Jala is a small town in southern Nayarit at the foot of Ceboruco, one of Mexico's active volcanoes. Its center is dominated by the Basílica Lateranense de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, built in pink, green and yellow quarry stone. Visitors walk the old streets to look at the architecture and then head up the road and trails of the volcano, where lava fields and forest make for an unusual landscape.
History
The name Jala comes from Nahuatl and means place where sand abounds, a fitting description for a town that sits beside the Ceboruco volcano.
The building that defines the town today is the Basílica Lateranense de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, begun in 1856 and notable for its mix of pink, green and yellow quarry stone.
Jala joined the Pueblos Mágicos program in 2012. Since then it has been promoted mainly for nature tourism, pairing walks through its traditional streets with trips up Ceboruco.
Climate mild
Best months to visit: Jan, Mar, Nov, Dec (driest months with comfortable afternoons)
Average daily high and low (°C) and monthly rainfall, 2020–2024.
Plan your trip
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.
Where it is
Jala within Mexico
The town up close · Open in Google Maps
Getting there
- Fly into TPQ: Amado Nervo National Airport, about 55 km away in a straight line
Drive times are estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, without traffic.
Nearby Pueblos Mágicos
7 km away
8 km away
32 km away
51 km away
Sources: population from Wikidata (may count the whole municipality) · elevation and climate from Open-Meteo · airports from OurAirports (straight-line distance).