Barra de Navidad

Marina in Barra de Navidad

Barra de Navidad was once a small farming and fishing community on the east end of the Bahía de Navidad in Jalisco that has become a magnet for upscale seaside residences. It is home to about 7,000 people.

Get in

Barra is about an hour's drive north from Manzanillo on a good road.

Get around

Barra de Navidad is such a small town that you can walk all of it in a couple of minutes, or you can get a cab if you don't feel like walking.

See

In Barra de Navidad, the commonest place to walk is the Malecon. The government have renovated it. You will have great views of the bay and the lagoon. You can also walk along the beach around the bay.

Do

Surfing The beach is good for beginners and more advanced surfers alike. It is steeper than at Sayulita, so you have to paddle pretty hard to get out instead of walking, but the waves are rather small and easy to get on. There are several professional surf shops close to the beach.

Buy

There are several small shops selling souvenirs and clothing, especially in the main streets.

Eat

Try the Pipi Burritos located on the main street. They are almost always full, so you may have to wait some time, but it's worth it. You can grab a beer while you are at it.

Also on the main street try La Palapita Steakhouse for the best steaks and hamburgers in town. Finally, La Casa de la Abuela has great breakfasts as does Banana's.

Seamasters/Mexico Lindo is one of the more popular restaurants beachside, serving traditional Mexican fare cooked well and Popeye's makes a great molcajete. Sunset Margaritas at the Hotel Elondra are perfect for photo ops and cost friendly (happy hour 2 for 1 drinks). Just be careful making your way down the long staircase when you're ready to go home!

Sleep

• Villas la Palapa, Sonora #7. Charming boutique hotel with 6 fully equipped villas plus a great pool, terrace, and jacuzzi. On special occasions, large party dinners (40+) can be accommodated on the terrace. 
• Casa Las Margaritas, Veleros #44. Beautiful air-conditioned apartments with large pool and grass tennis court. Just a few blocks from the beach but away from the noise of the downtown centre. Casa Las Margaritas is one of Barra de Navidad's outstanding vacation rental properties 

Budget

• Hotel Caribe, Sonora #15, ☏ +52 3 355-5952. A budget-friendly hotel a block away from the beach close to the tip of the peninsula. It has a terrace and clean simple rooms. You can get a room for five people for a total of about M$450. 

Moderate

• 1 Cabo Blanco, Armada y Puerto de la Navidad s/n, ☏ +52 315 355 6496. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 13:00. Modern hotel in town with full-service marina and large outdoor swimming pool, spacious clean rooms, free wi-fi. M$1350. (updated Sep 2023)

Go next

• Tomatlán
• Manzanillo
• San Patricio - Melaque
• La Manzanilla