picture of the ocean from la joya sayulita for a sayulita travel itinerary

On the blog

Today I’m sharing about our recent trip to Sayulita and the perfect 2 day Sayulita itinerary.

Tyler and I just got back from a little babymoon in Sayulita, and it was the most relaxing, gorgeous weekend. Just what the doctor ordered, as they say.

Sayulita is a charming fishing town on the Pacific Coast in Nayarit, Mexico. Located just north of Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay, Sayulita is known for its postcard-worthy beaches, iconic surf culture, and insanely delicious cuisine.

In today’s guide, I’ll walk through some helpful information about planning a trip to Sayulita and where we recommend staying in the area. Then, I’ll share a little 2 day Sayulita itinerary (with options to condense it if you’re coming just for the day!).

Table of Contents

The Perfect 2 Day Sayulita Itinerary

Sayulita is one of the most beautiful places we’ve visited in Mexico. The vegetation is lush and jungle-like, while staggeringly beautiful beaches line the coast. The sunsets are truly spectacular, and the weather is fabulous through the winter and spring.

The town of Sayulita itself is unbelievably charming. The old town streets are bursting with classic Mexican architecture and adorned with traditional papel picado.

The town of Sayulita houses only 5,000 full time residents but is a popular retreat for locals, daytrippers from bustling Puerto Vallarta, and nomads looking for a peaceful respite. The town does get busy, especially on the weekends, but we had so much fun exploring.

sayulita itinerary beach in sayulita mexico

In many ways, Sayulita feels like the definition of “off the beaten path.” When we flew into the Puerto Vallarta airport, there were tons of American tourists like ourselves waiting for taxis on the sidewalk. It reminded me a lot of flying into the airport at Cabo. As our car inched closer to our destination, though, the traffic thinned out and the jungle became more dense. It almost felt like we were headed for a tropical hideout in the middle of nowhere.

If you’re planning a trip to Mexico and looking to avoid sterile, cookie cutter tourist traps, Sayulita is an amazing choice.

How to get to Sayulita

The easiest way to get to Sayulita is to fly into the Puerto Vallarta airport (PVR).

*We used my favorite San Diego travel hack which is to use the CBX border crossing to fly direct via Tijuana. There are no direct flights from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta, but there are several direct flights per day from Tijuana. These flights are almost always inexpensive, and the CBX is really easy to use–much easier than passing through customs anywhere else, actually (check out my tips for flying out of Tijuana here).

Puerto Vallarta airport to Sayulita

The town of Sayulita is located 25 miles northwest of Puerto Vallarta. The drive from the airport should, in theory, take about an hour. If you’re hiring a private car or taxi service, this should cost anywhere from $50-70 USD per trip.

We flew into Puerto Vallarta on a Friday afternoon, so normal rush hour slowed us down, and the drive took about 90 minutes. On the way to the airport on Monday morning, we got a little unlucky and came across an overturned semi on the two lane highway about 20 minutes down the road from Sayulita. We ended up having to turn around, drive all the way back to Sayulita, and then down and around through Punta Mita–this took about 2 hours. Fortunately, we still had plenty of time to catch our flight, but it’s worth noting and taking extra time into account when you plan your trip.

Getting around Sayulita

After reading through several blogs and threads on this, we decided to not rent our own car for this trip, even though this is something we usually like to do when we travel. Arranging a private car transfer took the stress out of takeoff and arrival, and we simply cabbed into town when we needed to.

Taxis are easy to get and relatively cheap. I’m so glad we went this direction because parking was really busy and hectic in town.

If we had one extra day in Sayulita, we would have rented a golf cart to tool around in. These are available for about $55 USD for a day of use.

How many days to stay in Sayulita?

We stayed in Sayulita for three nights, so we had an evening and then two full days to explore and relax. This was perfect for what we needed, but I would have definitely relished another day in the sunshine. There are tons of beaches and things to do, so you could easily fill several days in Sayulita.

Is a day trip to Sayulita worth it?

