Things to Do in Punta Mita This Winter: Inside the gates and in Punta de Mita, November 2026 to April 2027
From November to April the peninsula does five things well: humpback whales in the bay, with the official season from 8 December 2026 to 23 March 2027; the Islas Marietas by permitted boat; surf on the north swells; the beach clubs and two Nicklaus courses inside the gates; and a calendar that opens with the Jazz Festival at Pacífico Beach Club on 13–14 November. Here is what to do, month by month, and which side of the gate you need to sleep on to do it.
By Oliver Weickardt, founder of Villa Experience · Checked 9 November 2026 · 23-minute readTwo places share this peninsula at the north end of Bahía de Banderas. Punta Mita is the resort behind the gates: two golf courses, the beach clubs, the Four Seasons and the St. Regis, and most of our houses here. Punta de Mita is everything outside them: the fishing village on El Anclote beach, the surf at La Lancha, the road to Litibú and Sayulita. Most of what there is to do in winter sits on one side or the other, and who can do it depends on where you sleep.
Winter is the season here. The humpbacks come into the bay with their calves, the north swells reach the breaks, and the resort and the hotels fill November and December with events. Below: the season month by month, then the whales, the Marietas, the surf, the beach clubs, golf, the nights to book, the village and the trips beyond it, and three of our houses, two inside the gates and one outside.
Inside the gates and out
The whale boats, the breaks, the beach clubs, the golf, the village and this winter’s dates, with the land behind the Punta Mita gates shaded. Circles mark areas, not exact spots. Pick a category to see only those.
4.85 nautical miles off
- Inside the Punta Mita gates, approximately
- An area, not an exact spot
- Main gate, approximately
The shading behind the gates follows the resort’s own map and is approximate. Our houses are shown by area only. Satellite image: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025, processed by Villa Experience.
1 · Outside the gates
El Anclote and the village
The cooperative’s pangas, the fish market and the promenade, with the restaurants along the sand. The boats for the Marietas and, in season, the whales leave from the beach at the west end of Avenida El Anclote; the tourism board also lists departures from Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías and Sayulita. Off El Anclote the resort’s own map marks a surf break, and the resort counts surf schools among the village’s shops.
- This winter
- Gourmet Safari on Avenida El Anclote, Thu 19 Nov; whale boats 8 Dec to 23 Mar
- Who can go
- Anyone
2 · At sea
Islas Marietas National Park
A national park since 2005, run by CONANP, 4.85 nautical miles off Punta de Mita. In whale season, boats may not watch whales within 1.5 km of the islands.
- This winter
- Park open Tuesday to Sunday, 8 am to 6 pm; Playa del Amor Wednesday to Sunday, 8 am to 5 pm
- Who can go
- Only with an operator CONANP has permitted
- On the map
- The park’s limits, as the 2005 decree that created it draws them
3 · Outside the gates
La Lancha
A reef break the W calls mellow, ten minutes by car from the hotel; the St. Regis puts it 6.5 km away. Pendry’s new residences inside the gates will overlook it.
- This winter
- North swells, December to April
- Who can go
- Anyone
4 · Outside the gates
Playa Veneros, at the W
The W Punta de Mita’s own beach, which the hotel calls the region’s top surf break.
- This winter
- North swells, December to April
- Who can go
- Anyone; lessons from the W’s certified surf vendor, booked in advance
5 · Inside the gates
Pacífico Beach Club
The original residents’ club, over the Tail of the Whale: an adults’ pool and a family pool with a playground, a restaurant and bar, and the Navi Spa.
- This winter
- The Punta Mita International Jazz Festival, Fri 13 and Sat 14 Nov
- Who can go
- Club: property owners and their guests, and renters whose house includes the membership. The festival: anyone with a ticket
6 · Inside the gates
Kupuri Beach Club
On Litibú Bay: pools, a restaurant and a snack palapa, the Coritas Kids’ Club, a teen clubhouse and Punta Mita Ocean Sports.
