The Ultimate Sayulita Mexico Travel Guide

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Sayulita, Mexico is undoubtedly one of the top vacation destinations for a budget-friendly tropical beach holiday in Mexico. Whether you want to surf its beginner-friendly waves, lounge by the pool, or enjoy the vibrant nightlife – Sayulita offers it all. Sayulitas Mexican street food alone will have you dreaming about your next Mexican trip. My husband and I visited Sayulita based on a recommendation from our Canadian friends, who have visited multiple times. Sayulita is a particularly popular destination for travellers from Vancouver.

On our trip to Sayulita, we tasted mouth-watering authentic Mexican food, compared the best cocktail happy hours, discovered Sayulitas beautiful beaches and enjoyed sunset swims in Sayulitas best infinity pool. This Ultimate Travel Guide to Sayulita offers every ounce of knowledge to help you plan your trip.

Table of Contents

• Where is Sayulita?
• Why Visit Sayulita?
• When to Visit Sayulita?
• Things to do in Sayulita
• Where to Eat and Drink in Sayulita?
• Where to Stay in Sayulita?
• Things to be Aware of in Sayulita
• How to Get Around Sayulita?
• How to Get to Sayulita?
• Sayulita Travel Must Haves

Where is Sayulita?

Sayulita is a small surfing town on the Pacific Coast of Mexico in the state of Nayarit. Approximately an hour’s drive from Puerto Vallarta, it is located conveniently for a day trip or a longer stay.

Why Visit Sayulita?

You will want to visit Sayulita if you like bohemian artsy beach towns, surfing, and Mexican street food. It is a great place to visit if you want to come as a couple, a family or with friends – as it has something for everyone. Being within an hour’s drive to the nearest International airport makes it super convenient too.

When to Visit Sayulita?

The best time to visit Sayulita is during the dryer, slightly cooler months in winter from November to April. The temperatures increase from May onwards making the prices cheaper and crowds smaller. From June onwards there is more humidity as it’s the rainy season.

Things to do in Sayulita

Visit Sayulita Market

When the market is on in Sayulita, it feels like the whole town has exploded in colour and crafts. The open-air market is in the centre of Sayulita and artisan gifts and authentic crafts can be purchased here, along with plenty of street food. It is well worth visiting if you would like some souvenirs.

Sayulita Street Art

Sayulita is a very bright and beautiful place with buildings painted in colourful hues. Keep an eye out for street art adorning walls and buildings, whether it’s retro posters, murals or wooden artwork. You can’t help but stop and admire the beauty around every corner.

Watch the Sunset in Sayulita

We spent sunset on the beach each evening, watching the golden glow of the sun reflect off the waves as surfers paddled out for their next ride. You can’t see the sunset on the horizon from Sayulita’s main beach, due to the location of the beach cove and the neighbouring hill blocking the view. If you want the sun for longer, head up the beach to the North side where it also gets a little quieter. If you want a sunset that you can see from the beach, you can visit Carricitos Beach or head up to San Pancho.

Walking along the shore towards Si Senor gives some great views of the beach at sunset. If you walk here during the early morning you get the golden glow of the sun through the sea spray and it’s absolutely beautiful. Not only that, there is no one around and it is very peaceful.

Surfing in Sayulita

Sayulita is known for being a surf mecca offering waves that are perfect for beginners as they are small and mellow. The waves do get quite crowded due to the popularity of surfing in Sayulita, and there are a few bigger sets that come in so it is recommended to have some experience when surfing here (no one likes a rogue board in their way).

Playa de Los Muertos

Playa de Los Muertos sits in a secluded bay a short stroll from Sayulita town. One morning we visited this beach, just after sunrise to enjoy much cooler temperatures. To get to Playa de Los Muertos you walk through town and along the shore until you reach a cemetary. Walk through the cemetary and you reach the sheltered bay which is great for swimming compared to the main beach. There are tables, chairs, sun loungers and umbrellas available for rent here and a couple of food stalls. Playa de Los Muertos is quite a small beach and it wasn’t particularly clean when we visited, but it was still worth visiting.

Where to Eat and Drink in Sayulita?

El Barrilito

Located on the corner of C. Hose Mariscal and C. Marlín this colourful cocktail bar offers a casual vibe with a perfect people-watching balcony. Serving 2-4-1 margarita cocktails from 2 – 7 PM daily, the must-try flavours include passionfruit or coconut margaritas – both were mouth-wateringly refreshing and we came back plenty of times to confirm this!

Anchor Cafe

This cosy cafe is a great place if you love super fresh and healthy food packed with flavour. With cool surfy decor, air con and lots of plug sockets – this is a great digital nomad’s choice. I had the Molly Chia Pudding and my husband had the Farm Bowl, both were so delicious we came back on our last day for a takeaway smoothie. Tucked away on a lane opposite El Barrilito – this place is a must-visit.

