Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico - The Riviera Nayarit is and always will be a destination offering a great variety of cultural, sports and artistic events. This year the destination celebrates its 10th anniversary and in order to kick off the party we'd like to share with you a chronological list of the Top 10 Events of 2017.

XIII International San Blas Festival of Migratory Birds (January 29 to February 5)
San Blas, having established itself as one of the most important bird watching spots on the continent—if not the world—is celebrating this festival with workshops, conferences, and observation routes, as well as a series of activities in pro of biodiversity. Over 500 different species between endemic, locals and resident birds reside in this historic port.

4th Festival Sayulita (February 1-5)
The hottest party of the year is in the Riviera Nayarit's Surfing Capital during its Festival Sayulita. In its 4th year the famous Café Tacvba will headline the concert, accompanied by Nortec Collective, Troker, Sotomayor, Burton and Sayulita's Los Gatos Negros. There will be tons of movies, both full-length and shorter films on huge screens on the beach, plus plenty to drink, a lot of pairings, tastings and all kinds of culinary delights. But most of all, this is a celebration of life, because Sayulita the Magical Town is all about living life to the fullest and with this festival it's helping to promote the sporting end of it, including surfing, cycling, races and yoga.

7th Open Water Swim Tournament (April 1)
This sporting event takes place at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and this year it's one of its best showings, as it's been recently admitted into the Global Swim Series, an achievement that happened thanks to its organization, security, infrastructure, natural conditions and its national and international positioning. More info »

Wind Festival (May 19 - 21)
Bucerías, the Wind Capital of the Riviera Nayarit, is celebrating its top sports competition with this event, considered one of the top five most important of its kind in the world. Watching over 200 competitors riding the wind from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle to Bucerías on the DownWind race is an amazing sight, as are the Freestyle and Slalom races.

VI International Beach Polo Cup (May)
Combining the sport of kings and the beach has been a highly successful formula for the international positioning of this event. This is the only polo competition that takes place so close to the water, as the players compete just a few yards from the waves in Flamingos. Participants include the best polo players in the country as well as a handful of foreign competitors.

San Blas and La Cruz Int'l Sport Fishing Tournaments (June 14-17 / October 25-28)
While the San Blas tournament is celebrating its 57th anniversary, making it the oldest in the Pacific, the event in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is in its 5th year—and in that short time it has gained quite the status thanks to the modern Marina Riviera Nayarit. Which, of course, is the reason La Cruz is the Nautical Capital of the Riviera Nayarit. Bonus: The Riviera Nayarit CVB celebrates Children's Day with a free kid's tournament to encourage sport fishing & conservation.

9th Vallarta Nayarit Gastronómica (October)
This culinary festival surprised both locals and visitors in 2016 by uniting 6 Michelin Stars in one place, so expectations for 2017 are very high. Workshops, pairings, tastings, dinners and special events are on tap for the most demanding in academia, the culinary professionals and foodies.

9th Half Marathon and 10K (November 25)
By the time runners finish this race they're already asking when does the next one begin! There's no doubt it's quite a treat to run under the palm trees in balmy weather, with a sea breeze cooling you off and all the luxury, comforts and services of the destination at your feet.

VII Punta Mita Gourmet & Golf (November 30 – December 3)
Punta Mita, the Riviera Nayarit's Glamour Peninsula, is synonymous with luxury. Come enjoy this signature event and its incomparable mix of gastronomy and golf in this favorite celebrity haunt—something you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in Mexico.

12th Festival Sinergiarte (December)
If the topic is culture and art in the Riviera Nayarit, then San Pancho, it's Capital of Culture, is at the top of the list. This celebration takes place at the end of every year and is open to all, from kids to ranchers, hippies, surfers, housewives, professionals and more... Everyone's invited! Artists are of the international sort and, believe it or not, they donate their art.

Bonus: The San Pancho Children's Circus will be in town! Every year the apprentices of Cirque du Soleil's co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix put on a show; this year's shows are set for March 16-18.