- This winter
- Mesas Marinas, the Festival Gourmet’s night, Fri 20 Nov
- Who can go
- Premier members and their guests or renters. Mesas Marinas: anyone with a ticket; ask how guests from outside pass the gate
7 · Inside the gates
Sufi Ocean Club
On Bahía de Banderas: a salt-water pool, a palapa snack shack and the Sufi restaurant, with the bay reached from the Punta Mita Pier.
- Who can go
- Property owners and their guests, and renters whose house includes the membership
8 · Inside the gates
The St. Regis and Sea Breeze
The St. Regis’s own beach club, with its adults-only Sakana pool.
- This winter
- Thanksgiving on the Marietas Lawn; the tree lighting and Christmas Eve dinner; “A Night to Remember” on 31 Dec
- Who can go
- Sea Breeze: St. Regis guests; Club members subject to capacity; a day pass sold by the hotel
9 · Inside the gates
El Surf Club
Open since 2020, in Los Ranchos by the surf at La Lancha.
- Who can go
- Property owners and their guests, and renters whose house includes the membership
10 · Inside the gates
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
The hotel’s festive season, from the Spice Coast residency to the New Year’s Eve beach party on Cuevas Beach.
- This winter
- The Spice Coast at Tamai, 14–30 Dec; Christmas Eve on Cuevas Beach; Midnight Tides, 31 Dec; New Year’s Day brunch at Dos Catrinas
- Who can go
- By reservation; an advisor can ask whether non-guests may book
11 · Inside the gates
The Pacífico and Bahía courses
Punta Mita’s two Jack Nicklaus Signature courses, with the Tail of the Whale, hole 3B, on Pacífico.
- Who can go
- Members, residents, renters whose house includes the membership, and Four Seasons and St. Regis guests
12 · Outside the gates
Higuera Golf Club, at Higuera Blanca
A Greg Norman course, par 72, formerly Litibú Golf Club, at Higuera Blanca, about 10 km from Punta de Mita.
- Who can go
- Tee times through the club’s own site; Casa Akama’s golf membership includes it
13 · Outside the gates
Conrad Punta de Mita
On Litibú, outside the gates; Mezquite is its beach restaurant.
- This winter
- Mexican street food at Mezquite, 25 Dec–1 Jan; the Ocean of Lights gala, 31 Dec
- Who can go
- By reservation; an advisor can ask whether non-guests may book
14 · Outside the gates
Omni Pontoque
A new resort on Punta Pontoque: 246 keys, five places to eat, five pools, a spa and boat charters to the Marietas.
- This winter
- Expects its first guests on 2 March 2027
15 · Outside the gates
Bucerías, the January fiestas
The town’s January fiestas end with a procession by sea from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. Bucerías is further east along the bay, off this map.
- This winter
- The fiestas of Nuestra Señora de la Paz, by tradition 16–24 January
16 · Inside the gates
Casa Akama, in Ranchos
Nine bedrooms for up to twenty guests on the beach in Ranchos, with the golf and beach-club membership in the stay.
- On the map
- Shown by area, never by house
17 · Inside the gates
Casa Entre Rocas, in La Punta
Seven bedrooms for up to sixteen near the tip of the peninsula, looking over the Marietas and the bay.
- On the map
- Shown by area, never by house
18 · Outside the gates
Casa Eterna, at Punta del Burro
Four bedrooms for ten on a private stretch of beach at Punta del Burro, outside the gates.
- On the map
- Shown by area, never by house
- 1El Anclote and the villageBoats · village
- 2Islas Marietas National ParkPark · boats
- 3La LanchaSurf · reef
- 4Playa Veneros, at the WSurf · lessons
- 5Pacífico Beach ClubBeach club · jazz
- 6Kupuri Beach ClubBeach club · dinner
- 7Sufi Ocean ClubBeach club
- 8The St. Regis and Sea BreezeHotel · beach club
- 9El Surf ClubBeach club
- 10Four Seasons Resort Punta MitaHotel · dinners
- 11The Pacífico and Bahía coursesGolf · Nicklaus
- 12Higuera Golf Club, at Higuera BlancaGolf · Greg Norman
- 13Conrad Punta de MitaHotel · dinners
- 14Omni PontoqueFirst guests 2 Mar
- 15Bucerías, the January fiestasFiestas · January
- 16Casa Akama, in RanchosOur house · area
- 17Casa Entre Rocas, in La PuntaOur house · area
- 18Casa Eterna, at Punta del BurroOur house · area
The winter, month by month
Dates as the organizers and the hotels publish them. Each line says which side of the gate it is on; who may go is in the sections below.
