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Costa Majahuas

Costa Majahuas is the largest sub-region of Costalegre but perhaps the most desolate. It is quite flat with numerous large estuaries along the coastline that is made up of practically one long stretch of beach. It begins at Punta Las Penitas and continues southward to the San Nicholas River (also known as the Tomatlán River), where it borders the large estate/resort property of Las Alamandas. Along this coastline there is little to no development.

At the southern end is the new development of Xala, developed by the same group who developed the very prestigious La Mandarin situated north of Puerto Vallarta. Costalegre’s new airport will be situated just behind the development. Xala is a large peninsula of land that has 8 km. of beach on its western border and a very large lagoon along its eastern length, 20 km. in total around its perimeter, totaling 1,268 hectares. The estuary actually meets the beach and is sometimes open to the open ocean. When fully developed Xala will consist of three boutique hotels, residences and condos with amenities such as spas, beach clubs, a hacienda, as well as an agricultural component. It is based around a “Hacienda Lifestyle by the Sea” with the master plan designed to incorporate the social and cultural elements of the region including a town “Pueblo” and an incorporated fisherman’s village. Homesites are currently available for purchase and already a few homes are under construction.

Cajon de Peñas is a large fresh water reservoir situated further inland from Majahuas, where the development of Xeneques is situated. Xeneques is an ecological / touristic development strives to ensure the preservation of the environment for region.

Cabo Corrientes

Cabo Corrientes, as a sub-region of Costalegre, serves as the southernmost point of Banderas Bay and as well as the entrance into Costalegre from the north. It is quite mountainous, covered for the most part with lush tropical forest along a rugged coastline, interspersed with small white-sand beaches, creating a stark contrast to the almost desert-like geography at Punta Mita on the opposite side of the bay. Within the bay, Cabo Corrientes’ shoreline features a few small fishing villages or beach destinations such as Yelapa, Las Ánimas, Quimixto, and Chimo. Its outer shoreline is even more desolate with just a couple of seaside settlements such as Mayto, Aquiles Serdan, and Tehuamixtle. There is one inland town, El Tuito, which meets up with the coastal highway that cuts across the point and provides access to Costalgre from Puerto Vallarta. El Tuito, 40 km. (25 miles south of Vallarta, is the municipal head of Cabo Corrientes, has roughly 3,000 inhabitants, and is the oldest population of the municipality.

Mayto is a small coastal town with little in the way of real estate tourism development. What is available should be confirmed whether it has been regularlized or is ejido. But the views and the beaches! Tehuamixtle is close by and is even smaller with even less chance of development. As the coast runs south it becomes flatter and more sparse, and there are some tracts of land, small ejido lots that have been bought and sold over the years but not much has been built. But if you really want to get away from it all, live life on a spectacular beach and don’t mind dealing with “grey areas” regarding zoning, title and such, this may be the place.

Costalegre

South of Puerto Vallarta, but still within the state of Jalisco, running from the southern tip of Banderas Bay (Cabo Corrientes) southeasterly to Barra de Navidad (and to Jalisco’s border with the state of Colima), lies a spectacular coastline that, for the most part, has largely avoided major development. It consists of just a few small beachside towns scattered along its coastline, interspersed by a number of very high-end, quite private, luxury low-density resort destinations.

Costalegre begins with the coastal mountain peaks at the point of Cabo Corrientes, which is lavishly covered in tropical forest, that drops quite precipitously to a rocky coastline interspersed with small coves and picturesque beaches. As the terrain slopes downward and southward it becomes flatter and dryer, more arid, nearly dessert-like. This continues on for miles, nothing but beach and saltwater lagoons, with just a few outbreaks of rock until reaching Chamela where the coast once again becomes rugged and the foliage more lush, extending right down to Barra de Navidad, the southern border of Costalegre.

One thing all visitors to Costalegre will soon discover is that there isn’t a lot going on here, but that’s exactly what makes it special.

There are very few towns along this coastline, most, such as Barra, La Manzanilla, Melaque, Pérula or Tenacatita, are just very small seaside, fishing villages. Barra de Navidad, the largest, has only about 10,000 residents. The rest are much smaller.

