San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico

San Blas at a Glance

The Port of San Blas was founded in the XVII Century by the Spaniards, and soon became the most important shipyard in the Pacific. From San Blas, the fleet that was to explore Alaska and that evangelized the Californias, sailed out of port. Fray Junipero Serra established seventeen missions in California, thus San Blas becoming the origin of the founders of that State in North America.

The remainings of the ancient Customs House built in the XVIII Century are carefully watched by the uphill Fort of San Basilio, monument brought into existence during the colonial period. From the Fort you will appreciate the panoramic of the bay, protected by the aged cannons over the cliff, silent witnesses of the Independence movement started by Jose Maria Mercado in the region.

"The bells of San Blas", by Henry Longfellow immortalized the bronze bells of the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, "The Sailor Woman", that dates from 1769.

San Blas contribution to the Mexican culture and history doesn't end here. The San Blas Batallion defended the Chapultepec Hill in Mexico City during the American invasion in 1847.

In 1873, by presidential decree, the port was closed to marine commerce.

General Information

San Blas is in the Pacific coast of Mexico, between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.

The impressive view of the tropical landscape when arriving by land is beautified by the plantations of banana, papaya, mango, tobacco, coffee and sugar cane that cover every spot along the way, creating vegetation tunnels that resemble a kaleidoscope.

Less than an hour away from Tepic, State Capital of Nayarit, two hours from Puerto Vallarta, along the coast border; three hours from Guadalajara, second largest City in Mexico, and four hours from Mazatlan, San Blas is as close as your next adventure.

You can arrive by sea in your own vessel, or in a Grand Cruise Ship that drop by from time to time. You can fly into Tepic daily from Mexico City or Tijuana, or decide to drive in from the international airports at Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta or Guadalajara.

From Tepic and Puerto Vallarta, we receive daily 15 buses and send them back again, in an hourly basis.

While your adventure could be totally away from civilization, we regret to tell you we have a bank and an ATM machine in town.

The average temperature during winter is 21ºC (70ºF), while in the summer it averages 30ºC (86ºF). During July and August we get heavy showers at night.

The coastline of San Blas has more than 30 km. of untampered beaches, like El Rey, El Borrego, Las Islitas, Matanchen, Aticama, Miramar, Los Cocos, Santa Cruz, and Platanitos. In all of them you will find small Palapas where regional food is prepared by skilful hands, while land and sea provide the ingredients: fish, shrimp, oysters, banana bread and more.

San Blas is a small fishermen's town of some 10,000 inhabitants mostly dedicated to agriculture, fishing and tourist services. Commercial fishing includes ocean shrimp, river shrimp, farm shrimp, octopus, lobster, stone oyster, "pleasure" oyster, clams and local fish like red snapper, mahi mahi, sea bass and spanish mackerel.