Punta Mita & Riviera Nayarit, from the peninsula to Mandarina
Punta Mita is the private peninsula at the northern tip of Banderas Bay, and the Riviera Nayarit runs from there up a jungle coast – two Jack Nicklaus courses on the point, villas in the trees above the Pacific at Mandarina, and the long shore of Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta across the bay.
Punta Mita is the private peninsula at the northern tip of Banderas Bay, and the Riviera Nayarit runs from there up a jungle coast – two Jack Nicklaus courses on the point, villas in the trees above the Pacific at Mandarina, and the long shore of Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta across the bay. Three of the nine hold five-star standing; the six beside them hold four-star standing and earn their place on setting, scale and the way they are run, listed at exactly the tier they hold. We looked at every candidate from Puerto Vallarta to Mandarina and kept only those whose service holds up to the address. Nine made the cut.
The collection
9 hotels
The neighborhoods
Punta Mita
The private peninsula at the northern tip of Banderas Bay – the point with its two Jack Nicklaus courses, the surf side along Punta de Mita's northern shore, and Litibú beach just beyond the edge – with five of the nine hotels.
Mandarina
A jungle preserve above the Pacific on the Riviera Nayarit coast north of the bay, beyond the surf villages of Sayulita and San Pancho – villas in the canopy and on the cliffs rather than a beach strip – with one of the nine hotels.
Nuevo Vallarta & Puerto Vallarta
The long eastern shore of Banderas Bay – Nuevo Vallarta's beach and marina on the Nayarit side, Puerto Vallarta's Malecón and Marina Vallarta across the state line in Jalisco, and the boat-only coves of the south shore at Quimixto – with three of the nine hotels.
Good to know
Should I stay on the peninsula, at Mandarina or on the Vallarta side?
The Punta Mita peninsula holds five of the nine – Four Seasons, St. Regis and Naviva on the private point, Susurros del Corazón on the surf side of Punta de Mita, and Conrad on Litibú beach at its edge – and it is the choice for golf, the gate and the point itself. Mandarina is one hotel, One&Only, in a jungle preserve up the coast: villas in the trees and on the cliffs rather than a beach strip. Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta hold the other three – Grand Velas on Nuevo Vallarta's beach and Casa Velas beside the Marina Vallarta golf course, both all-inclusive, and Xinalani, a retreat on the bay's south shore reached only by boat. Choose the Vallarta side when the town, the Malecón and the airport should be minutes away, or when the point is to disappear.
When is the best season for Punta Mita?
November through April – dry, clear days, a warm sea and the humpback whales in Banderas Bay from about December through March. May and June run hot before the rains. July through October is the wet season on this coast, green and humid with afternoon storms, and the Pacific hurricane season besides – quieter, softer, and worth a look at the forecast before you commit; the concierge will tell you what the weather has been doing that week.
Which of these are all-inclusive, and which take adults only?
Three are all-inclusive: Naviva, Four Seasons' fifteen-tent retreat in the jungle beside its resort on the peninsula, and the two Velas houses on the Vallarta side, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit and Casa Velas. Two take adults only – Naviva and Casa Velas. The rest are conventional resorts where you pay as you go, with one exception worth knowing before you book: Xinalani is an eco retreat on Quimixto beach south of Puerto Vallarta, reached only by boat, with jungle casitas and yoga every day – a different trip from the peninsula, and listed here for exactly what it is.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on any hotel's page to see rates and what is available, then book the room, casita, villa or tent you want. A concierge is on hand throughout – to weigh the peninsula against Mandarina or the Vallarta shore before you book, and to arrange tee times, boats, tables and spa days once you have.
