Location

La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is located in the state of Nayarit, in the northern part of Banderas Bay. Geographically protected by a cove, it is a privileged zone in the area.

Banderas Bay lies in the Gulf of California, a narrow strip on the Pacific Ocean limited to the west by the Baja California Peninsula and to the east by the coasts of the states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco.

Specifically, Banderas Bay is located between the parallels 20º24’ and 20º45’ North and between the meridians 105º14’ and 105º24’ West. Its southern limit is Cabo Corrientes and its northern, Punta de Mita. Its coasts lie in two states: Nayarit to the north and Jalisco to the south. The Nayarit section stretches from the Ameca River in the central part of the bay north to Punta de Mita, with the Jalisco section reaching from the Ameca River south to Cabo Corrientes.

Banderas Bay covers approximately 963 Sq km. It offers shallow waters in the northern part, the location of Punta de Mita and the Marietas Islands, which are composed of two small islands and two islets: 500-meter-long Elongated Island and 400-meter-across Rounded Island. The islets, known as Los Morros, face open seas and depths reach 40 fathoms. The bottom relief quickly descends toward the south of the bay, its middle portion approximately 900 fathoms deep, then rises again closer to the southern coast.

The most important towns in the area; Puerto Vallarta in the State of Jalisco, Bucerías, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Corral del Risco in the State of Nayarit offer a variety of water activities.