Mexico · Sample itinerary
Día de los Muertos, family style
- Length
- 14 nights
- Best for
- Families with children
- Best time
- Late October to early November
- Pace
- Slow and barefoot
Why I love this trip
I took my daughter here for two weeks over Halloween and the first days of November, and it is one of my favourite trips we have ever taken. We based ourselves in San Pancho, a small beach town on the Riviera Nayarit with a real community feel, just up the coast from busier Sayulita.
It is the kind of trip where children stop being tourists. They trick-or-treat with local kids, help release baby sea turtles, learn to surf and see Day of the Dead the way families here celebrate it. And the food, from street tacos to chef-driven dinners, was some of the best we have had anywhere. Then, to finish, a few days of pure pampering.
- Day 1
Arrive in San Pancho
9 nights in a boutique hotel in town
Fly into Puerto Vallarta and drive about 45 minutes north along the coast. Settle in, find your first taco stand and watch the sun go down over the Pacific.
- Days 2 to 4
Settling into San Pancho
Spend time at the local sea turtle sanctuary and, in season, help carry the hatchlings down to the water at sunset. Head just past Sayulita to Playa La Lancha for surf lessons: pick up boards by the highway, then follow a short jungle path down to a long, wild beach that most visitors never find. Eat your way through town, from fresh fish and street food to some surprisingly excellent restaurants.
- Day 5
Halloween in San Pancho
Join the local children for trick-or-treating through the streets, a highlight that no resort can offer.
- Days 6 to 7
Día de los Muertos in Sayulita
Explore Sayulita with a local guide who brings Day of the Dead to life. Taste your way through the town’s best taco stands and the special foods of the season, like pan de muerto, while your guide explains the traditions behind them. Visit the community altars covered in marigolds, candles and photographs, learn what each offering means, and wander under the papel picado as the town honours those who have passed. It is colourful, moving and joyful all at once.
- Day 8
Into the Sierra Madre
Head into the mountains with a local guide to visit a Wixárika community, the Indigenous people of this region. Meet a family of bead artists, see their ceremonial buildings and buy their work directly from them, so your money stays with the artists.
- Day 9
A last day in town
Spend a morning volunteering alongside local kids at the community centre, go back to the surf break, and finish with one more visit to your favourite taco stand.
- Days 10 to 14
Five days of pampering
5 nights at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, or a smaller luxury hotel
Finish with complete rest. Grand Velas is an all-inclusive with suites facing the ocean, an excellent kids’ club and a celebrated spa, so everyone gets their holiday. If you would rather stay small, I can suggest a boutique hotel by the sea instead.
- Day 15
Fly home from Puerto Vallarta
Make it yours
This is a starting point, not a package.
I design every trip with trusted experts who live and work in the region, and I can change anything here: your dates, your pace, the hotels, or how long you stay in each place. Where I can, I’ll add preferred-partner perks like daily breakfast and hotel credits to your stays. Pricing depends on season and the hotels you choose, so I’ll prepare a personal proposal for you.
Ready when you are