INTRODUCTION TO SAN BLAS, MEXICO

Background:

Located on the Pacific coast of Mexico, between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, the small fishing town of San Blas is less than an hour away from Tepic, the State Capital of Nayarit. It is 2 hours from Puerto Vallarta, 3 hours from Guadalajara (the second-largest city in Mexico), and 4 four hours from Mazatlan. The village is surrounded by mangroves and features a tropical landscape dotted with banana, papaya, mango, tobacco, coffee, and sugar cane plantations.

Most visitors arrive by car or bus, but others arrive by air in Tepic or occasionally by sea on a cruise ship.

Founded in 1768, San Blas turned 250-years-old in February of 2018. Once holding the most important shipyards on the Pacific Coast, this colonial port was the spot where Father Junípero Serra landed from Spain and from which he later left in 1768 to California to begin building that state’s famous Spanish missions (for this, Father Serra became a saint in 1988). Nowadays it boasts 20 miles of beaches and is famous for deep-sea sport fishing and for winter surfing and whale watching.

The average temperature in winter is 70ºF, while in the summer it averages 86ºF. Heavy night rains occur during July and August.

Stop along the way:

Los Kikis fruit stand

This thatch-roofed roadside fruit stand required a 5-peso coin to enter through a turnstile to a restroom.

Los Kikis fruit stand near San Blas on Riviera Nayarit in Mexico

candied fruit at Los Kikis fruit stand near San Blas on Riviera Nayarit in Mexico

restroom entrance at Los Kikis fruit stand near San Blas on Riviera Nayarit
in Mexico

Important town historic site:

La Contaduria

Founded by sailors from Spain circa 1769, this colonial fort atop Basilio Hill is now a ruins but provides a stellar view over the town of San Blas and the ocean beyond. When ships arrived in port, a celebratory greeting was sent from the protective fort cannons.

La Contaduria fort in San Blas on Riviera Nayarit in Mexico

view from La Contaduria fort in San Blas on Riviera Nayarit in Mexico

●La Marinera/Our Lady of the Rosary church, The Seafarer

Set back from the fort, this church is also now a lovely ruins. It once held the bronze bells immortalized in Henry W. Longfellow’s “The Bells of San Blas.”

ruins of La Marinera church in San Blas on Riviera Nayarit in Mexico

Perfect lunch spot:

Las Islitas

This strip of casual open-air restaurant palapas is situated on the sand, beach front.

Garza Blanca

●At Garza Blanca, food is prepared outside on grills. The regional fare is simple--make-your-own fish tacos, local fish, shrimp, banana-bread muffins--and it goes supremely well with a cold Pacifico beer.