After a slew of recent “best of” lists highlighting Mexico’s grandeur — the 50 best bars of North America, Travel + Leisure naming Oaxaca the best city in the world — comes a mention from Time magazine.
Its 50 World’s Greatest Places of 2022 list includes the Riviera Nayarit, the only Mexican location on the list.
The Riviera Nayarit is a long corridor of coastline that extends the length of Nayarit state to Puerto Vallarta and encompasses some of Mexico’s most popular vacation destinations such as beach towns Punta Mita, San Francisco, Sayulita and Nuevo Vallarta.
Time’s justification for choosing the Riviera Nayarit included several luxury resorts that will open this year including Susurros del Corazón and the Four Seasons’ Naviva in Punta Mita, as well as Secrets Bahia Mita and Dreams Bahia Mita in the Bay of Banderas. The magazine also highlighted the soon-to-open Islas María Biosphere Reserve — a former federal jail turned educational center and tourist destination — and the 23 beach towns that can be explored along the state’s coast.
Time’s yearly list is compiled by international correspondents and contributors to the magazine with a specific focus on new and exciting experiences that can be had in each place selected. These places are all growing and thriving, says Time, as well as working towards being sustainable.
In an interview with NTV, Nayarit Tourism Minister Juan Enrique Suárez chalked up the win to the increased investment in the state by local authorities and the endemic traditions that draw tourists to this part of Mexico.
“This is extraordinary news,” Suárez said. “Today we should feel good that Nayarit has been listed as one of the most important destinations in the world” and the only one from Mexico.
