Beyond it lies more than 100 miles of dirt roads and empty beaches, the future of Riviera Nayarit.