Nayarit Earns A New Blue Flag

The state of Nayarit has received its latest Blue Flag certification for the Santa Maria del Oro Lagoon, located less than an hour from Tepic. This is the third Blue Flag certification for the state, along with Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle—the only one of its kind in Mexico—and Nuevo Vallarta Norte Beach.

Santa Maria del Oro is both a town and a municipality. It’s crater lagoon has a small but thriving tourist infrastructure that attracts many national and international visitors on an ongoing basis.

Mark Murphy, Managing Director of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau was present along with other state representatives, during the raising of the Blue Flag at Santa Maria del Oro. “It’s important to mention the three Blue Flags in Nayarit were obtained thanks to the collaboration of Governor Roberto Sandoval Castañeda, who has supported the tourism sector since day one and helped us with these important gains,” he remarked. “The Governor’s commitment to tourism is very much in evidence, not only has he brought about safety, security and investment to the state, he has also invested in the environment.”

Santa Maria del Oro and San Pedro Lagunillas are two lagoons in Nayarit that are being branded and promoted as Lagunas Encantadas, or enchanted lagoons. “We are going to continue to promote Riviera Nayarit as well as the state’s sister brand, Lagunas Encantadas. The fact the Laguna de Santa María del Oro is a Blue Flag destination will help position Nayarit on the world stage.”

The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach, marina or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its stringent standards. Learn more about Blue Flag by visiting blueflag.org.