Mexcaltitan
A Tiny Island Town In A Coastal Lagoon, A Pueblo Magico Often Said To Be The Legendary Aztlan, The Origin Place Of The Mexica. Streets Flood In The Rainy Season And Are Crossed By Boat, Houses Stand On Stilts, And Shrimp Is The Local Food. Reached By A Short Boat Ride Across The Lagoon, At Its Best In September To October When It Floods · Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit
Mexcaltitan is a tiny island town in a coastal lagoon on the Nayarit coast, about 70 km north-west of Tepic, and one of Mexico's Pueblos Magicos. The island is only a few hundred metres across and is reached by a short boat ride from the landing at La Batanga, 10 to 15 minutes across the water. Its streets are laid out around a central plaza, the houses stand on low stilts or raised floors, and in the rainy season the lagoon rises until the lanes flood and people move by canoe. Local tradition and some writers say this island was the legendary Aztlan, the origin place of the Mexica, though historians treat it as a legend and not proven fact. The village lives from shrimp, and the plaza has a small museum of the origin. It suits curious travellers and photographers on a half day. It is worth the detour for the boat ride and fresh shrimp; it is not worth it if you expect sights, shops or nightlife, or if you dislike mosquitoes.
Mexcaltitan, a small island town in the Laguna de Mexcaltitan, reached by boat from La Batanga, about 70 km north-west of Tepic; coordinates approximate, Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit, Mexico
The island is lived in all year and the lanes are open at any hour, but the museum and most shrimp restaurants keep short, irregular hours and may be CLOSED on some days or in the late afternoon. Boats from La Batanga run through the day, usually from the morning until late afternoon, and the last return can leave early, so ask the boatman for the time before you cross. Walking the plaza, the lanes and the lagoon edge is FREE. The museum may charge a small fee or ask for a donation; confirm on arrival. In heavy flooding, some streets are CLOSED to walkers and only canoes can pass.