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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Sayulita
Stay 2–3 nights: surf in the morning, eat in the plaza at night. Skip if you want quiet — the town is busy and the water is not always clean.
Sayulita is a small surf town on the Nayarit coast, 23 mi (37 km) north of Puerto Vallarta on Highway 200. It is walkable end to end, has 40-plus restaurants for a village of about 3,400 people, and works as a beach base for 2–3 nights or a day trip from Puerto Vallarta. The trade-off is crowds and occasional water-quality problems near the river mouth.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry season, small beginner waves Jan–Mar)
- Avoid
- Jul–Oct (rain, humidity, storm risk)
- Stay
- 2–3 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 MXN 700–1,200 excl. bed · Mid MXN 1,200–2,500 excl. bed · High MXN 2,500+ 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 (SECTUR) 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 |
|---|---|
| Street taco | MXN 20–40 |
| Fish taco plate at a sit-down place | MXN 120–220 |
| Coffee or breakfast bowl | MXN 60–150 |
| Beer: bottle from a shop / beach bar | MXN 25–40 / MXN 60–100 |
| Margarita at a beach bar | MXN 100–180 |
| Compostela bus to Puerto Vallarta | MXN 50–60 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | MXN 300–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PVR · Puerto Vallarta (Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz)
- About 37 km (23 mi) south; green-and-white Compostela bus from the highway outside the airport, or a taxiAbout 23 mi (37 km) south; green-and-white Compostela bus from the highway outside the airport, or a taxi
Typical fares
- PVR airport → Sayulita, Compostela bus
- about MXN 60, 60–90 min (check)
- Sayulita → Puerto Vallarta, Compostela bus
- about MXN 50–60, 60–120 min (check)
- Taxi Sayulita → Puerto Vallarta
- MXN 700–1,200 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is a few blocks wide and everything is walkable. Buses run to Puerto Vallarta every 10–15 minutes from the Terminal de Autobuses on Revolución, and to San Pancho about every 30 minutes. Taxis and app cars cover the highway strip. Rent a car only if you are staying more than a mile or two out.
See and do
Known for
- Beginner surf break
- Playa Sayulita
- Taco stands and seafood
- Day trips from Puerto Vallarta
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (San Pancho) | Bus from the Sayulita terminal, about every 30 min | About 20–30 min |
| Bucerias | Compostela bus south on Highway 200 | About 40–60 min |
| Puerto Vallarta | Compostela bus from the Sayulita terminal | About 1.5 h |
| Lo de Marcos | Bus north on Highway 200 | About 30–40 min |
| San Blas | Bus via Tepic, or drive Highway 200 north | 2.5–3.5 h |
| Tepic | Second-class bus from the Sayulita terminal | About 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (around the plaza)
- Walk to beach, restaurants and bus terminal; noisier at night.
- North side / Playa Sayulita north end
- Quieter, still a short walk to the plaza.
- South hill and Playa los Muertos side
- Views over the bay; steep streets and steps, not good with heavy bags.
- Highway 200 edge
- Cheaper, but you will want a car or taxi for every trip into town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpe / Perdóndees-KOOL-peh / per-DOHN |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-deh es-TAH la PLAH-yah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-tah 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
- Shuffle your feet in the shallows — stingrays rest in the sand.
- Sewage has reached swimming areas near the river mouth at times since 2022; check local water-quality notices before swimming, especially after rain.
- Street ATMs can be tampered with; use one inside a shop or bank during the day.
- Do not swim past sunset at Playa los Muertos — the access road runs through the cemetery and there is no lighting.
- July–October is rainy season: some beach businesses close and roads can flood.
Generally safe and busy with visitors; the real risks are stingrays in the shallows, sewage near the river mouth after rain, tampered street ATMs and unlit beach access at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Sayulita yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Beginner surf break
- Playa Sayulita
- Taco stands and seafood
- Day trips from Puerto Vallarta
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/
- OpenStreetMap — Sayulita: www.openstreetmap.org/relation/15125285
- Wikivoyage: Sayulita, revision 5296628 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5296628
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Sayulita
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Sayulita; the US has a consulate in Puerto Vallarta, and most other countries handle Nayarit from their embassy in Mexico City (check).
Second-class buses may not suit travellers with several suitcases or no Spanish.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/sayulita). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.