Village San Blas, Nayarit Municipality of San Blas Banderas Bay Riviera Nayarit
An inland village of about 1,200 people two kilometers behind Aticama, on the bus route to Playa Los Cocos south of San Blas.
From Tepic: 40 min by car (48 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near La Palma
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Tours to La Palma
Day trips and guided outings from San Blas often include La Palma; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
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How to get to La Palma
- From Tepic: about 40 min by road (~48 km)
- Nearest airport: Tepic (TPQ), 1 h 5 min by car to San Blas
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Tours from Sayulita, near La Palma
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About La Palma
La Palma is a village in the municipality of San Blas, set about two kilometers inland from Aticama and the southern shore of Matanchén Bay, at around 40 meters above sea level. The port of San Blas is roughly 12 kilometers to the northwest, the stony beach of Playa Los Cocos about three kilometers away, and the larger village of Mecatán about eight kilometers off.
It is an ordinary working village rather than a tourist stop. The 2020 census counted 1,222 people in 388 occupied homes, up from barely a hundred in 1900 and about a thousand by 1970. Roughly half of those over twelve work, and the village has its own ejido hall, a kindergarten, two schools and a telebachillerato. The tropical fruit country around San Blas reaches it too: there is a mango packing plant in La Palma. Small seafood stalls, cenadurías, taquerías and roast-chicken stands make up the local food scene.
For visitors, La Palma is mostly a place you pass through. Some of the second-class buses that run from San Blas to Playa Los Cocos detour through the village, and it makes a handy back way between the oyster restaurants of Aticama and the beaches farther south toward Santa Cruz de Miramar. As everywhere on this coast, the jejenes, tiny biting gnats, come out in the afternoon, so carry repellent.
How to get to La Palma
Drive from Tepic: 40 min, 48 km
La Palma is about 17 km from San Blas by road, some 25 minutes by car, close to Aticama on the way south past Matanchén toward Santa Cruz de Miramar. Some second-class buses from San Blas to Playa Los Cocos detour through the village.
Directions to La Palma on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to La Palma
- Tepic · 48 km by road, 40 min
- Puerto Vallarta · 157 km by road, 2 h 20 min
- Guadalajara · 252 km by road, 3 h 10 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to La Palma: hours, prices and tips
- What to bring
- Bring sunscreen and insect repellent: the San Blas area has jejenes, tiny biting gnats. Visit Nayarit · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting La Palma: what to see and do
Eat oysters and seafood on the waterfront promenade of Aticama, two kilometers away.
Spend an afternoon on the stony beach of Playa Los Cocos, about three kilometers from the village.
Try the local cenadurías and taquerías for an inexpensive dinner.
Take a boat through the mangroves of La Tovara, on the way back toward San Blas.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in La Palma
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around La Palma.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from San Blas often include La Palma; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at TPQ (Tepic): about 1 h 5 min by road to San Blas, then 12 km more to La Palma, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tepic (TPQ), about 1 h 5 min by road from San Blas, the base for La Palma.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from San Blas: download a map of the way to La Palma before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to La Palma warm
La Palma shares the climate of San Blas, 12 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of San Blas
Weather in La Palma now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: San Blas
San Blas is the Pueblo Mágico closest to La Palma, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Compostela · Nayarit · 40 km away
- Mexcaltitán · Nayarit · 55 km away
- Sayulita · Nayarit · 74 km away
Closest to La Palma
-
Aticama · Town · 2 km away
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La Bajada · Village · 2 km away
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La Tovara · Nature reserve · 7 km away
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Santa Cruz de Miramar · Town · 7 km away
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Bahía de Matanchén · Beach · 8 km away
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El Llano · Village · 8 km away
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Jolotemba · Village · 11 km away
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La Libertad · Village · 11 km away
Near La Palma
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.