- 2026Nov
Jazz, and the Festival Gourmet
- Inside the gates Fri 13–Sat 14: the Punta Mita International Jazz Festival at Pacífico Beach Club, its fourth edition.
- Outside the gates Thu 19: the Festival Gourmet’s Gourmet Safari on Avenida El Anclote, and NAEF reopens in the village for the season.
- Inside the gates Fri 20: Mesas Marinas, the Festival Gourmet’s night at Kupuri Beach Club. The festival, night by night.
- Inside the gates Thanksgiving week at the St. Regis: a Turkey Trot from the Motor Lobby, dinner on the Marietas Lawn and a Black Friday mercadito.
- 2026Dec
Whale season opens
- In the bay Tue 8: the whale-watching season opens in Bahía de Banderas, by the federal notice of 30 October 2026.
- Inside the gates 14–30: the Spice Coast at Tamai, the Four Seasons’ residency with the Michelin-starred chef Justin Paul, “his first residency in Mexico”.
- Inside the gates Thu 24: Christmas Eve dinner on Cuevas Beach at the Four Seasons, with live music. The St. Regis lights its tree on the Marietas Lawn and serves a Christmas Eve dinner.
- Outside the gates 25 December–1 January: Mexican street food at Mezquite, the Conrad Punta de Mita’s beach restaurant on Litibú.
- Inside the gates Thu 31: Midnight Tides at the Four Seasons: dinner at Nuna Pool from 7:30 pm, then a beach party on Cuevas Beach from 10 pm to 1:30 am. The St. Regis holds “A Night to Remember”; outside the gates, the Conrad’s Ocean of Lights gala closes with fireworks over the Pacific.
- 2027Jan
New Year, and the fiestas in Bucerías
- Inside the gates Fri 1: New Year’s Day brunch at Dos Catrinas, at the Four Seasons.
- Outside the gates 16–24: the fiestas of Nuestra Señora de la Paz in Bucerías, by tradition, ending with a procession by sea from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.
- In the bay The whale season and the surf season both run all month.
- 2027Feb
The middle of the season
- In the bay Whales in the bay, with the season open. The coastal strip stays closed to watching because mothers nurse their calves there.
- Outside the gates The north swells are still running at La Lancha and along the coast.
- 2027Mar
A new hotel, and the season ends
- Outside the gates Tue 2: Omni Pontoque, the new resort on Punta Pontoque, expects its first guests.
- In the bay Tue 23: the last day of the whale season in Bahía de Banderas.
- 2027Apr
The last of the swells
- Outside the gates The surf season runs into April, by the tourism board’s account, and so does the region’s peak visitor season.
Hotels confirm festive times nearer the date; an advisor can reserve for you.
The Marietas on the horizon at sunset, from Punta Mita.
Photo: The St. Regis Punta Mita ResortHumpbacks in the bay, 8 December to 23 March
Whale watching in Mexico runs under a federal standard, NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010, and a notice the environment ministry publishes in the Diario Oficial each year. This season’s came out on 30 October 2026: in Bahía de Banderas, the municipality Punta Mita belongs to, boats may take people to watch whales from 8 December 2026 to 23 March 2027, the same dates as last season. The municipality says the humpbacks visit the bay from November to April; outside the official dates, nobody may offer a whale-watching trip.
Where boats may not watch
The notice closes two areas to whale watching because of the concentration of whales with calves: a 2 km-wide strip of coast “from Punta Mita to the mouth of the Río Ameca”, and 1.5 km around the Islas Marietas. The rule binds the boats; from a terrace above the bay, you may watch as long as you like.
The rules at sea
No more than four boats around one whale or group, and 30 minutes at most with the same animals. A small boat stays 60 meters off, a bigger one 80, and every boat waits its turn 240 meters away. Engines go to neutral if a whale comes close, and permitted boats carry the official mark.