There are also a number of three star hotel resorts, usually all-inclusive, remotely located, all by themselves, to offer that stranded-on-a-desert-island type impression to its guests. And then the mark jumps up to five-star plus hotel resorts, such as the Four Seasons Tamarindo, Cuixmala, the Careyes Hotel, Las Alamandas and the much larger Grand Isla Navidad, that offer exceptional experiences for an exceptional price. There really isn’t much in between.

The same goes for real estate. There’s low-end real estate opportunities in some of these small towns, and then there’s very upscale, luxurious estate properties within very private communities, with again, little in between.

“Low-density” is key when describing any of the real estate projects that can be found along this coastline. Added to that should be “low-key”, as these projects, for the most part, are not open to letting just anyone know about what they have to offer. It is more like a private club where it can be difficult to find out what it entails and how you can become a part of it. That, to a great extent, is part of the beauty of Costalegre. And the very large landowners in this region are doing what they can to ensure it remains that way. They’ve established urban plans that involve very low-density development, protecting the ecology and natural environment.

Costalegre is typically broken down into six sub-regions, which, starting from the north, are Cabo Corrientes, Costa Majahuas, Chamela, Costa Careyes, Tenacatita, and Barra de Navidad.

Costalegre Infrastructure

Costalegre encompasses nearly 200 km of coastline. There are, however, portions of it that are not conducive to development. About 50 km consist mostly of estuaries and flat, arid land mostly used for farming. Another 40 km are privately owned, with owners who seem to have little or no intention of selling or developing, at least not anytime soon.

The two closest airports are in Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, however, a new international airport in Chamela is slated to be ready in 2024, capable of receiving aircraft with up to 170 passengers. The only marina along this coastline is located in Barra de Navidad within the development of Isla Navidad.

Plans are also in place and work has been underway for some time now to improve the existing highway system. The first step was widening the stretch of highway from Boca de Tomatlan to El Tuito, the most difficult part of the whole Costalegre highway as it winds south of Vallarta through the mountains to the coastal plains. Work has been on and off over the years, but when completed it would cut at least a half hour of driving time to principal destinations in Costalegre.

A second phase involves improving and widening the highway from La Huerta to Melaque, which would provide faster access from Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, cutting access time to about three or three and a half hours for most destinations in Costalegre. Two other highway projects involve the roads to Cabo Corrientes and Tehuamixtle out of El Tuito, improving the existing roads that wind through the mountains to the coastline, which will not be easy to do or inexpensive.

Costalegre Real Estate Options

Along the coastline of Costalegre real estate seems to be situated either at the low end or the very high end, with not a lot in between. Lower-to-moderately priced properties can be found primarily in Barra de Navidad Costalegre’s largest coastal community, Melaque, and La Manzanilla, where there are good-size expat communities, primarily American and Canadian, living either full or part-time.

As the government has been working on infrastructure and better access, real estate development is underway — at differing stages by a few “players” in the region. There are six to eight of them with parcels of around 1,000 hectares along Costalegre. (To put that in perspective, Punta Mita, probably the most well-known mega-development near Vallarta, has 600 hectares.) These owners dominate the region and have considerable influence regarding the region’s development. There are then probably another 5-10 smaller players with 200 to 500 hectares, interspersed with ejidatario communities along this whole coastline.

The high-end properties that are currently available for purchase reside are primarily in Careyes, Tamarindo, and Las Rosadas in Chamela, with new projects under development such as Xala in Costa Majahuas. Isla Navidad has been offering real estate opportunities for many years that range from mid- to high-priced properties.

Large tracts of land are becoming available, and a few large investment groups are establishing master development proposals involving small boutique hotels and low-density homes, home sites and condominium opportunities with common amenities such as golf and marinas — but more are just providing the natural environment with its estuaries, rolling sand dunes and incredible beaches just as they are.

Matanchen Bay

Matanchén as a region includes the bay and a small town with its namesake, and as well the larger community of San Blas. It is known for its exceptionally long surf break. Las Islitas, one of the villages and surfing spots on Matanchén Bay, is documented by the Guinness Book of World Records as having the “World’s Longest Surfable Wave” at 5,700 feet (1,700 m). Real estate is limited mostly to San Blas, consisting of single family homes along the beach, and acreage and to Chacala.

