The thought first hits you while boarding the boat for your private surf safari: This part of Mexico—Punta de Mita—is unlike anywhere else you’ve ever been.

Only yesterday you were riding ATVs through a dense green jungle on narrow trails that lead to white sand beaches, and now you’re loading boards on a boat to scour this stretch of Pacific coastline in search of the perfect wave.

You’ve dined on the sand in front of your resort, where local fisherman bring their fresh catch, and talented chefs cook it right on the beach, using recipes that date back generations.

You’ve ambled the alleyways of chic Sayulita in search of coffee and cacao and wandered through colorful artisan stalls to shop for Huichol-inspired crafts.

Adventure, culture, adrenaline, and comfort have perfectly blended since the moment you arrived, and there’s the feeling that even if you try to do it all, you still will only have scratched the surface of what’s possible here on this coast.

The thing about the Riviera Nayarit, however, is here in this place where the jungle meets the sea, the land-based adventures are just as exciting as the ones you’ll find offshore.

While surfing, snorkeling, fishing, and diving are what many travelers come for, it’s the horseback rides down an empty beach at sunset, or the feeling of traveling back in time while exploring villages like San Francisco, or laidback Lo de Marcos, that might not be the reason that travelers first came but are the reason they keep coming back.

You can also, of course, just spend a whole day kicking back and relaxing by the pool, enjoying a cooling ocean breeze while sampling exquisite, regional cuisine that’s never more than a few steps away from your comfortable cabana in the shade.

That’s the beauty of planning your Punta de Mita summer activities: they can be packed with adrenaline, high on adventure, and full of stories to take home, or as simple as watching the sun go down, watching footsteps slowly disappear, washed away by the crash of the surf.