Where the boats leave from
In the village, the fishermen’s cooperative takes its pangas out from the beach at the west end of Avenida El Anclote. The tourism board also lists departures from Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías and Sayulita, and the hotels sell their own trips. The board recommends small boats; a tour usually lasts up to four hours.
Whales and the Marietas
A Marietas boat in season may see whales on the way out and back, but within 1.5 km of the islands it may not stop to watch them. Ask your operator which trip you are on.
More on the whales. The season month by month and how to watch from the shore: our whale-watching guide.
The Marietas, by permitted boat
A national park since 2005, run by CONANP, the federal parks agency, 4.85 nautical miles off Punta de Mita: the shortest crossing of any port CONANP lists. You go only with an operator CONANP has permitted, and on the islands you may swim, snorkel, dive and use the beach, nothing else.
Playa del Amor
The hidden beach inside the crater takes 116 people a day, for 30 minutes from leaving the boat, in and out by a buoyed lane. Helmets and life vests are compulsory; no fins, mask or snorkel. The municipality says children under four may not go in.
The park
Closed on Mondays. A life vest is compulsory in the water, and sunscreen must be reef-friendly and on 30 minutes before you swim. CONANP charges a daily park fee, set out on its own page; operators add their own charges. A tour takes about two hours on top of the crossing.
Snorkeling
The municipality names Playa La Nopalera for snorkeling. Boats carrying more than 15 passengers may not enter the park’s public-use areas.
Check the day with your operator: the municipality’s page and CONANP’s disagree on the opening days, and we follow CONANP, which runs the park. More in our Marietas guide and our snorkeling guide.
North swells, December to April
The tourism board puts the best surf on this coast from December through April, “when the North swells arrive”, with lefts and rights for every level. Three of the breaks the official pages name, all outside the gates:
- The villageOff El Anclote, the resort’s own map marks a surf break; the municipality calls the village beach a favorite place to start paddleboarding, and the resort counts surf schools among the village’s shops.
- La LanchaA reef break the W calls mellow, ten minutes by car from the hotel; the St. Regis puts it 6.5 km away. Pendry’s new residences inside the gates will overlook it.
- Playa VenerosThe W Punta de Mita’s own beach, which the hotel calls the region’s top surf break, with lessons from its certified surf vendor, booked in advance.
The breaks in detail: seven surf spots around the peninsula and where to take lessons.
Five beach clubs, and who gets in
Inside the gates the beach clubs belong to Club Punta Mita, the resort’s private membership. Its own page reserves them for property owners and their guests, and names renters at Kupuri; neither the resort nor the Club publishes a way in for anyone else. What opens them for a visitor is the house: some of our houses inside the gates include the membership, and their listings say so.
Pacífico
The original residents’ club: an adults’ pool and a family pool with a playground, a restaurant and bar, locker rooms and the Navi Spa.
Kupuri
Pools, a restaurant and a snack palapa, the Coritas Kids’ Club, a teen clubhouse and Punta Mita Ocean Sports. The Club reserves it for its Premier members and their guests or renters.
Sufi Ocean Club
A salt-water pool, a palapa snack shack and the Sufi restaurant, with the bay reached from the Punta Mita Pier.
Sea Breeze
The St. Regis’s own beach club, used by its guests. The Club calls it “provisionally available” to its members through a year-to-year agreement, subject to capacity, first come, first served. The St. Regis also sells a day pass to Sea Breeze and its adults-only Sakana pool.
El Surf Club
Open since 2020, in Los Ranchos by the surf at La Lancha; its chef is one of this year’s Gourmet & Golf host chefs.
On the water
The resort lists surfing, paddleboarding, kitesurfing, diving and whale watching under Punta Mita Ocean Sports, which the Club places at Kupuri and Sufi.
Which house opens which club: our beach-club guide.
Ocean holes along the beach, from the air.
Photo: Punta Mita resortTwo Nicklaus courses, and an island green
Punta Mita’s two Jack Nicklaus Signature courses keep their tee times for members, residents, renters whose house includes the membership, and the guests of the Four Seasons and the St. Regis. The St. Regis says its guests have access to both; the Four Seasons says both are open all season.
