La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is a traditional and rustic Mexican fishing village with cobblestone streets located at the far north end of the Riveria Nayarit, just 36 miles from the Puerto Vallarta airport. The name of the town La Cruz (the cross) de (of) Huanacaxtle (a type of tree), as legend would have it, is in honour of an indigenous woman who was buried under this tree that bears a giant carved cross in its trunk. The town's central roundabout encircles the tree and serves as a popular meeting place for locals and tourists.
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is getting known for its new world-class marina with close to 400 slips. The marina is part of a new development that will include a seaside promenade (malecon), outdoor theatre, condominiums, shops, restaurants and luxury residential communities. The starting point for the promenade will be the beautiful and peaceful La Manzanilla beach where you can safely wade out a full 100 feet into the sea due to its shallow surf - this makes La Manzanilla a popular hot spot for families. The planned malecon will have new shops, boutiques, a fish market, bars, restaurants and luxury condominiums, ending (at least at this point) south of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, at the artsy town of Bucerias. As La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Bucerias are known to be two of Nayarit's most funky Mexican towns, having an ocean-side malecon that joins them together promises to increase the popularity of this beautiful area.
Despite the planned developments, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is still an authentic old fishing village where the men go fishing in the morning and mend their nets in the afternoon, and the indigenous women weave works of art that are displayed in the local gallery. The restaurants feature seafood, as the catch of the day is usually the source of the day's specials in the small but diverse array of restaurants. In the evenings, music is in the air at Philo's Music Bar where aspiring musicians from the Nayarit area come to showcase their talent to all the patrons who are happy to be relaxing at the end of Banderas Bay in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.
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