When winter starts settling into Western Canada, there’s a pretty good argument for booking a flight somewhere warm and letting the snow carry on without you.
This winter, getting to Nayarit, Mexico is a little easier for travellers in Western Canada, too. WestJet is operating seasonal weekly nonstop service from Calgary (YYC) to Tepic-Riviera Nayarit International Airport (TPQ), opening a direct route into Nayarit for the winter season.
After recently spending several days exploring the destination ourselves, we came home with a much longer list than expected: beautiful beaches, dramatic coastline, excellent food, wellness experiences, luxury all-inclusive resorts, colourful towns and plenty of reasons to actually leave the resort for a day.
And after a few days in the sunshine, we’re pretty clear on one thing: Nayarit is a destination that gives you plenty to do with your vacation days.
view from Marival Armony resort / photo via VisitNayarit
Marival Distinct resort / photo via VisitNayarit
Getting to Nayarit from YYC
The big news for Western Canadian travellers is the new Calgary to Tepic-Riviera Nayarit International Airport connection
WestJet‘s seasonal winter service operates once weekly, giving Calgary travellers a direct way to fly into Nayarit without adding a connection to the journey in under five hours!
Once you land at TPQ, you’re already in the heart of Nayarit, with road access to destinations including Tepic, Sayulita, Punta de Mita and the coastal communities of the region.
For travellers looking to trade a Canadian winter for palm trees and Pacific sunshine, that direct connection changes the equation quite a bit. And after flying into Nayarit ourselves, we got to see exactly what awaits on the other side.
view from TPQ airport / photo via VisitNayarit
Our first stop: Marival Distinct
Our first home base was Marival Distinct Luxury Residences (All Suites) & World Spa in Nuevo Nayarit, a beachfront all-inclusive resort where the rooms are designed to feel more like residences than traditional hotel rooms.
photo via Marival Distinct
the suite life
We stayed in one of the resort’s spacious 1711 sq. ft. pool-view two-bedroom suites that’s perfect for families or groups of friends looking for the perfect blend of staying together, but still having your own private spaces and lots of room to lounge and play.
The suite includes a primary bedroom with a King bed, ensuite bathroom with full soaker tub, direct balcony access, and extra seating space, seen below:
photo via Marival Distinct
There’s also a second bedroom that houses two double beds, storage space, and its own in-room TV. This bedroom has access to another bathroom just across the hall, surrounded by a ton of storage space and full washer/dryer set up.
photo via Marival Distinct
Then, common areas include a spacious living area with a couch (that doubles as a sofa bed) and TV, large coffee table, dining space with a six-seater table, and kitchen with an oversized island, full-size fridge, sink and bar areas.
photo via Marival Distinct
The property also offers larger villas and penthouses, and its residential setup makes a lot of sense for families or travellers planning a longer stay.
photo via Marival Distinct
The lobby makes an immediate impression, too, with a stunning grand entrance leading into the resort’s dining, pool, and social spaces.
indulge here
For breakfast, we spent time at Omaggio, which offers both buffet and à la carte options depending on the day. The menu takes you through classic breakfast and brunch dishes, traditional Mexican fare, plus a selection of light and healthy options.
One morning, we had a leisurely breakfast with everything from fresh fruit to a delectable Chilaquiles Torta and Huevos Rancheros, a pretty ideal way to start a day in Mexico.
Down by the water, MozzaMare Beach Club became one of our favourite spots on the property. There are palm-lined paths, beach cabanas, an infinity pool and plenty of space to settle in for the afternoon.
Lunch came with a front-row seat to the Pacific, including a tuna tostada that we’re still thinking about and Baja-style fish tacos.
photo via Marival Distinct
Then came the sunset.
During our resort tour, we stopped at Insu Sky Bar just in time to watch the sky change colour over the property.
Later, we caught another spectacular sunset at MozzaMare, with the entire sky turning shades of pink over the water.
It was a pretty strong introduction to Nayarit (emphasis on the pretty, if you couldn’t tell).
Taking to the water in Banderas Bay
One of the highlights of the trip was a private sailing excursion with Punta Mita Adventures.
We boarded a beautiful sailing boat and headed out onto Banderas Bay, with the coastline and islands stretching out around us.
The scenery was the kind that makes everyone on the trip start comparing it to other places they’ve travelled. The dramatic rock formations and islands rising from the Pacific had an almost Southeast Asian or Central American feel, but this was unmistakably Nayarit.
We spent the morning sailing, eating lunch and enjoying drinks before dropping anchor. We had time to swim, snorkel and paddle board in the bay before climbing back aboard and making our way toward shore.
It was also a good reminder that a Nayarit vacation doesn’t have to mean spending the entire week beside a pool. The coastline itself is a major part of the experience!
Dinner in a Champagne Room
That evening, we headed to Marival Distinct‘s sister property, that guests of the resort also have access to, Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit by Mercure for one of the more unexpected dining experiences of the trip: the Champagne Room Experience.
The intimate dining room is sponsored by Moët Chandon and designed to feel almost like you’re dining inside a champagne bottle or glass.
There are two seatings each evening, with a French-inspired, coursed, tasting menu-style dinner and plenty of Champagne flowing throughout the experience.
It was one of those meals that feels like an intimate occasion in another world, even though you haven’t technically left your resort.
photo by Joe Miragliotta
photo by Joe Miragliotta
Then we checked into a resort in the jungle
After a little time at that beautiful property, we packed up and headed to our second home base: Armony Marival Resort and Spa Punta de Mita MGallery Collection.