The oceanfront community of Chacala has become quite popular recently, for both tourism and real estate. On the north end of Chacala is the Chacala Marina, which is a private gated community with homes situated around the point and in behind and overlooking the marina.

Guayabitos

Guayabitos is a popular beachfront vacation destination for many middle-class Mexican families who flock to the area throughout the year, especially during Semana Santa, México’s Spring Break equivalent. By the same token, an increasing number of budget-conscious tourists from Canada and the United States are including Guayabitos in their “must-visit” lists as they explore Puerto Vallarta and surroundings.

Guayabitos is actually made up of three towns: Rincón de Guayabitos, La Penita de Jaltemba and Los Ayala. Guayabitos and its northerly neighbor La Penita have somewhat merged together creating one large community that’s situated in front of the long, sandy beach of Jaltemba Bay. At the southern end of Guayabitos a rocky outcrop separates it from the smaller town of Los Ayala, which is set inside another smaller bay.

Living here reflects a beach lifestyle. Things work at a slower pace and life usually revolves around what is taking place at the beach, whether that’s swimming and sunbathing, or enjoying happy hour.

Guayabitos real estate opportunities involve mostly small condominium projects along the beach and some in town, with single family homes for sale at reasonable prices. Most owners are primarily from Guadalajara, although there is a strong Canadian community, for those that like to be away from the larger towns and something more “authentically” Mexican. Some beachfront homes are available at the southern end of Los Ayala.

North of Guayabitos is the gated real estate development of Costa Canuva, which, when built out it will consist of 2,500 home sites, (homes and condominiums) along with five hotels and a golf course.

For those looking for something more upscale (and certainly pricier), there’s Mandarina, situated just south of Guayabitos. Built around the One&Only Mandarina hotel are 55 villas perched on a mountainside, nestled into the lush tropical jungle.

Lo de Marcos

The small beachfront town of Lo de Marcos is located north of San Francisco (San Pancho), and a few kilometers before the larger regional community of Guayabitos. It is a favorite of budget American/Canadian travelers, or those who like something a little more rural and “Mexican” than larger resort towns like Vallarta. Life revolves around the beach, with people getting around in golf carts, ATVs and bicycle.

In the heart of the town is a new, large plaza centered with a gazebo, a favorite place for families to gather in the evenings. There are numerous restaurants, both in town and along the beach. The protected waters are usually calm making swimming and ocean activities popular.

Real estate tourism development has not reached Lo de Marcos, at least to a large, more sophisticated degree. Beachfront homes are available, as well as inside the town, and recently there has been some new condominium development taking place. One has to be careful as to what is available, whether title is available or it is ejido property.

San Pancho

Not to be confused with its California counterpart, San Francisco —or San Pancho as it is most commonly known— is much more low key than nearby Sayulita, at least at first glance. And yet, with its art galleries, restaurants, artists and writers collectives and environmental organizations, not to mention annual music and art festivals, it encourages short or long-term visitors, national and international, to get as involved with the community as they choose.

It takes a leisurely 20-minute stroll to cover the town from Carr. 200 North to the beach along its main street. Along the way, an increasing number of restaurants, shops and galleries can be found, along with the town’s community centers, built in abandoned warehouses which have been recently reclaimed. Golf carts seem to be the preferred mode of transportation, however, as they are ideal for running errands about town.

San Pancho’s beach is sandy and wide, encouraging long sunset walks from point to point, and its waves are better suited for surfing than swimming. Aside for its laid back vibe, the town’s main asset is its burgeoning art scene. An annual international music festival, visual arts and theater summits, even a circus school for children, are but a few of its perks.

The beachside town has a really friendly vibe conducive to spontaneous chats, which is just one of the reasons down-to earth expatriates are moving there and Vallarta locals love to spend the weekend. Still very much a small town with a funky local flavor, its main street is really fun to check out, the best of the Old World without sacrificing today’s benefits, like the perfect latté. And then there’s its untamed natural beauty, with long stretches of pristine sandy seaside and lush jungle to explore. Surfers are attracted to the area’s best waves and the restaurant scene is surprisingly fantastic and diverse.

