Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Mexico

MexcaltitánMexcaltitán de Uribe

Go for one night, not a day trip: the boat, the walk and the sunset need an overnight. Skip if you want beaches, bars or easy transport.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
MXN
Best months
Nov–May (dry season)
avoid Jul–Oct (rain, flooding, hurricane season)
Airports
TPQ · PVR
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Mexico ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) or your nearest Mexican consulate; keep proof of your entry (stamp or digital record) until you leave.
  • Mexico ↗Security advice differs by state: some governments advise against travel to parts of several states. Check your own government's advice for each region on your route.
  • Mexico ↗Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water and ice from reliable places.
  • Mexico ↗Foreign visitors to Quintana Roo (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar, Holbox) pay the state VISITAX online at visitax.gob.mx only; lookalike sites add fees.

Mexcaltitán is a car-free island of about 800 people in the Laguna Grande de Mexcaltitán, in Nayarit. It is a Pueblo Mágico and one of the candidate sites for Aztlán, the Mexica homeland. There is one small museum, two churches, a plaza and a ring of shrimp restaurants. The island is low and floods in the rainy season. Getting there takes a bus and a boat, so most travellers come for one night or as a guided day trip from San Blas.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Mexcaltitán, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Street or quick mealShrimp tacosM$80–150 (≈ US$5–9)
  • BeerBeer at a restaurantM$40–70 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseo del Orígen entryDonation (check)
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomMX$1,000 (≈ US$55)
  • Mid-range bedBasic hotel double room, a night, per roomMX$900 (≈ US$50)
  • High-end bedBasic hotel double room, a night, per roomMX$1,500 (≈ US$85)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget MX$600 (≈ US$35) · Mid MX$1,200 (≈ US$65) · High MX$2,200 (≈ US$120)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Aztlán origin storyCar-free island streetsShrimp from the lagoonPueblo Mágico status
Airports
TPQ Tepic airport (About 2 h by road to Villa Hidalgo, then the boat; check schedules.) · PVR Puerto Vallarta (About 3–4 h by road; the usual arrival for international flights.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Mexcaltitán: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

29°C

15°C

1 rd

Feb

29°C

15°C

1 rd

Mar

30°C

15°C

0 rd

Apr

32°C

16°C

0 rd

May

33°C

19°C

1 rd

Jun

33°C

23°C

8 rd

Jul

33°C

24°C

15 rd

Aug

33°C

24°C

15 rd

Sep

32°C

24°C

14 rd

Oct

32°C

22°C

6 rd

Nov

31°C

18°C

2 rd

Dec

29°C

16°C

1 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk. There are no cars, taxis or scooters on the island. A ring road circles the town and the interior is a grid of two north-south and two east-west streets. Nothing is more than a few blocks away. Porters with bikes or hand carts meet the boat and carry bags to the hotel.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

San Blas

go

Door to door: 2.5–3.5 h each way

Guided tour from San Blas, or drive to Embarcadero la Batanga and take a boat

The usual way to visit without your own car; one-day tours are the norm.

Tepicgo

Door to door: 2–3 h

Boat to la Batanga, then bus or car via Villa Hidalgo

Nayarit's capital; the bus hub for the region.

San Francisco, Mexicocaution

Door to door: About 2 h

Road via Villa Hidalgo

Small beach town; only worth it if you are already driving the coast.

Amatlán de Cañas

skip

Door to door: 3 h+

Road via Tepic

Too far for a day from the island.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Venecia street

Both island hotels sit here, near the docks and the restaurants.

Benito Juárez street

South side; closest to the museum and one of the two docks.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
M$600–1,000 (≈ US$35–55) excl. bed
Mid
M$1,000–1,800 (≈ US$55–100) excl. bed
High
M$1,800 (≈ US$100)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Basic hotel double room1 × 1 night × MX$900MX$900
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × MX$1,200MX$2,400
Boat, la Batanga ↔ island, round trip1 × MX$350 · Per boat, not per person; checkMX$350
Collective boat, one way2 × MX$60 · Cheaper but you wait for a full boat; checkMX$120
eSIM, about a week of data2 × MX$250MX$500
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeMX$427
Trip total≈ MX$2,349 per person per day, bed includedMX$4,697≈ US$300

2026 estimate in pesos; long-distance buses and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Shrimp cocktailM$120–200 (≈ US$7–11)
Shrimp tacosM$80–150 (≈ US$5–9)
Pescado zarandeado (whole fish, to share)M$300–500 (≈ US$17–30)
Beer at a restaurantM$40–70 (≈ US$3–4)
Museo del Orígen entryDonation (check)
Boat, la Batanga ↔ island, round tripM$350 (≈ US$19) per boat (check)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The island itself is calm and walkable; the real risks are the boat crossing in bad weather, summer heat and flooding, and the lack of ATMs. Carry cash and keep the return boat time.
  • The island is very low and floods in the rainy season: check conditions before booking Jul–Oct.
  • Boats run from Embarcadero la Batanga; the last return is early and there is no night service.
  • No ATMs and no bars on the island: bring cash and expect card readers to fail.
  • Addresses are not used; give directions by street name and landmark.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Tourist assistance (SECTUR)
078
Green Angels roadside help
078

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MexcaltitánMexcaltitán de Uribe

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Tourist assistance078

Embassy

No embassies on the island; the US consulate is in Puerto Vallarta and most embassies are in Mexico City (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Boat la Batanga → island: M$170 (≈ US$10) one way per boat, M$350 (≈ US$19) round trip (check)
  • Collective boat: cheaper per person, but you wait for a group (check)
  • Bus Tepic → Villa Hidalgo: one departure a day with Autobuses Orizaba (check)

Say or show

  • ¿De dónde sale la lancha? — Where does the boat leave from? (de DON-de SA-le la LAN-cha)
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta la lancha? — How much for the boat? (KWAN-to KWES-ta la LAN-cha)
  • ¿A qué hora sale la última lancha? — What time is the last boat back? (a ke O-ra SA-le la UL-ti-ma LAN-cha)
  • ¿Aceptan tarjeta? — Do you take cards? (a-SEP-tan tar-HE-ta)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (la KWEN-ta por fa-VOR)
  • ¿Hay habitación para esta noche? — Is there a room for tonight? (ai a-bi-ta-SION PA-ra ES-ta NO-che)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Mexcaltitán. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–May (dry season) · avoid Jul–Oct (rain, flooding, hurricane season) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Boat timetable and last-return fixture for Embarcadero la Batanga, with a taxi fallback from Villa Hidalgo.
  2. Walking cluster map: docks, Plaza Central, Museo del Orígen, both churches, the shrimp restaurants.
  3. Place pages for Museo del Orígen and the two churches with verified hours.
  4. Rainy-season flood and hurricane fixtures so the decision line can flip to skip.

Meanwhile

Back to Mexico

Sources