Sayulita Guide 2023
Pinche Sayulita, te amo
Oh, Sayulita. I’ve spent maaaaany days, weeks, months, and sleepless nights in you. You are a magical portal that some people “get”, and some… don’t. First time we met, I got stuck in you for 4 months before finally prying myself away, nails dragging on your dirty ass cobblestone streets. You’ve long been a source of love, heartbreak, injury, bliss, great waves, weird drama, laughter, sexual energy, jungle spirits, house and techno music, delicious fish tacos, food poisoning, existential sunsets… you get the idea.
Sorry, got distracted by Sayulita there for a second (are we noticing a pattern here?), but here’s the deal—Sayu is an extremely safe surf town about an hour from Puerto Vallarta. It can be VERY touristy depending on what time of year you go (avoid Christmas/New Years/Semana Santa if you can), and it’s grown exponentially in recent years (like many surf towns in Mexico). Some people go there and are like ? I don’t get it ? which I totally understand.
But here’s how to do it right.
Some things to know about Sayulita:
-It’s not the most “bohemian” town anymore, but you can find amazing food, hippie vibes, jewelry and of course, great surf 🌊
-The locals are the glue of Sayulita and have an incredibly strong community. Everyone knows each other and yes, they REALLY care about their home. Sayulita is A LOT more fun if you make an effort to connect with them—get to know the people, frequent spots you like, and tip well (at least 15%).
-Learn some spanish if you can, FFS!!!
-Be nice to Sayu and Sayu will be nice in return… it will also eat you up and spit you back out (sometimes in the form of you spitting up all the food you’ve eaten in the past three days with vicious food poisoning. You’ve been warned 😉)
Safety
-Sayulita is VERY safe. I feel way safer there than Puerto Escondido, for instance. You can generally walk along the beach, walk home at night, etc. Why is it so safe, you ask? Because it’s tightly controlled by the cartel, of course! 🥳 🥳 And they do *NOT* want tourists thinking that their cash cow—or maybe water ox?—is sketchy.
-Controlled as in…? Ok, as in, every, ahem, *party favor* that flows in and out of Sayu comes from one place (like most of Mexico). Sooo, don’t go to Sayu and start flashing around your own party favors, etc. See those guys on motorcycles, two at a time, making hot laps around the town at night? Much like The Police in Every Step You Take, they’ll be waaaatchiiiiing yOoOouuuu. 👀
-Also controlled as in, people hear about stuff. Crime is a no-go in Sayu. I’ve never heard of anyone being robbed there in my 4+ years of traveling there at least 1-2x per year. Not that it doesn’t happen? I’ve just never heard of it.
-Of course, that being said—there are basic things you need to do to stay on guard, especially during busy times of year:
-Watch your wallet (my friend just either had hers stolen, or she lost it). Watch your drinks!!!! Watch your stuff. Don’t leave your doors unlocked. DON’T start fights with people (duh). But DO have fun.
-There is also a rumored group of locals known as the vigilantes. These are the town’s watchmen. They’re not cartel, per se (?), but they’re not cops, either. They tend to get the call before any other security, national guard, or police show up. They make their entrance in fanny packs with crossed arms, generally looking very tough and ready to sort things out.. yes, I said fanny packs.
Just dial 1-8-8-8-V-I-G-I-L-A-N-T-E.
“The water”
-At some point, you’re gonna hear a saga about “the water.”
Sooooo apparently back in the day, the whole pueblo used to empty their shit (and their piss, and … everything) into the little river that runs through town flowing directly down into—you guessed it—the ocean. Naturally, this led to some, ummmm, problemos with the water getting literally everyone sick, and they finally quit that shit (literally) and built a water filtration plant on the edge of the river that supposedly empties all the mierda “a mile out to sea.”
Now, is that the certifiable truth? Is everything truly sanitized and regurgitated back a mile out into the ocean without a hitch? Like many facts, figures and rumors in Sayulita, I’m not sure what’s 100% true, 100% of the time. There’s no river of poo anymore, that’s for sure, but sometimes in the actual water—like in a Thai ping-pong show—you see questionable things. Again, you’ve been warned.
-The surf is fabulously consistent and the waves are generally amazing, but I’d recommend taking your time and learning who the locals are on the “right”, and easing your way into the left. There are rocks so ALWAYS fall backward if you can, and try not to touch your feet on the bottom unless you want to take home some sea anemone remnants as a souvenir. :)
love a good thirst trap
How to get there/get back
Let’s assume you’re flying into Puerto Vallarta and going straight to Sayulita. You can do this a few different ways:
-Walk over the bridge directly from the airport to the other side of the freeway. You’ll see some taco shops and corner stores in front of a bus stop. Maybe ask around, but buses should be obviously pulling up there, including one that goes directly to Sayulita (with some stops of course) for 55 pesos, or about $3 USD. It’s the cheapest option by far, and usually takes 1-2 hours depending on traffic. It’s legit! Can’t make any promises about A/C, though… so maybe change your ropa in the airport before you hop on. Make sure you got all your stuff within arms-reach too to avoid any petty thieves. You know, the normal stuff.