Pacífico
More than 7,000 yards, plus hole 3B, the Tail of the Whale: an optional par 3 to a green on a rock in the sea, in the resort’s words “the world’s only natural ocean island green”.
Bahía
Eighteen holes, from 5,180 to 7,035 yards depending on the tees.
By the sea
By the resort’s count, seven of Pacífico’s holes face or run beside the Pacific, and Bahía has five with ocean views.
Higuera Golf Club, outside the gates
Formerly Litibú Golf Club, at Higuera Blanca, about 10 km from Punta de Mita. The club books tee times through its own site, and Casa Akama’s listing includes the course in the house’s golf membership.
The courses hole by hole: our Punta Mita golf guide.
The Jazz Festival’s stage on the beach, at an earlier edition.
Photo: Punta Mita resortJazz at Pacífico, and the season’s dinners
The resort and the hotels hold their biggest nights between November and New Year. Most need a reservation; an advisor can make it.
The Punta Mita International Jazz Festival
The fourth edition, on the beach club’s stage
- Fri 6:30 pm · Marion Meadows
- Fri 7:15 pm · the Rahn Brothers
- Fri 8 pm · the Eliane Elias Quartet
- Sat 6:30 pm · Jessy J
- Sat 7:15 pm · Chris Walker and Rebecca Jade
- Sat 8 pm · BPM: Bromberg, Brown, Paulo
Eliane Elias plays with Marc Johnson, Rafael Barata and Leandro Pellegrino; the house band is Tom Zink, Roberto Vally, Tony Pulizzi and Joel Taylor. A ticket covers every performance that night, dinner and the open bar. The festival publishes rates for members and for non-members, so you need not be a member to go; book on the festival’s page. Part of the proceeds goes to Fundación DINE Punta Mita.
Saturday’s closing set
Brian Bromberg, Paul Brown and Michael Paulo close the festival. This year, in the organizer’s words, “the celebration extends beyond the stage and onto the fairways.”
The Festival Gourmet, in the village and at Kupuri
Thursday from 6 pm, the Gourmet Safari on Avenida El Anclote: Hoja Santa, Zicatela and Tuna Blanca. Friday from 5 pm, Mesas Marinas at Kupuri Beach Club: nine tables of sixteen, each with a chef from Baja, a chef from Nayarit and a Baja winery. Tickets are sold per night in the festival’s own shop; for Kupuri, ask how guests from outside pass the gate.
The hotels’ festive season
Thanksgiving on the St. Regis’s Marietas Lawn, Christmas Eve on the Four Seasons’ Cuevas Beach, and New Year’s Eve at both hotels and, outside the gates, at the Conrad. Neither hotel says whether non-guests may book; an advisor can ask.
The village, and the coast beyond it
The resort describes its neighbor plainly: “Just outside the gates … lies a quaint town, whose daily life seems to follow the rhythms of the tides.” Fishermen, beachfront restaurants, a promenade for the evening, surf schools and dive guides. Beyond it, the coast runs north to Litibú, Sayulita and San Pancho.
El Anclote
The cooperative’s pangas, the fish market and the promenade, with the restaurants along the sand; the boats for the Marietas and, in season, the whales go from here.
The village
The town the St. Regis lists first among its local attractions, with its fish market, El Anclote and the beach of Punta de Mita.
Litibú and Careyeros
Two kilometers of beach at Litibú, with Careyeros and Punta Negra beside it, and the Greg Norman golf course at Higuera Blanca.
Sayulita and San Pancho
Sayulita’s surf, streets and shops, and five kilometers further, San Pancho, the board’s “cultural capital” of the Riviera Nayarit, home of La Patrona polo club.
