Barra de Navidad

A Small, Laid Back Beach Town On A Sand Spit Between The Pacific And A Lagoon, A Port From Which Spanish Ships Sailed To The Philippines In The 16th Century. Seafood Restaurants On The Lagoon, A Boat Taxi To The Next Town Of Melaque And Good Surf. Busy At Easter And In The Winter, Quiet In The Rest Of The Year · Barra de Navidad, Jalisco

Barra de Navidad is a small, laid-back beach town on the Costalegre of Jalisco, set on a narrow sand spit between the Pacific and a calm lagoon, about 60 km north-west of Manzanillo. In the 16th century it was a shipyard and a departure port, and Spanish ships left from here for the Philippines, which gives the town a quiet historical depth that is easy to miss among the beach bars. Today it is a place of seafood restaurants along the lagoon, a boat taxi to the neighbouring town of Melaque and to the Isla Navidad golf resort, and a long beach with good surf. It suits couples, families and travellers who want an unhurried week by the sea. It is worth the detour outside the crowded periods, when the pace is gentle and prices are low; it is less appealing at Easter and from December to January, when Mexican and winter visitors fill every room, or if you want nightlife and big resorts. Rooms are mostly simple and family-run, and the streets are walkable from end to end.

Barra de Navidad, a lagoon-side beach town on the Costalegre of Jalisco, about 60 km north-west of Manzanillo; coordinates approximate, Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico

The town and the beach are open all day and every day, and the sand, the waterfront walk and the lagoon edge are FREE. Restaurants usually serve from mid-morning until late evening, but some small places are CLOSED in the quiet months or on a weekday, so check before you walk far. Boat taxis across the lagoon run through the day, and the last one can leave early in low season, so ask at the dock. There is no fixed lifeguard schedule, so treat swimming as at your own risk. The golf resort on Isla Navidad is private and its facilities may be CLOSED to non-guests.

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