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    Satellite view of Zacualpan, Nayarit

    Photo by EOX IT Services, Copernicus Sentinel data 2016, CC BY 4.0, via EOxCloudless

    Zacualpan

    Town Compostela, Nayarit Municipality of Compostela Banderas Bay Riviera Nayarit

    A farming town north of Las Varas known for its devotion to the Divino Niño, a ten-day Santa Cruz fair and the turtle beach at Chila.

    From Tepic: 1 h 15 min by car (82 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Plan your visit to Zacualpan

    Where to stay near Zacualpan

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Zacualpan.

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    Tours to Zacualpan

    Day trips around Compostela sometimes stop in Zacualpan; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Zacualpan

    • From Tepic: about 1 h 15 min by road (~82 km)
    • Nearest airport: Tepic (TPQ), 33 min by car to Compostela
    Rent a car at TPQ Flights to TPQ

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    About Zacualpan

    Zacualpan is a farming town of 4,887 people (2020 census) in the municipality of Compostela, Nayarit, about 9 km north of Las Varas along state road NAY 16 and a few kilometers back from the sea; the road to the beaches north of Las Varas runs through it. It is a young town: it was founded in the 1920s by the Santana family, who owned much of the land around it, and some of their descendants still live here while others have moved to Tepic or California. Most people farm or work in jobs that support farming.

    The town is best known for its devotion to the Divino Niño, a figure of the Christ child said to be miraculous. On the first Sunday of every month a special mass draws pilgrims from other towns, and in 2022 the parish asked the state congress to help promote the festivity. The patron-saint fair, La Santa Cruz, lasts ten days, from April 24 to May 3, and fills the main square with rides, live music, dances and stalls. Sinaloa-style banda music is the local favorite, with mariachi too, and the food leans to seafood: ceviche, shrimp and pescado zarandeado, along with beef, pork and goat.

    The nearest beach is Chila, about 11 km away, where a turtle camp watches the 8 km of sand between the mouths of the Ixtapa and Chila rivers and by a 2017 count releases about 70,000 hatchlings a season. Las Cuevas beach is about 18 km away. The climate is warm, around 25 degrees on average, with the rains heaviest in August.

    How to get to Zacualpan

    Drive from Tepic: 1 h 15 min, 82 km

    From Las Varas, on Highway 200, take state road NAY 16 north for about 9 km, roughly 10 to 15 minutes, to Zacualpan. Las Varas is about 100 km north of Puerto Vallarta. Chila beach is about 11 km from town, around 15 minutes by car.

    Directions to Zacualpan on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Zacualpan Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Zacualpan. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Zacualpan

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Zacualpan: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    The patron-saint fair of La Santa Cruz runs ten days, April 24 to May 3, with rides, live music and dances in the square. A Divino Niño mass draws pilgrims on the first Sunday of every month. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Zacualpan: what to see and do

    Go to the Divino Niño mass on the first Sunday of the month, when pilgrims come from other towns.
    Visit during the Santa Cruz fair, April 24 to May 3, with rides, music and dances in the plaza.
    Eat pescado zarandeado, ceviche and shrimp in town.
    Drive about 11 km to Chila beach and its sea-turtle camp.
    Combine it with the community museum in Las Varas, 9 km south.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Zacualpan

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Zacualpan.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips around Compostela sometimes stop in Zacualpan; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at TPQ (Tepic): about 33 min by road to Compostela, then 27 km more to Zacualpan, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tepic (TPQ), about 33 min by road from Compostela, the base for Zacualpan.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Compostela: download a map of the way to Zacualpan before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Zacualpan mild

    Zacualpan shares the climate of Compostela, 27 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Compostela

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Compostela

    Stone bell tower of the church of Compostela lit up at night, Nayarit mild
    Nayarit Compostela

    Compostela is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Zacualpan, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Closest to Zacualpan

    Near Zacualpan

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.