WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN THE RIVIERA NAYARIT: Lo de Marcos, a miniature paradise
- This area is home to one of the most relaxed coastal villages in the Riviera Nayarit, with a growing service sector that’s keeping pace with the needs of its visitors.
Lo de Marcos is a placid getaway where the hustle and bustle of the world is still at bay. This is the quintessential village by the sea: quiet, narrow streets; flowering trees, and colorful façades. Some people take it further, calling it a “miniature paradise.”
The town has evolved at its own pace and its service sector has been growing to keep up with the needs of its visitors: bungalows, villas, comfortable hotel rooms, and a full-service trailer park are just some of the options the tourist has when they visit. And, in the wintertime, the town also receives the largest number of RV travelers.
WHAT TO SEE
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| The best-known beaches are Los Venados, Las Minitas, El Atracadero, and Lo de Marcos. |
The crystal-clear, turquoise-tinted waters and the intense emerald color of the tropical vegetation surrounding the town create a beautiful, relaxing landscape. The best-known beaches are Los Venados, Las Minitas, El Atracadero, and Lo de Marcos. There’s a natural estuary just to the north, home to a fabulous variety of birds, many of them migratory. Note: If you visit the estuary we do recommend wearing insect repellent, preferably biodegradable.
WHAT TO DO
Activities
At Lo de Marcos you can simply lay out to catch some rays, go for a swim or pick a favorite water sport like snorkeling, surfing or SUP. If you prefer, you can tool around in a kayak, enjoy some waterskiing, jet skiing or even a banana boat jaunt, as well as do some bird-watching and hiking around the estuary. You can also hop aboard a boat to Rincón de Guayabitas, the Isla del Coral or El Cangrejo, as well visit the beaches at El Beso, Tortugas, and Los Ayala.
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| If you visit the estuary we do recommend wearing insect repellent, preferably biodegradable. |
Eat like a local
Enjoy a delicious pescado zarandeado (grilled fish) or a seafood platter prepared with all the flavors of Nayarit in any of the thatched palapas that dot the beach. Back in town, the public plaza has a colorful bandstand and is surrounded by small businesses and a handful homestyle restaurants offering tasty dishes in a welcoming atmosphere.
Go to the tianguis!
Every November, the Tianguis Lo de Marcos (Lo de Marcos Marketplace) sets up shop in a charming patio, offering an open-air experience with great food, live music, and lots of stands selling unique products. Visitors can find handmade objects, homemade baked goods, sauces, piñatas, blown glass, fresh vegetables, and much more. It’s open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Luis Echeverría street.
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| At Lo de Marcos you can simply lay out to catch some rays, go for a swim or pick a favorite water sport like snorkeling, surfing or SUP. |
An event that has become quite a tradition in this coastal village is the Taste of Lo de Marcos. It has been held every year in February for the past six years at the Centro de Fiestas Los Delfines (Calle Luis Echeverría No. 9), very close to the town’s main plaza.
The Taste of Lo de Marcos was created to raise donations to help maintain this gem of a town. The program includes live music, plus tastings and food for sale by local restaurants, as well as stands selling handmade objects and jewelry.
Explore and be adventurous
If you love adventure and like to go off the beaten path head over to Xplore, located on the very southern end of the beach just south of town. This operator offers visitors real adventure in extraordinary surroundings, specializing in tours inspired by life in the great outdoors including diving, dive courses, sport fishing excursions, surfing lessons, snorkeling, Stand Up Paddleboard classes, and hiking excursions, among others. It has a great beach club with a camping area, a restaurant, and a bar.
HOW TO GET THERE
If you’re driving take Federal Highway 200 Tepic-Puerto Vallarta, which connects northern, southern, and central Mexico. The town is located approximately 45 km (28 mi) down the road as you leave Nuevo Vallarta towards Tepic. If you’re leaving from Tepic, drive towards Compostela, past La Peñita de Jaltemba; the destination is about 100 km (62 mi) south past Rincón de Guayabitos.
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The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the Bahía de Banderas Hotel and Motel Association (AHMBB) are hard at work to promote the destination with the support of the Government of the State of Nayarit via its Tourism Promotional Trust (Fiprotur). The cultural tourism product offer is an invaluable asset for these promotional efforts.
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