Tepic is the nearest city — 75 km east through the mountains. It is more a necessary hub than a destination, but it has a decent regional museum (Museo Regional de Nayarit) covering pre-Hispanic Huichol and Cora cultures, and a pleasant colonial centre around the cathedral.
Santiago Ixcuintla lies 40 km north and is the main town of the Mexicaltitán area. Mexicaltitán itself — a tiny island village reached by a short boat ride — claims to be the mythical Aztlán, the ancestral homeland of the Aztecs. The claim is disputed by historians but the village is genuinely atmospheric, half-flooded in the rainy season and surrounded by shrimp-filled lagoons.
San Cayetano and the Singayta lagoon area can be reached on a half-day excursion from town. The Singayta estuary is one of the best birding spots in the region and sees less tourist traffic than La Tovara.
Puerto Vallarta is about 170 km south and makes for a long day trip by car — feasible if you want a contrast of beach resort to quiet colonial backwater, but two to three hours each way makes it a tiring round trip.