Who can do what
Everything above, by where it is and who the organizers say may go. “Inside” means behind the Punta Mita gates.
| What | Where | Who can go |
|---|---|---|
| Whale watching, 8 Dec–23 Mar | At sea, from El Anclote, Bucerías, Nuevo Vallarta or Sayulita | Anyone, with a permitted operator; the hotels sell their own trips |
| The Islas Marietas | At sea, 4.85 nautical miles off Punta de Mita | Anyone, with a CONANP-permitted operator |
| Surf in the village, at La Lancha and Veneros | Outside the gates | Anyone |
| Pacífico, Kupuri, Sufi, El Surf Club | Inside the gates | Property owners and their guests, and renters whose house includes the membership |
| Sea Breeze | Inside, at the St. Regis | St. Regis guests; Club members, subject to capacity; a day pass sold by the hotel |
| Pacífico and Bahía courses | Inside the gates | Members, residents, renters whose house includes the membership, and Four Seasons and St. Regis guests |
| Higuera Golf Club, formerly Litibú Golf Club | Outside, at Higuera Blanca | Tee times through the club’s own site; Casa Akama’s membership includes it |
| Sayulita, San Pancho, Litibú | Outside the gates | Anyone |
| The Jazz Festival, 13–14 Nov | Inside, at Pacífico Beach Club | Anyone with a ticket; rates for members and non-members |
| Gourmet Safari, 19 Nov | Outside, Avenida El Anclote | Anyone with a ticket |
| Mesas Marinas, 20 Nov | Inside, at Kupuri Beach Club | Anyone with a ticket; gate access for outside guests not stated |
| The hotels’ festive dinners, Nov–Jan | Inside; the Conrad outside | By reservation; whether non-guests may book is not stated |
What is opening
Omni Pontoque
A new resort on Punta Pontoque, outside the gates, expects its first guests on 2 March 2027: 246 keys, five places to eat, five pools, a spa and boat charters to the Marietas.
Montage and Pendry
Both broke ground inside the gates in March 2025 and are “set to open in 2027”. Pendry’s 32 residences will overlook the surf at La Lancha.
At the Four Seasons
Sun & Seed, by the chef Leslie Durso, replaces the Salad Shack on Manzanillas Beach, “newly open in time for the festive season”; the Spice Coast residency runs at Tamai from 14 to 30 December.
Three houses for the winter
Two inside the gates, whose listings include the resort membership, and one outside on the bay, for a week built around the village, the boats and the surf.
Casa Akama
Nine bedrooms for up to twenty guests on the beach in Ranchos, with a heated infinity pool and a hot tub looking over Bahía de Banderas to the Marietas, lawns running down to the sand and a big palapa for the evenings.
A chef and a culinary team cook three meals a day, with a house manager and a staff of ten. The stay includes a six-seat golf cart and the Premier Golf Membership: both Nicklaus courses, the Greg Norman course at Higuera Blanca, and the beach clubs, Pacífico, Sufi, Kupuri, El Surf Club and Sea Breeze. El Surf Club is five minutes away by cart.
Casa Entre Rocas
Seven bedrooms for up to sixteen near the tip of the peninsula, looking over the Marietas and the bay; the listing calls it one of the stronger sunset and whale-watching positions in the resort, and its fire pits are “whale-watching fire pits”. The beach below is shared with the St. Regis.
A chef, a house manager, daily housekeeping and a 24-hour concierge are included, with two golf carts, electric bikes and surfboards, and a chauffeur for the round trip from the airport. The resort membership opens all five beach clubs and both Nicklaus courses; green fees are extra.
Casa Eterna
Four bedrooms for ten on a private stretch of beach at Punta del Burro, with an infinity pool, a lounge on the sand and a pizza-oven terrace. By the listing, the village is five minutes away by car and El Anclote ten.
A chef cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner (the food is extra), with daily housekeeping and a personal concierge. The house is outside the gates, so the resort’s beach clubs and courses are not part of the stay; the village, the boats and Sayulita, twenty minutes by car, are.
How far from each house
| House | Main gate | El Anclote boats | Islas Marietas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Akama | about 1.5 km | about 2 km | about 11 km |
| Casa Entre Rocas | about 3.5 km | about 2 km | about 8.5 km |
| Casa Eterna | about 7 km | about 8 km | about 14.5 km |
Straight lines, rounded to the nearest half kilometer, not road distances; the main gate is where the resort’s own map marks it. The listings give their own times: Casa Akama 45 minutes to the airport, Casa Entre Rocas 50, Casa Eterna 40.
Before you go
When is whale season in Punta Mita?