-You can also take a cab from this spot. Many untanned and margarita-barren tourists hop over this bridge and wait, just like you, for a bus—and the taxis take notice. They might try to round ‘ya up and take you together. I think in total it’s usually around 800 pesos. Not a bad option either, if you split it! You can also take a cab directly from the airport, for good measure. Again, more spendy.
-You can also take an Uber. I took an Uber all the way from PV the other day because I was a lazy, hungover POS. But I made it. It was about 800 pesos all the way from the centro in PV.
In order to get back, you basically can do all these things in reverse. There’s a corner by the bridge in Sayulita where you’ll see a lot of taxis hanging around. Just ask and they’ll organize a pickup for you. ;)
Where to stay
I always stay, surf and frolic on the “northside” which is, as you guessed, over the river from the plaza on the north side of Sayulita. It’s generally more relaxed, less touristy, and feels more “local” than the main plaza and beach of Sayu. The main entrypoint to the beach is by the left-hand surf break on Calle Miramar.
Anywhere north of that is going to be a bit of a walk to get back into “town” aka La Plaza, so unless you are a certified baller™️ and get a golf cart, just keep that in mind. That being said, I’ve definitely made the drunken walk home solo in the early morning hours a few times. It’s just… quiet. So.
You can’t REALLY go wrong staying in Sayulita, but I’d avoid staying anywhere ON the plaza or too close to the plaza, or to Atico (a very noisy but fun “Swings” bar. Not to be confused with a swinger’s bar, unless ‘ya make it one).
Sayulita is a party town, and it gets loud AF, and you might be awake for it despite your best efforts.
Where to surf
-I prefer the “left” surf break in Sayu although it’s a BIT less consistent than the right
-La Lancha has a fabulous break you can get to by car or by one of the many surf schools in town
-San Pancho has a much heavier break great for short boarders
-Burros is another lesser-known surf spot that supposedly is amazing
-Punta Mita también has great olas sometimes
tiny calle El Zarquito where you can find some great AirBnBs
Best bars for drinkin’ and convenin’, yeehaw
-Pineapple on the Northside (AKA Orca’s, because there is whale-sized Labrador named Orca who frequents the bar). Tell the bartenders Jordan / Vanessa that I sent you 💋
-Tropical House (best margs)
-Escondido Bar (there is a sweet bartender named Bernie there)
-Wild Iris (best margs) Also tell Marcelo I sent u 💋
-Public House
-Ático
-Coava (cocktails etc)
-El Camarón (on the beach)
Best beaches
-I always go to the “northside” which is, as you guessed, over the river from the plaza on the north side of Sayulita. If you keep walking, you’lll surely find a fabulous spot on the beach further away from the hustle/bustle/relentless beach vendors.
-There’s another beach called “Malpaso” north of Sayuilta if you walk through the jungle. It’s a “virgin” beach so there are no buildings, bars etc—bring your own supplies. There’s usually lots of people on the jungle paths, but just be aware of your surroundings as it can feel pretty isolated. You can even follow the path all the way to San Pancho in theory… But I’ve never done it (again cue lazy POS comment)
-Playa Muertos is just south of Sayu if you keep following the same road all the way past the main beach and into the jungle again. It’s really obvious, as you’ll have to walk by the Sayulita graveyards, hence the name Playa Muertos. 💀 They have a bar on the beach where you can booze it up as well.
-There’s another beach even further south that has some sort of resort where they filmed Bachelor in Paradise? Another Sayulita rumor. It is gorgeous though!
Playa malpaso aka “bad pass” … the current is strong here so, ten cuidado
Best places to party/catch some tunes
-Selina
-Don Pato’s
-Atico
-Yambak
-That bar across from Yambak
-Chillum
-Pineapple
-Nahual (bar about 20 minutes towards Punta Mita that throws raves)
-Coco’s beach club
Best tacos / food
-Luna’s (the fish tacos are 🤤)
-Mary’s
-Taco Ivan’s
-Yolanda’s pollo or “the chicken lady” is 10/10
Best brunch
-Mary’s
-Tierra Viva
-Mamachoco’s
Best places to dance the salsa
-Don Pedro’s has a salsa night on Tuesdays
-Don Pato’s
-Basically anywhere there is salsa music (it’s mexico)
Best dinner spots
-Tiburón
-Rústica
-Mary’s
-Marcolino’s pasta
I will continue to update this article as I hear of / remember more awesome things to do, places to go and aspects of Sayu :)