It is no surprise that San Pancho is considered the “cultural capital” of the state of Nayarit by many. San Pancho features several annual events, such as the San Pancho Music Festival, and the Artist Collective annual exhibition that usually takes place at the end of December. There is also a very active writers’ group, a birding group, a marine turtle preservation group and Hojanay, an environmental group devoted to the preservation of the jaguar and its habitat. All of these and several other organizations provide visitors and residents many opportunities to get involved through hands-on volunteering activities.

San Pancho’s environmental pursuits go hand in hand with the town’s culinary offerings. Basic eateries abound, with a couple choice restaurants that feature a more sophisticated or organic feel to their menus, and a few that feature live music during the evenings. During Winter and Spring months, several businesses located along Ave. Tercer Mundo, organize an Art Walk on Friday evenings, an excellent way to become acquainted with the town’s offerings.

Getting to San Pancho

San Pancho, Nayarit is located less than an hour north of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco along Carr. 200 North, and only five minutes past Sayulita, another popular beach town. The exit to San Pancho is clearly marked on the highway, and most of its attractions are located on, or within walking distance to Tercer Mundo Avenue, its main thruway, that runs from the highway to the beach. A leisurely stroll from the highway to the beach along Tercer Mundo will take you less than 30 minutes.

Polo

San Pancho is home to La Patrona Polo Club one of only two polo fields in the region, the other one located in Costalegre. La Patrona features seasonal polo matches that attract national and international athletes, along with training and practice. Exhibition matches take place every Saturday during Winter and Spring months, providing an excellent social and recreational opportunity for the town’s resident and visitors.

San Pancho Beaches

San Pancho beach is so wide and peaceful it is virtually impossible for it to appear crowded at all. It stretches for several miles and its powdery sand is favored by beach joggers. Better suited for surfing than swimming, the beach features several eateries with public facilities right in the center of the beach.

Neighborhoods & Neighboring Regions

Most of the activity in San Pancho, Nayarit takes place in or near Tercer Mundo Avenue. North of town, a residential neighborhood features beautiful oceanfront homes and hillside properties, along with a few hotels. Given the short distance between Sayulita (five minutes south) and San Pancho, it is possible to explore and discover both destinations on a single trip.

San Pancho Real Estate Options

San Pancho real estate opportunities have traditionally been limited to single family homes built in the town or on the hillside to the north of San Pancho. New developments now offer townhouses and gated communities, with a few small condominium projects for sale as well. Originally built as a model for Third World development by a former president with aspirations to a UN post, Luis Echeverria (1970-1976), its infrastructure is solid and well thought out, the hospital he built a central focus of village life to this day. Nothing much changed in this mango processing town until a few years ago, when there was a sudden a boom in real estate development as visitors discovered the town’s many pleasures, several projects now taking shape.

Sayulita

A surfing mecca of international renown, the shoreline of this picturesque fishing village is dotted with coves and beaches where surfers do their thing alongside day trippers from Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. Riding the gentle breakers to shore, most of the action happens of the main town beach, with lessons and board rentals readily available. Those looking for privacy will likely find it in one of the area’s small coves, each conveying the sense it is yours alone. There are palapa restaurants on the beach and inexpensive comida corrida-type spots, as well as gourmet food available, if that’s what you’re in the mood for after a day of swimming and sunning. A funky fishing village that feels a lot like Puerto Vallarta did a few decades ago, Sayulita, Nayarit, is still small town Mexico, its appealing town square the heart and soul of the place. But it is definitely becoming more popular with gringos, which has done nothing to tarnish its dramatic wild beauty, but new shops and other business are lending a more trendy feel to the place year by year.

Given its earthy feel and it’s appeal among younger crowds, it might be easy to dismiss Sayulita as a party town. But with the vast majority of its residents committed to healthy living (through surfing, yoga, organic products and such) it’s not unusual for its nightlife to dwindle shortly after midnight.

Sayulita is definitely becoming more popular with tourists, national and foreign, which has done nothing to tarnish its dramatic wild beauty, but new shops and other business are lending a more trendy feel to the place year by year.

