Nayarit

Nayarit is a Pacific coastal state in western Mexico, known for its beaches, the upscale Riviera Nayarit and the vivid art of the Huichol people. Its capital is Tepic. A lush, tropical region of mountains, coast and islands, it is an increasingly popular tourist destination.

Nayarit features a Pacific coastline of beaches and bays, fertile coastal plains, and the volcanic mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental inland. It includes the Marietas Islands and the Marismas Nacionales wetlands. The climate is tropical.

The state is famous for the Huichol, or Wixarika, people, whose intricate beadwork and yarn art depict their spiritual visions. Coastal tourism, surfing and a rich cuisine of seafood shape modern life.

Long home to Indigenous peoples including the Huichol and Cora, the region was part of Jalisco before becoming a separate territory and then a state in 1917. Tourism along the Riviera Nayarit has driven recent growth.