And this resort is dramatically different from the first, we almost want to tell you to find time to stay at both in one trip to get both sides of the experience! And they’re not too far from each other, either.
photo via Marival Armony
Perched along the coast, Armony feels like someone dropped a luxury resort directly into the jungle. Towering greenery surrounds the property, cliffs meet the Pacific below and the infinity pool seems to disappear straight into the ocean.
From the resort, we could see the coastline, waves crashing against the cliffs and even surfers in the distance waiting for their next big wave.
Even better, the property’s relationship with its natural surroundings isn’t just something you see from the pool, you can even taste it! We were told that fruit growing on the property is actually incorporated into dishes prepared at the resort, including its mole.
Our room was an Armony Room – Ocean View with two double beds in Tower 4 (room #4404 specifically, if you want to stay like datenight) and overlooked the infinity pool, with a stunning outdoor balcony giving us another beautiful view to wake up to each morning.
and breakfast comes with a freshly made taco station
If there is one thing Mexico does exceptionally well, it’s FOOD. And that starts right from breakfast time.
At Armony’s La Brise breakfast buffet, we found a huge open-air palapa filled with everything from fresh fruit, a smoked salmon station, specialty meats and dishes that change daily, fried plantain, Huevos made your way, Chilaquiles galore, birria, and so. much. more.
The oceanfront setting and prime table views didn’t hurt, either.
After breakfast on a sunny Saturday afternoon, we headed to the resort’s Cañada Deck for a yoga session led by Brenda, the resort’s amazing yoga director. The hour-long class was a peaceful way to start the morning before heading off-property for one of our favourite experiences of the trip.
Nayarit has a serious wellness side, too
The next morning at Armony gave us a completely different way to experience the resort.
First came an activity that had considerably less “relaxing spa morning” energy and more “total wellness reset”: an ice bath challenge. And this wasn’t just some cold water, either! The team filled a tub with FOURTEEN bags of ice and, one by one, we climbed in to see how long we could last.
It was cold. Very cold. but eventually, very refreshing, then rejuvenating, then exhilarating.
But the ice bath is actually part of the resort’s broader wellness programming, which includes scheduled cold-plunge experiences, yoga, and other activities for the mind, body, and soul.
Then, things got significantly more relaxing. We experienced Watsu, (the name combines “water” and “Shiatsu”) a form of water-based massage therapy that takes place in a warm pool, followed by a floating sound-healing session.
These experiences were particularly memorable. Floating in the water as the sounds moved around the group was one of those experiences that is difficult to explain until you’re actually there.
Later, we spent the afternoon at the resort’s VIP pool area, tucked into the greenery with cabanas overlooking the surrounding landscape. We had a delicious fresh fish and ceviche lunch there, drank fresh coconuts and spent some time doing absolutely nothing.
Which, on vacation, is sometimes the whole point.
Eating our way through Sayulita
If you’re staying at a resort in Nayarit, do yourself a favour and get out for a day. We drove to Sayulita for a food tour with Vallarta Food Tours, spending hours working our way through local restaurants, family-run spots and street food.
Our first stop was chilaquiles at Cayetano’s, followed by a brief walk down towards the beach to Restaurant “El Costeño “Sayulita (owned by the same family!) for Birria and Margaritas.
Then came the Al Pastor tacos, at Tacos Tal Ivan with the meat shaved fresh from the vertical spit before being tucked into tortillas with a sweet bit of pineapple.
One of the stops that have stuck in our memory the strongest has been TACOS GABY, by Señora Gaby Selas. She’s there making roadside fish taco fresh, and we tried catch of the day (mahi-mahi) that she literally hand-battered and fried in front of us before serving a helping on top of two tortillas (mandatory) and a selection of toppings and sauces.
We finished the food tour with gelato at Buonissimo Cafe and Gelato and with the heat that day, naturally, we chose something super refreshing: passionfruit.
After all that eating, we had some free time to wander around Sayulita’s beach and spend some time at the water and shopping around town before heading back to the resort.
So, is Nayarit worth a winter escape?
What stood out most about Nayarit was how easy it was to build completely different kinds of days into the same trip.
You can spend a morning on a boat in Banderas Bay, eat your way through Sayulita in the afternoon and be back at your resort for dinner. You can book a full wellness day, or spend the afternoon floating in a pool with a coconut. You can stay somewhere residential and family-friendly, or choose a resort where the focus leans more heavily into nature, wellness and elevated experiences.
Then, there’s the food. From traditional Mexican breakfasts and elevated dining experiences that liken themselves more to art than dishes, food was a constant part of the experience and area. If you’re a foodie, indulge here.
For Western Canadians looking for sunshine this winter, the new Calgary connection makes Nayarit an especially interesting destination to have on the radar.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Getting there: WestJet seasonal nonstop service from Calgary (YYC) to Tepic–Riviera Nayarit International Airport (TPQ), operating weekly during the winter season.
Where we stayed: Marival Distinct Luxury Residences All Suites and World Spa and Armony Marival Resort and Spa Punta de Mita MGallery Collection.
What we did: Private sailing with Punta Mita Adventures, a food tour through Sayulita with Vallarta Food Tours, resort experiences: yoga (with Brenda), wellness treatments (Ice Bath Challenge with Andres, Watsu Spa with Victor), and more.
Destination: Nayarit, Mexico.
This trip was hosted by Visit Nayarit. As always, our coverage reflects our firsthand experience of the destination and properties visited.
The post We Went to Nayarit: Why This Mexican Destination Should Be on Your Winter Travel List [GUIDE] appeared first on datenight.