Nayarit, Mexico – The state of Nayarit is in the mood to celebrate. On June 26th, Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) held a press conference in Mexico City where Nayarit State’s Minister of Tourism, Juan Enrique Suárez del Real Tostado, was presented five new Pueblo Mágico, or “Magical Town,” designations for the Pacific Coast destination, including the towns of San Blas, Ahuacatlán, Amatlán de Cañas, Ixtlán del Río and Puerto Balleto.
The Pueblos Mágicos initiative is a Mexican tourism program, similar to UNESCO Heritage sites, in which unique towns and cities are recognized for their significance to Mexican culture, including their contribution to the country’s history, architecture, gastronomy and arts. These Magical Towns benefit from multiple tourism programs. This year, 123 towns requested inclusion in the program and 45 were approved.
The current state administration of Nayarit worked to achieve Magical Town status for the five municipalities that were awarded it. This was part of its objective to include the diverse tourism offerings found across the state in its travel and tourism infrastructure.
This achievement is a direct result of the policies of Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero, his administration, and their shared commitment to both explore alternatives to mass tourism and develop the state’s sustainable rural tourism, ecological tourism, and theme-based routes and tourism offerings.
Travel and tourism campaigns in Nayarit have expanded to include colonial towns of the Sierra Madre, communities of the indigenous Huichol people, the ecological areas of Isla Marias and Marrietas and the 150 miles of beaches found along the Riviera Nayarit coast. The state government has focused on providing small business training to residents, providing training of an international standard to tour operators, hoteliers, police, taxi drivers and DMCs, making tourism a valuable asset — especially to smaller communities.
Nayarit’s infrastructure has also seen a number of initiatives as part of this plan, including new roads to access remote communities statewide, enhancements in maritime access to San Blas and expansion and transformation of the airport at Tepic into the Riviera Nayarit International Airport. A tourism school has also been created to train future tourism leaders.
In addition, the tourism minister announced a new Magical Towns corridor in the southern part of Nayarit, creating a new tourism route across Jala, Ixtlan del Rio, Ahuacatlan, Compostela and Amatlan de Cañas. This will bring travelers to five of Nayarit’s Magical Towns and foster the opportunity for new businesses to emerge, from dining options, entertainment venues and museums to transportation services, health-care facilities and beyond. Tourism encourages new developments that both visitors and residents can avail themselves of year-round.
The magic of Nayarit’s nine Magical Towns awaits you. Dare to discover Nayarit.