Al otro lado de la playa en Riviera Nayarit: 5 pueblos de la sierra para explorar

If what you want is to breathe fresh air and soak up nature, as well as delight your eyes with the rural landscapes, you will love these towns located in the municipalities of Bahía de Banderas and Compostela!

The Riviera Nayarit is a multifaceted destination, since In addition to having 23 coastal towns along this tourist corridor, there are also charming towns located “on the other side of the beach”. which is well worth visiting. Most of them are located in the Sierra de Vallejo that covers the municipalities of Bahía de Banderas and Compostela,

Next we present you 5 mountain towns to explore, ideal for a day trip if what you want is to breathe fresh air and soak up nature, as well as delight your eyes with the rural landscapes, or appreciate its historical heritage, such as old churches and stone buildings and even archaeological remains. .

Look what awaits you in Riviera Nayarit!

HIGH VIEW

This small town built on the side of a mountain in the Sierra de Vallejo, is located in the municipality of Compostela, 7 kilometers from federal highway 200 and only 20 minutes from Rincón de Guayabitos. Given its height, —300 meters above sea level—, the town lives up to its name with a spectacular view of the sea and the fields of soursop, mango and pineapple. Houses with mud roofs, narrow streets made of flattened earth and river stones, and ancient buildings that defy time predominate in the place.

If the above were not enough, The archaeological and ceremonial site “La Pila del Rey” is located in Altavista, also known as “Los Petroglyphs” or “El Santuario”, in which more than 60 petroglyphs have been identified and dating from 2,000 BC

THE COLOMO

This town nestled in Bahía de Banderas keeps an important historical past as it was one of the resource distribution centers of the municipality -after Valle de Banderas, municipal seat- in the last years of the 19th century. El Colomo was part of the extensive Hacienda Maisterrena, owned by the Spanish cacique Martín Maisterrena, which began in La Peñita de Jaltemba (Compostela) and ended in the town of San José del Valle (Bahía de Banderas). The town is located approximately 20 kilometers from Nuevo Vallarta, and it still keeps the grandeur of what it was in some houses dating from the 1900s, like the hacienda, close to the church.

In addition to history, El Colomo offers adventure activities for the most daring. Three kilometers from the town is El Chorrillo, a natural spa that enchants locals and visitors. It is ideal for spending a picnic with the family and bathing in its cold waters, especially in the rainy season, which is when the stream is at its largest and the small waterfalls that give the place its name are formed.

VALLEJO FORTUNE

Fortuna de Vallejo is one of the oldest towns in Bahía de Banderas, whose origin was the Maisterrena Hacienda founded at the end of the 19th century. There it seems that time has stopped given its rustic infrastructure, its cobblestone streets, adobe houses, its square with stone benches and the parish church dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. From the square there is a beautiful view towards the Sierra de Vallejo, in which an intense green color predominates, and around the town it is still possible to find streams of crystalline waters that come down from the mountain.

Pueblos de la sierra: Plaza de Fortuna de Vallejo. — Fortune Square in Vallejo.

The town is located on the "border" between Bahía de Banderas and Compostela, although it belongs to the first municipality. To get there you have to travel about 30 kilometers from Bucerías, along Estaciones Avenue, continue through Valle de Banderas and continue to San Juan de Abajo; In that town you have to take the deviation towards El Colomo and continue to El Coatante, until you reach the deviation that leads to this mountain town.

MAZATAN

Mazatán is a town nestled in the mountains, just 15 kilometers southeast of Compostela, the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Its name means "Land of the deer" or "Place where deer abound" and it has a rich history that is reflected in its architecture, traditions and its inhabitants, hard-working people dedicated to farm work and livestock. It also highlights the fact that during the 1940s and 1950s it was a major producer of coffee, coconut oil, and soap.

Pueblos de la sierra: Mazatán, municipio de Compostela. — Mazatán, municipality of Compostela.

The town is small and rustic, with narrow cobbled streets on whose sides stand proud the old houses with high ceilings and wooden gates, most of them in disuse, dating from the viceregal era. The square is small with a simple kiosk that reflects the passage of time. This place is a meeting point for the inhabitants of the town, who come together to chat or have fun, especially during their patron saint festivities in honor of the Virgen de la Natividad, which are celebrated at the beginning of September in the temple dating from the 17th century.

If you want to visit Mazatán, you have to take federal highway 200 and follow the Compostela-Guadalajara junction, approximately 1 kilometer away there is a fork: to the left is Compostela, the road to the right will take you to Mazatán.

NEW IXTLAN

Nuevo Ixtlán (Las Cañadas) is a small rural town located in the municipality of Compostela, at 148 meters of altitude. It forms part of the towns of the Sierra de Vallejo, which is why it is surrounded by dense vegetation that turns green during the rainy season. In reality, the town is nothing more than a farmhouse, although it does have its charm. However, its great attraction is that just 2 kilometers away is the Nuevo Ixtlán spa, a spring of thermal waters that unfolds in 31 pools scattered under leafy capomo trees. The place is managed by a group of ejidatarios belonging to the Ejido Las Cañadas, who carry out ecotourism activities to help their families.

Pueblos de la sierra: Aguas termales de Nuevo Ixtlán — Hot springs of Nuevo Ixtlan

To get to Nuevo Ixtlán you have to take federal highway 200 to the Altavista crossroads, about 15 minutes after Guayabitos corner (if you are coming from the south), and then turn right. If you are coming from the north, on the same road, you will find the junction a few kilometers from the Chacala crossroads, so turn left. The road is long and winding, but don't despair as it will be worth it in the end.