Mexican coast playground is truly a (snow)birders’ paradise

Accommodations range from plain to perfectly posh

R iviera Nayarit (it rhymes with sweet) is for the birds, literally.

This 160-kilometre playa-lined playground on Mexico’s north-central coast stretching from Nuevo Vallarta in the south to San Blas in the north draws snowbirds from as far away as Ontario and Quebec.

We even encountered a couple from Manchester, England, who have been making their annual winter migration to this sun-splashed coast for 40 consecutive years.

The newly branded and promoted Nayarit region also lures birders. Along on our trip, sponsored by the Mexican Tourist Board, was Laura Tangley of National Wildlife magazine in Washington, D.C., who thought she had died and gone to an avian heaven.

Tangley counted 33 different species of birds during our two-hour boat safari through the mangrove estuary in La Tovara National Park. The record is 280 species spotted during an eight-hour period during the annual bird-watching festival. The next festival will be held Jan. 19-26. So, birders, mark your calendars.

The park is one of the top bird-watching habitats in North America and we could see why. Around every bend there was a new species to fill the view-finders of our cameras: snowy egrets, kingfishers, black hawks, tiger herons, storks, white ibis and vermilion flycatchers just to whet a birder’s appetite.

As our boat weaved around thick vegetation and past gnarled roots and dangling vines, we also spotted red crabs, iguanas and crocodiles checking us out with their steely eyes.

The estuary covers some 200,000 hectares and has as its headwaters the Sea of Cortes, which Jacques Cousteau called “the world’s aquarium.”

Tovara means sweet water and at its source we were gingerly ushered on land for an encounter of a toothy kind. We came face to ferocious face with some pretty big crocs at a breeding centre for the Jurassic Park throw-backs..

You can even snorkel in the clear spring pool — if you dare.

The late-afternoon boat ride back was nothing if not nerve-wracking.

“What if it gets dark before we get back?” I asked quietly as the sun sank quickly behind the tropical foliage.

“Not to worry,” said Richard Zarkin, our über guide from the Riviera Nayarit Visitors and Convention Bureau. “Our pilot knows his way through the mangroves with his eyes closed!” Yikes!

On the other side of the boating spectrum was our exhilarating catamaran excursion to Las Marietas Island in Banderas Bay, famous for its sightings of humpback whales from December to mid-April.

The party boat from Vallarta Adventures took us to a prime snorkelling and scuba-diving site where we could have our own Captain Nemo experience, surrounded by tropical fish such as the colourful king angels that love to be hand-fed from the boat.

Like San Blas, Marietas also is for the birds — big time.

Bird life abounds on and around this rocky outcrop in the bay. The sky is filled with soaring frigate birds, brown pelicans and cormorants. But what intrigued me the most was the sighting of the blue-footed boobies.

Weren’t they supposed to be found only in the far off Galapagos?

Not so, said our guide. Marietas Island is near the northern extent of the migratory range of the boobies, whose feet are as bright blue as robins’ eggs.

The catamaran came alive on our homebound trip, as tour participants, encouraged by the high-energy staff and inspired by the cranked-up music, partied, boogied and did their best impression of the limbo. How low can you go?

Heading back to shore, we glided past another party boat, this one towering above us.

It was the cruise ship Vision of the Seas, bringing more snow birds to Riviera Nayarit.

One of the first little towns we visited along the golden coast is Bucerias, a fishing village that boasts cobblestone streets, shops, seafood restaurants and beach clubs.

Another town that retains its authentic Mexican charm is the other San Francisco, or San Pancho, as it’s affectionately known. This colourful seaside town is popular with ex-pats, as well as the bronzed, bikinied surfer crowd.

If it’s action you’re looking for, check out Rincon de Guayabitos. High above the town from our vantage point at a hilltop restaurant called the Vista Guayabitos, we could clearly see and hear revellers splashing in the secluded bay, some being pulled in bright, yellow banana boats, others making waves on their personal water craft, while kids boogie-boarded closer to shore.

A bit farther south, Sayulita would make the Beach Boys proud. The seaside town is internationally recognized for its surfing and boasts a thriving bohemian art colony and quaint shops selling everything from clothing and handicrafts to handmade cosmetics and jewelry, some of it made by the native Huichol band.

Accommodations in Riviera Nayarit are as varied as the bird life, from budget digs for the backpacker to high-end resorts that pamper their guests.

Newly opened is the opulent St. Regis Punta Mita, which features suites with butler service, three infinity pools, private cabañas and two Jack Nicklaus signature golf courses. Talk about posh.

We also sampled the Hotel des Artistes, also in Punta de Mita, offering two- and three-bedroom suites. I simply loved the roof-top infinity pool and hot tub with spectacular beachfront views. And world -class chef Thierry Blouet brings a little bit of France to Nayarit.

A change of pace was the hacienda-like Hotel Garza Canela in San Blas. The owners are three sisters, one of whom, Betty Vazquez, is an accomplished chef who dishes up some tasty dishes such as chunky ceviche (citrus-marinated seafood) paired with a crispy Chilean white wine at the hotel’s El Delfin restaurant.

Imagine buying fresh jumbo shrimp right off the boat for $5 a kilo just like Betty does.

The intimate hotel, with its inner courtyard and pretty private chapel, is a bit on the spartan side, but the price is right. What I liked best about it is its central location. Everywhere you want to go in San Blas — the beach, fishing pier, shops and restaurants — is within walking distance.

And a cannon shot away on top of a hill is a reconstructed Spanish colonial fort with its commanding view of San Blas.

And there are remnants of an old church, commissioned by Charles I, king of Spain in 1781. It was from San Blas that the Franciscan friars embarked on their mission of conversion in the Californias.

The welcoming committee at the Garza includes three friendly canine cuties: a daschund, a border collie and a German shepherd.

A fond, lasting image I have of San Blas is that of the three sisters and their three dogs lined up in front of of the hotel to say good-bye to their guests.

Being the birding capital of Nayarit, it’s not surprising that the Hotel Garza is named after a bird. A heron, to be exact.

I told you Nayarit was for the birds.

IF YOU GO

- For more information on Mexico in general, check out www.visitmexico.com.

- For info on Riviera Nayarit in particular, visit www.rivieranayrat.com.

- Check with your travel agents for flights to Puerto Vallarta. The airport is just north of the city and positioned perfectly as a jump-off spot for exploring Riviera Nayarit. My flight was with US Airways via Phoenix.