Mary’s Traditional Mexican Cuisine

Mary’s seems to be a food institution in Sayulita, the food is so good we ate here every day! Grab a seat at a table on the cobbled street, and try some of the most delicious authentic Mexican cuisine that Sayulita has to offer. The portions are huge, prices are great – you just can’t come here and not visit. We recommend the El Gordo Burrito ($150mxn), Chicken Mole Enchiladas with Rice and Beans ($170mxn), Oleas Special Tacos (garlic grilled shrimp) and Mary’s Tacos with and without Poblano peppers. To drink we had Coronas ($45mxn) and Agua de Jamaica ($25mxn) which is a delicious Hibiscus water.

El Itacate

Another streetside restaurant offering a variety of tacos – we ate here once and found the food bland in comparison to Mary’s. They offer good portions but were slightly more expensive than Mary’s, the staff forgot our drinks and only paid attention to us when we wanted to pay our bill. We had 5 tacos, cheese dip and two beers for $585mxn. I included them in this post because they get good reviews online but we wouldn’t go back and would simply visit Mary’s.

El Tiburon

We ate here on our first night in Sayulita when we didn’t know where else to eat. The decor is good, the staff are nice and they have live music but are much more expensive than everywhere else we ate. I ate the Pappardelle Pesto Pasta ($195) which was quite bland, and my husband had the crispy chicken sandwich with fries ($250mxn). Coronas were $60mxn here. The sizzling Fajitas did look amazing but they were so expensive compared to other places.

Where to Stay in Sayulita?

When looking for somewhere to stay in Sayulita there are a few things to bear in mind. Sayulita is located in a bay with the main town located right next to the beach and is surrounded by hills. Accommodation can either be in the centre of town, on the outskirts up in the hills, or within driving distance away in the jungle. If you stay in the centre of town, noise can be an issue so the further away you get the quieter it will be. The great thing is that you don’t need to go too far, to get high in the hills and away from the noise.

Our requirements for a hotel in Sayulita were:

• It needed a swimming pool,
• Needed to be within walking distance of the town and beach
• Be in a quiet location
• Needed to have air-con
• Include daily breakfast
• Get at least 9/10 on reviews

After thorough research of where to stay in Sayulita, we settled on Anjali Casa Divina. This boutique hotel is nestled in the hills only a 5-minute walk from the town. The rooms are luxurious and the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the town. Enjoy the stunning infinity pool overlooking the ocean surrounded by sun loungers and a stocked honesty fridge. Due to the boutique nature of the hotel, my husband Phil did joke that it feels a bit like The White Lotus (a reference to the TV show) with everyone sitting in pairs and you kind of get to say hello as you pass to get to the pool.

There is an alfresco kitchen where breakfast is served each morning on the patio, consisting of fresh fruit, yoghurt, granola, juices, pastries, cookies and hot drinks. They also have an elevated glass yoga studio with breathtaking views of the valley below. As Anjali Casa Divina is located on a hill, it means the air temperature benefits from a cool sea breeze which is a refreshing alternative to the warmer town below.

Things to be Aware of When Visiting Sayulita

• Sayulita is very very busy, particularly at the beach during the day. This isn’t a quiet place to relax to the sound of the ocean waves. Ensure that you get a hotel that is set far back from town to avoid the hustle and bustle and to get a peaceful night’s sleep. Properties high in the hills will enjoy a nice sea breeze, whilst those in town can be very hot, humid and stuffy with little breeze.
• Sayulita sickness is something to be aware of, never drink tap water or brush your teeth in it and always have ice made from filtered water. We found everywhere did this anyway and we were fine. Follow usual food safety protocols of washing your hands before eating (we carried hand sanitiser when we couldn’t wash) and don’t purchase food from someone who handles cash and prepares food without washing their hands.
• Many places take cash (Mexican Pesos) so have these on hand to easily pay. Mary’s, our favourite restaurant only takes cash. They do seem to accept American Dollars but it will just be easier (and better value) to pay in the local currency.
• If you don’t like dogs, be aware that there are many here. Street dogs and lots with their owners – but they all seemed very cute.

How to Get Around Sayulita?

Walking around Sayulita

Sayulita is a very walkable town. If you have accommodation that is in town or the close surrounding hills you will be able to walk around Sayulita easily. Nothing should take you more than 5 – 10 minutes to walk to. If you find that you struggle with steep hills, you might consider a fun alternative to walking – a golf buggy!

Golf Buggys in Sayulita

A super popular transportation option in Sayulita is using a golf buggy. These are a great fun option if you don’t like hills or are staying a little further afield in Sayulita. We didn’t get one as our hotel quoted USD 70 for a day, which we thought was quite steep given that everything was within walking distance for us.