Getting to Sayulita

Sayulita, Nayarit, is located less than 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, along Carr. 200 Norte. The exit on the highway is clearly marked. People traveling from Punta de Mita and surrounding communities can also take the direct route to Sayulita through Litibú. And if you are visiting Sayulita just for the day, driving the “North Shore Loop” is highly recommended, as it will allow you to take in several communities at once.

Neighborhoods & Neighboring Regions

Most of the action in Sayulita takes place in and around the town’s main plaza, which is located two small blocks away from the beach. Surrounding the plaza, a radius of several blocks features a variety of shops selling everything, from traditional Mexican artifacts to surfing gear. Sayulita, Nayarit, is home to a large number of jewelers who craft wristbands, earring and other accessories by hand, frequently incorporating natural elements into their design.

A small stream divides the town in two, the north end being more residential. Beautiful homes and condos located on the hillside and beachfront offer spectacular views of Sayulita bay. Unless you are staying high up on the hills, it’s easy to walk to the main plaza, even crossing the river on foot, except during the rain season, when the pedestrian or vehicular bridges are a better option.

Five minutes north of Sayulita along Carr. 200 Norte lies San Pancho, an equally delightful small oceanfront town in Riveira Nayarit. Heading south from Sayulita, it takes about 10 minutes to reach Punta de Mita through Litibú, and about 12 minutes to reach Bucerías along the main highway.

Sayulita Beaches

Sayulita’s main beach has all the amenities you might need to spend a day worshipping the sun or the waves. There are palapa restaurants on the beach and inexpensive comida corrida-type spots, as well as gourmet food available, if that’s what you’re in the mood for after a day of swimming and sunning. The surf is moderate most of the times, making it ideal for swimming. And those looking to get their feet wet, pun intended, will find the surf ideal for learning how to surf.

A short walk heading south along the beach and over a small hill (past the town cemetery) takes you to Los Muertos, a smaller, more tranquil beach ideal for families with small children, or those looking for a more secluded hideaway.

Sayulita Real Estate Options

Most of the available Sayulita real estate is for single family homes for sale; there is not much in the way of condominiums. To find out what real estate is for sale, you practically have to visit all the real estate agencies there, as most homeowners and agencies do not use the regional MLS to a great extent, they just let the agencies know they want to sell There are properties in the MLS, but there are certainly more for sale than are currently showing. Homes are mostly in the low-to-mid level price range, except for the new Punta Sayulita development, which offers luxurious homes on the point overlooking Sayulita.

Litibu

Until recently, Nayarit’s Litibu project remained a dream on paper with a lot of dirt being pushed around. With President Vicente Fox’s visit, attention immediately moved CIP (Centro Integralmente Planeado, or comprehensive planned center) to the front page. From what was actually part of a long-range development project by investors and the government of Nayarit, Litibu got the green light.

With an investment of around US$50 million, the project includes infrastructure of roads and amenities, and will eventually include schools, hospitals and commercial centers. A total of 14,500 hotel rooms will offer a variety of upscale establishments with five-star and boutique hotels prime among them. Three world-class golf courses will be created by major designers are planned, (one already ready for play by Greg Norman). A proposed marina will provide 150 slips for yachts and sailboats, but it will not likely be built in the foreseeable future.

Litibu Real estate options currently are a couple of projects of condominium for sale, with plans for single family home sub-developments, but nothing is currently available.

There is also, however, real estate opportunities outside of the master development of Litibu, along the beach and hillside to the north. This consists mostly of large beachfront lots with homes, and smaller homes on the hillside behind.

Costa Nayarit

Costa Nayarit begin at the northerly point of Banderas Bay at Punta Mita and follows the coastline northward all the way to San Blas. By road, you can access this coastline by following highway #200 out of Bucerias, or by taking the North Shore route through La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, out to Punta de Mita (#200a) on a mostly double-lane highway. From there, a secondary highway leads to Sayulita before hooking up once again with highway #200.

Opportunities in real estate in Costa Nayarit are for the most part, not for the feint of heart. Owning or living here should be seen as more of an adventure, with twists and turns along the way. The region is a long ways away from city life, for the most part it is rural, interspersed with a few small beach towns. There are a number of larger, master-planned developments here, but for the most part they are in the early stages of development. Highway #200 is not in the best condition, and that is really the only way to get to Costa Nayarit. But a new, four-lane highway is in development stretching from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta and this will certainly improve access to this region.

