Exploring the Cultural and Natural Wonders of Sierra de Nayar

Sierra de Nayar is where the Coras, the Huicholes, the Tepehuanos, and the Mexicaneros, who have kept their traditions and customs from their ancestors, settled. There are many places where you can buy beautiful handicrafts. Native businesses run by the community offer services to tourists in the area.

Acaponeta

Acaponeta is the gateway to the Sierra del Nayar. It is called the "Athens of Nayarit" for its cultural tradition, although it is also known as the "City of Gardenias" because of its privileged location on the banks of the river of the same name, where flowers abound.

Acaponeta has an attractive museum of the plastic artist Vladimir Cora and the important Al Chumacero Cultural Center, which exhibits archaeological pieces, paintings, and sculptures and is housed in a beautiful 19th-century building.

The church of Our Lady of the Assumption, in plateresque style, built in the XVI century, the Municipal Palace of the beginning of the XX century, and the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe stand out. You can take a ride into the city aboard Train 308.

Rosamorada

Rosamorada has an extensive area of marshes where you can take a pleasant walk, especially in Pimientillo, where you can visit the Agua Brava Lagoon with its wide diversity of birds. Do not miss the opportunity to savor a delicious dish based on exquisite shrimp fresh from the estuary.

Ruíz

In Ruz, you can visit the Temple of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the old railroad station, which dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. During the rainy season, you can enjoy different natural swimming areas such as El Salto, El Malpaso, El Tenamache, and El Pozolillo. Also, you can visit old mining towns such as Real Mineral del Zopilote.

Tuxpan

Tuxpan has a beautiful boardwalk on one of the banks of the San Pedro River, and the San Miguel Arcangel Parish Church and the Community Museum stand out. The famous local cuisine has fish and seafood as its basic elements.

Four kilometers from the municipal capital is the archaeological zone of Coamiles, an ancient ceremonial center rich in petroglyphs and with several structures made of stuccoed stones.

Tuxpan has an archeological museum with an interesting collection of pieces found in the region. Nature lovers can visit the El Palapar Ecological Reserve, which consists of lagoons and an intricate labyrinth of mangroves and is home to a rich biodiversity.

El Nayar

The municipality is inhabited mostly by Coras and Huicholes. Holy Week is celebrated here in a very special way, with a mixture of Christianity and indigenous rituals; the young people paint their bodies with white, black, or multicolored paint and carry masks and wooden sabers. El Nayar is considered the intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

You can visit the nearby towns of Jesús María, Mesa del Nayar, Santa Teresa de Jesús, Huaynamota, and Potrero de la Palmita, where you can buy the traditional handicrafts of the region. It is also recommended to visit the Franciscan mission of Mesa del Nayar. Grupo Etnoturismo Kaw mana Kau is a Wixárika community dedicated to the preservation of Wixárika Huichol culture, offering gastronomy based on traditional recipes.

In addition, El Nayar has community museums where you can learn about the oldest vestiges of this culture and a small handicraft market. There are ecological walks that guide you through the trails of the place to learn about the flora and fauna of Zapote de Picachos. You can tour the Aguamilpa Dam by boat and rest in the special camping areas.

Another Wixárika project is the Tawexikta Ethnotourism Group, "Place of the Sun", which offers ecological cabins and restaurant service with typical food from the region. It offers flora and fauna observation tours as well as a handicraft center for the production and sale of Wixárika handicrafts.

La Yesca

Its orography is mountainous, and the town of the same name has an air reminiscent of European landscapes, with a temple dating from the eighteenth century. The wooded areas surrounding the town are ideal for ecotourism. Nearby is Huajimic, where you can buy delicious fresh cheese that is unique in the state.

Huajicori

The Tepehuanes and Mexicaneras ethnic groups live here. The church of Huajicori is the only baroque-style construction in Nayarit. In the community of El Faizán, there is a series of petroglyphs commonly known as the Pila de los Monos.