Cars in Sayulita

I would not recommend using a car to drive around Sayulita, traffic is super busy and parking is a nightmare. If your hotel has parking spaces, leave your car there and walk everywhere.

Taxis in Sayulita

There are plenty of taxis in the main plaza if you need them to transport you around Sayulita, or even for a day trip to San Pancho or Punta Mita.

How to Get to Sayulita?

There are several ways that you can get to Sayulita – by public bus, airport taxi, private taxi or hiring a car. The closest airport to Sayulita is Puerto Vallarta and this will most likely be where you are travelling from. The journey time from Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita takes approximately an hour, depending on how you travel. The quickest option is to travel via private transfer and the longest option is via public bus.

Private Transfer from Puerto Vallart Airport to Sayulita

Getting a pre-arranged private taxi to Sayulita would be our recommended option for travel. Since the airport only allows certain taxi companies inside the airport grounds, these private taxis greet you just outside the airport. The main benefit of being picked up outside the airport is that it means your taxi ride is cheaper. Our driver sent us Whats App directions upon arrival with photos of where to meet – by the bus stop literally seconds from exiting the airport. We were greeted with a huge smile, free cold beers and bottled water and were allowed to stop at a nearby supermarket (La Comer) along the way so we could get some supplies. Just make sure to tip extra for this convenience. We used Mexico Insider for booking our private airport transfers and would highly recommend them.

Hot Tip: We recommend only booking a one-way transfer as getting a taxi from Sayulita to Puerta Vallarta Airport is a lot cheaper once organised in Sayulita.

Airport Taxis to Sayulita

The most expensive option for travelling to Sayulita is via the airport taxis that wait at arrivals. These cost a lot more than if you were to pre-arrange a private transfer. They are available as you exit the arrival terminal at Puerto Vallarta Airport.

Uber to Sayulita

Uber is available to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport. As Uber drivers are not allowed inside the airport grounds, you have to catch them from across the pedestrian bridge on the other side of the main road opposite the airport. The main thing to consider when catching an Uber is dynamic pricing, the prices change depending on demand and this means that at busy airline arrival times, the price of your Uber ride to Sayulita will most likely cost more than a pre-arranged transport option. It is normally cheaper than getting an airport taxi, so if you are concerned about the price I would compare these if you haven’t pre-arranged transport.

Hiring a Car to Travel to Sayulita

There are several hire car companies that you can use to drive to Sayulita. This is a great option if you are planning on visiting a variety of places on a road trip. If you are looking to just visit Sayulita, you won’t need a car and I would recommend getting a private taxi.

Public Bus to Sayulita

There is a public bus that travels from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita called Compostela. It leaves approximately every 20 minutes and takes about 1.5 hours. Cross the pedestrian bridge across from the airport and wait for the bus that says Sayulita. The cost is about $46 Pesos.

Getting from Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta Airport

We asked our hotel about getting a taxi to the airport and they called the local taxis (the same ones from the main plaza) and arranged for them to come and pick us up at a set time. We asked on the day we wanted the taxi and didn’t need to pre-book further in advance. It cost us 900mxn to take us from the hotel, it would be 800mxn from town. This is a lot cheaper than purchasing a pre-booked transfer online in USD. Uber is apparently available in Sayulita but seemed unreliable.

Sayulita Travel Must-Haves

Check out our Sustainable Travel Must-Have Gift Guide here for more inspiration.

Airalo Mobile Data

THE best and most affordable travel data option out there! Avoid excessive roaming charges and download an eSIM from over 200 countries/regions with Airalo. We have used them in France, Canada, the United States and Mexico and it is so convenient and affordable. As the sim cards offer just data, we use Facebook/Whatsapp etc to message/call friends and family. Get your Airalo eSIM here!

Reef-Friendly Mineral Sun Screen

Every time you put on suncream and go swimming, the chemicals wash away into the ocean causing damage to the sea bed and coral. Switch to a reef-friendly organic natural sun cream and do your part for the environment. Mineral sunscreens are more accessible these days, like this one from Blue Lizard.

Power Bank

Never be without phone battery again! There is nothing worse than your phone running out of battery when you need Google Maps, need to make a phone call or want to take photos on your holiday! We have owned the INIU Power Bank for years and can’t leave home without them! They charge super quick, have several charges worth in them and should be a staple in your backpack! Get one here!

SD Card Reader for your Phone

If you have photos taken on your camera that you want to migrate onto your phone in seconds, then we recommend using an SD card reader for your phone. This is a LIFE CHANGER. We absolutely love how fast it makes editing photos from your camera on the go. Click here to get it.

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