The closest town of any consequence north of Puerto Vallarta, it offers a great opportunity to check out a much smaller Mexican pueblo with a lot less traffic. Draws include what is by far the longest beach on the bay, excellent eateries of all descriptions, including dozens of funky palapa restaurants right on the beach and the home of a French chef, a lively main square, art galleries, an open-air flea market and an old-fashioned festive feel — some of the reasons why the expatriate community is growing in "The Place of the Divers." Known for freshly shucked, giant oysters and other sublime seafood, there's a diversity of cuisines available, vegetarian and gourmet international among them. The shallow shoreline appeals to families, tentative swimmers, and shell collectors, everyone enjoying lots of space to do their thing. And the constant breeze here appeals to everyone. Sundays are busier than usual, folks from Puerto Vallarta and elsewhere spending the day on the beach, enjoying cold beer and fresh shrimp before heading home at dusk.

• 12 miles north of the airport
• Reached by public bus, private car or taxi
• Getting your bearings is easy. Hwy 200 cuts through town, but the places of interest — a fabulous bakery a notable exception — are on the ocean side of it, where a handful of streets run parallel to the beach for about two miles.