SEMARNAT sets the dates each year in the Diario Oficial under NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010. Its notice of 30 October 2026 sets Bahía de Banderas, the municipality Punta Mita belongs to, at 8 December 2026 to 23 March 2027, the same dates as last season. The municipality says the whales visit the bay from November to April, but tours may only run inside the official dates.
Where do the whale boats leave from, and what are the rules?
From the fishermen’s cooperative on the beach at El Anclote, in the village of Punta de Mita; the tourism board also lists Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías and Sayulita, and the hotels run their own trips. No watching in a 2 km-wide strip of coast “from Punta Mita to the mouth of the Río Ameca” or within 1.5 km of the Marietas, no more than four boats around a whale, 30 minutes at most, and 60 to 80 meters off depending on the boat.
Can you visit the Marietas in winter, and the hidden beach?
Yes, with an operator CONANP has permitted. The park is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8 am to 6 pm, and Playa del Amor Wednesday to Sunday, 8 am to 5 pm, for 116 people a day, 30 minutes each, with a helmet and a life vest and no fins. CONANP charges a daily park fee, set out on its own page. Punta de Mita is the shortest crossing, 4.85 nautical miles.
Can a visitor use the Punta Mita beach clubs?
Pacífico, Kupuri, Sufi and El Surf Club are for Club Punta Mita’s property owners and their guests, and renters whose house includes the membership; there is no public ticket. Sea Breeze is the St. Regis’s own club, used by its guests, and the St. Regis sells a day pass to Sea Breeze and its Sakana pool.
Who can play the Pacífico and Bahía courses?
Members, residents, renters whose house includes the membership, and guests of the Four Seasons and the St. Regis; tee times are kept for them. Outside the gates, Higuera Golf Club, formerly Litibú Golf Club, is a Greg Norman course at Higuera Blanca that books tee times through its own site; Casa Akama’s listing includes it in the house’s golf membership.
What is on in Punta Mita this winter?
The Punta Mita International Jazz Festival on 13 and 14 November at Pacífico Beach Club, the Festival Gourmet’s Gourmet Safari on Avenida El Anclote on 19 November and Mesas Marinas at Kupuri on 20 November, the hotels’ Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year programs, including the Four Seasons’ Midnight Tides on 31 December, and the fiestas of Nuestra Señora de la Paz in Bucerías, by tradition from 16 to 24 January.
Is the surf good in winter, and where?
December to April is the north-swell season on this coast, by the tourism board’s account. In the village of Punta de Mita, the break off El Anclote that the resort’s own map marks; La Lancha, a reef break ten minutes by car from the W; and Playa Veneros at the W itself, with lessons from the surf schools in the village and the hotels’ surf vendors.
Sources
Diario Oficial de la Federación: SEMARNAT’s notice of the 2026–2027 whale-watching season, 30 October 2026
NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010, the whale-watching standard
CONANP: Parque Nacional Islas Marietas, the park page and the reopening of Playa del Amor
Bahía de Banderas municipality: whale watching, Punta de Mita, the Islas Marietas, golf courses
Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau: whale watching, Punta de Mita, Sayulita, San Pancho, Litibú and Higuera Blanca, golf courses
Higuera Golf Club
Punta Mita: the Jazz Festival, the experience page, discover; Club Punta Mita, beach clubs
The hotels: Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, the festive season, The St. Regis Punta Mita, experiences, holidays, W Punta de Mita, Conrad Punta de Mita, festive
Openings: Omni Pontoque, Montage Punta Mita, Pendry Punta Mita
Photos
Whales: Turismo Bahía de Banderas and the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau, taken in Bahía de Banderas. The Marietas: CONANP and the Riviera Nayarit bureau. The peninsula, beach clubs, golf and the Jazz Festival: Club Punta Mita, the Punta Mita resort, The St. Regis Punta Mita and the festival. House photos: courtesy of Casa Akama, Casa Entre Rocas and Casa Eterna.
A house for the winter
Tell us which weeks you have in mind and which of these you want to do; an advisor will tell you which houses open which doors.
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Casa Tres Soles
A cliffside estate in El Banco where eighteen can sleep under one roof and a hundred can raise a glass at sunset. A practical guide to the spaces, the staff, the event policy, and the logistics of a multi-day wedding on Punta de Mita's Pacific coast.
