Riviera Nayarit on Mexico’s Pacific coast survived the impact of Hurricane Patricia when the tropical cyclone made landfall last Friday.

After developing into a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours, Patricia grew to become the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere in terms of barometric pressure.

More than 15,000 locals and tourists along Mexico’s western coast were moved to shelters ahead of the hurricane making landfall last week.

Mexico’s newest destination, Riviera Nayarit, was in the path of the storm, but according to the region’s Convention and Visitors Bureau there were no casualties.

“Hurricane Patricia’s impact dissipated before reaching our region and, as a result, there was minimum damage to homes, no damage to roads or bridges, no lives were lost and no one was hurt,” the association said.

“Our hotels were built in recent years and constructed to withstand storms with reinforced walls and generators and therefore none of our coastal hotels sustained damages or loss of power.”

Riviera Nayarit extends along the entire coast of the Pacific state of Nayarit, including the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta, the historic colonial town of San Blas, exclusive Punta Mita, picturesque fishing villages, miles of serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay.

The region offers a wide range of leisure activities, including: PGA golf courses, luxury spas, whale watching, turtle release, zip lining, surfing, bird watching, international cuisine.

“We wish to thank all three of the federal, state and municipal governments, Nayarit residents and our visitors to Nayarit for responding so quickly in advance of the storm to assure that everyone stayed safe in case the storm had its potential impact,” said Marc Murphy, general director of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Centre.