Along highway #200a, north of Punta Mita, is the new FONATUR planned real estate development of Litibú, which is anchored by an 18-hole golf course by Greg Norman and a spectacular long beach. Regarding real estate opportunities, Litibu currently offers primarily condominium living, with room for single family home expansion in the future. The golf course is complete and open to the public.

Continuing along #200a toward Sayulita, just past Litibú is the small town of Higuera Blanca, with beach access to where a number of homes have been built on or overlooking the beach. Next door is the new development of Imanta, accessible through Higuera Blanca, with a boutique hotel and estate, hillside lots available, built into the rugged hillside.

Sayulita is a funky surf town with low- to mid-range real estate pricing, a surf destination that is becoming a little more stylish and chic as more development opens up. Sayulita has few condominium projects, real estate opportunities for sale are mostly limited to homes built by independent owners. Most recently, Punta Sayulita has been launched, a medium-sized development that offers, for the first time in Sayulita, luxury homes for sale inside a gated community, built on the point on the southerly-side of Sayulita. Highway #200a meets up with the main highway #200 here in Sayulita and continues northward.

Next on the coast is San Pancho (San Francisco), where not only will you find gourmet dining but also polo, beaches, and boutique hotels. San Pancho is perhaps a little more conservative than neighboring Sayulita, a little more of a typical Mexican town —it’s a nice contrast. On the northside of San Pancho, there are some incredible luxury homes built on the cliffs of Costa Nayarit’s spectacular coastline. At the entrance of San Pancho off the highway is the San Pancho cultural center with town homes available built around it.

Further along, the highway and coastline is Lo de Marcos, which (so far) has not experienced the same tourism real estate growth as the others, but it’s most certainly on its way. There are homes situated on the beach and behind on the south side of the town, with new, small condominiums becoming more available in town.

Next is Guayabitos, which is popular with Canadians and people from Guadalajara and is the largest town along Costa Nayarit. It is actually made up of three towns: Los Ayala, Rincon de Guayabitos and La Penita de Jaltemba. Inside the bay of Jaltemba, Guayabitos and La Penita have grown together and there is not much left to actually separate them, both situated on a long sandy beach inside the bay of Guayabitos. Over the hill to the south is the smaller town of Los Ayala, situated in a small picturesque bay that looks out over the uninhabited islands of Isla Coral and Isla Cangrejo. They make up a lively weekend destination for nationals, with some small condo developments but mostly single-family homes. There are both homes and condominiums, low-to-mid priced. To the north and south and north of Guayabitos, however, there are three major mega-developments currently in various stages of progress.

Punta Raza is just south of Los Ayala on a magnificent piece of land with a long spectacular beach. Development here is currently on hold. South of Punta Raza is La Mandarina, situated both on the beach and on a rocky hillside looking out over the ocean. Both feature long stretches of beach with hillside overlooking the Pacific, offering home and condominium development sites. La Mandarina will also feature an 18-hole golf course. Both developments are featured in the photo above – Punta Raza to the left, La Mandarina to the far right.

A further 20 km along highway #200 and about 10 km off the highway to the ocean is Chacala, located within the region known as Costa Tortugas. Situated inside a picturesque small bay, Chacala itself is mostly a beach resort destination tucked into one end of the bay where it lines the beach with hotels and rental bungalows. On the northern point of the bay is a gated community where large single family homes and lots are available, with a new small marina further to the north.

Keep in mind…

Tourism real estate consists mostly of single family homes or small condo developments.
Most real estate opportunities are available in the towns of Sayulita and San Pancho; if you are looking for a small-town environment, these are two great choices.
Oceanfront properties are also available between Punta Mita and San Pancho, although in most cases access is difficult.
Both Sayulita and San Pancho have good, but limited options for dining out.
There are no major shopping centers in the region.
Excellent for those looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the larger communities such as Vallarta or even Bucerias.
An hour away from the international airport in Vallarta.
Golf is available at the Litibú development.