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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Lo de Marcos
Go for 3–5 nights if you want a walkable beach town with no resort strip; skip it if you need nightlife, big hotels or a swimmable surf break.
Lo de Marcos is a small Nayarit beach town of about 2,500 people on Highway 200, between Sayulita and Rincón de Guayabitos. It fills with Mexican weekenders and Canadian and US winter residents from November to April. The beach is long and mostly empty, the town is about 2 km² and flat, and everything is on foot. Three to five nights suits most people; two is enough for a quick look.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry, warm days, cool nights)
- Avoid
- Sep–Oct (rain, humidity, storm risk); Semana Santa and long weekends (town and beach fill with inland visitors)
- Stay
- 3–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$700–1,200 excl. bed · Mid M$1,200–2,200 excl. bed · High M$2,200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | M$40–70 |
| Taco from a plaza stand | M$25–45 |
| Beach restaurant main (shrimp, fish fillet, ceviche) | M$180–300 |
| Beer: bottle at a liquor store / at a beach table | M$25–40 / M$50–80 |
| Bus along Highway 200 to Sayulita or Guayabitos | M$30–60 |
| Taxi to Sayulita or Guayabitos | M$250–400 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | M$200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PVR · Puerto Vallarta International
- About 45–60 min by bus or taxi on Highway 200; the bus stop is near the Pemex station.
Typical fares
- PVR airport → Lo de Marcos, Compostela bus
- under M$100, about 45–60 min (check)
- Lo de Marcos → Sayulita, bus
- M$30–60, about 30–40 min (check)
- Taxi Lo de Marcos → Rincón de Guayabitos
- M$250–400 (check)
Get around
The town is about 2 km² and flat: walk everywhere, including to the beach. Buses on Highway 200 run frequently to Sayulita, San Francisco (San Pancho), Rincón de Guayabitos, La Peñita and Puerto Vallarta; taxis wait near the bus stop by the Pemex. Rental bikes are available in town.
See and do
Known for
- Long, wide beach with few people
- Winter snowbird and RV scene
- Saturday taco stands on the plaza
- Humpback whales offshore in season
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (San Pancho) | Bus or taxi south on Highway 200 | About 20–30 min |
| Sayulita | Bus or taxi south on Highway 200 | About 30–40 min |
| Rincón de Guayabitos and La Peñita | Bus or taxi north on Highway 200 | About 20–30 min |
| Bucerías | Bus south on Highway 200 | About 1 h |
| Tepic | Compostela bus north on Highway 200 | About 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Centro / Av. Luis Echeverría
- Restaurants, shops and small hotels; 2–4 blocks from the beach. Best for a first stay without a car.
- La Floresta (south end)
- Quieter, near the tidal pools and the surf break; a 10–15 min walk to the plaza.
- North end / Tlaquepaque area
- River mouth, RV parks and beachfront hotels; the French-Canadian winter crowd clusters here.
- Highway 200 strip
- Cheapest rooms and the bus stop, but traffic noise and no beach feel.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Do you have a room for two? | ¿Tiene una habitación para dos?TYEH-neh OO-nah ah-bee-tah-SYON PAH-rah dos |
| Is it safe to swim here? | ¿Es seguro nadar aquí?es seh-GOO-roh nah-DAR ah-KEE |
| Where is the bus stop? | ¿Dónde está la parada del autobús?DON-deh es-TAH lah pah-RAH-dah del ow-toh-BOOS |
| Without ice, please | Sin hielo, por favorseen YEH-loh por fah-VOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- The surf is not a swimming beach: breakers crash fast and produce a strong churn. Boogie boards and kayaks, not laps.
- Some RV parks cannot take long US and Canadian rigs: ask about maximum length before paying a deposit.
- Liquor store prices run about 10% above discount chains in bigger towns.
- September and October are the wet, sticky months; some seasonal businesses close.
- Check the exchange rate before changing money: pesos are written $, same as dollars.
Lo de Marcos is a small, low-crime town and the main risks are the sea, the sun and the road: the surf break is strong, Highway 200 has fast traffic and no good pedestrian crossings, and September–October brings storm weather.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lo de Marcos yet. Suggested stay: 3–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Long, wide beach with few people
- Winter snowbird and RV scene
- Saturday taco stands on the plaza
- Humpback whales offshore in season
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Nayarit — official state tourism site: visitnayarit.travel/
- Visit Mexico — official national tourism site: www.visitmexico.com/en
- Wikivoyage: Lo de Marcos, revision 5154299 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5154299
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lo de Marcos
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in town; the US consulate is in Puerto Vallarta and most other countries' embassies are in Mexico City (check addresses).
Cash is king in town: bring pesos for buses, taxis and taco stands.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lo-de-marcos). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.