La Peñita de Jaltemba is a small coastal town on the Riviera Nayarit, and it’s the best of small, authentic Mexico. It’s about an hour’s drive, 75 km (48 miles) north of Puerto Vallarta.
It’s the service hub for the tourist towns of Los Ayala and Rincón de Guayabitos, with a bank, hardware stores, grocery stores, vegetable markets, a library and a post office.
La Avenida is the tree-lined main street that runs from the highway to the ocean. It’s filled with restaurants, small grocery stores and specialty shops, and it’s pure Mexican. Parades and celebrations begin on this avenue.
Every Thursday morning the central tianguis, a travelling market, sets up. You’ll find everything from vegetables to makeup, stove parts to jewelry, plastic ware to handcrafted treasures. Don’t miss it.
And eat at Hinde and Jaime’s Restaurant for the best margarita in Mexico!
Planning a drive to the Riviera Nayarit? Browse more destinations and road-trip reels here on Drive Mexico Magazine.
Have you been to La Peñita? Tell us about it in the comments.
Photography by Bill Bell. Music by Drippeados, Pixabay.