YES. If you are staying in Puerto Vallarta or the Punta Mita area, a day trip to Sayulita is, in my opinion, well worth the trek.

Do you need cash in Sayulita?

We used cash for almost everything when we were in Sayulita. A lot of places only take cash or have a high card minimum amount. We used USD pretty much everywhere with no issue, but it would have been nice to have some pesos on hand going into the trip.

When is the best time to visit Sayulita?

The region boasts sunny, sparkling weather from November to April. The rainy season begins in June. We went in early May, and the weather was GORGEOUS. It was in the low 80s for most of the day and just slightly humid with a beautiful ocean breeze.

tyler nuss in the pool at la joya sayulita for a sayulita itinerary

Where to Stay in Sayulita: La Joya Sayulita

The highlight of our trip to Sayulita was, hands down, our stay at La Joya Sayulita.

La Joya is a stunning boutique hotel nestled in the jungle just outside of the town of Sayulita. The property is situated on the hillside right next to the ocean and feels like a completely private oasis–no–escape, from the busyness of town (and the rest of the world for that matter).

I am the type of person who has an extremely hard time relaxing or sitting still, but the whole point of this trip was to force us to REST, and the serene atmosphere and stunning views at La Joya allowed both of us to do just that.

Every detail is intentionally designed to feel like a retreat at La Joya. From the aesthetically flawless bohemian-style rooms to the abundance of comfy lounge chairs facing the sprawling Pacific, even the most high strung of individuals (me) can’t help but exhale at this property.

an oceanfront bungalow in sayulita mexico

ruth nuss standing in the la joya sayulita pool

Tyler and I stayed in an ocean view bungalow, and between the staggering view, the tiled rain shower, and super comfortable king bed, we made ourselves quite at home. There is nothing quite like falling asleep to the sound of the ocean, am I right?

I can’t overstate how insane the views are from La Joya. Since the buildings were built into the hill overlooking the water, each level of the property has a front seat ocean view. As if that wasn’t enough, the property has its own beach access point below the pool and a small private beach that truly feels like a secret.

One of the hotel’s best features, if you ask me, was the onsite restaurant Tekuamana. I could have eaten here for every meal (we almost did actually lol!). The restaurant boasts a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu sourced with local and organic ingredients (and also without seed oils!). Everything was SO fresh and delicious, and I’m still dreaming of my daily breakfast fruit plate with granola and yogurt. The restaurant is open air and looks over the ocean. I’ll never forget that calming breeze flowing through while we sipped our morning coffees. Sigh.

a fruit plate at Tekuamana restaurant at la joya sayulita

the Tekuamana restaurant at la joya sayulita

The property’s gym is currently in the works, but they also have a huge yoga deck with free weights and a barbell that we were able to use. They have a dry sauna, cold plunge, and a dedicated massage palapa down by the pool. La Joya is a wellness-minded traveler’s DREAM.

tyler nuss working out at la joya sayulita

ocean view from la joya sayulita property in mexico

The staff was wonderfully accommodating and easy to get a hold of via Whatsapp. Everyone at the restaurant was so kind and welcoming to us too.

This property alone is worth a trip to Sayulita, and the easy access to town made it so convenient. Our taxi ride from the hotel into town took less than 10 minutes and cost around $6 USD.

Sayulita travel guide: How to spend two days in Sayulita

Day 1: Wander around old town and Playa Sayulita

The town of Sayulita is relatively compact and “conquerable” in a day. With easy beach access just off the town square, visitors can shop, eat, and lounge all in the span of a few hours.

But first, coffee. Tyler and I both loved our drinks from La Barrita De Sayulita by Coffee Brothers. He got the cold brew, and I had the iced mocha shakerato which was delicious and so refreshing to sip as we meandered through town. We also had heard great things about Anchor Cafe.

There are tons of cute shops in Sayulita’s old town, each more charming than the last. Local artisans sell paintings, pottery, baskets, and clothing. We loved checking out Manyana Sayulita and ended up buying two little basket purses to bring home for the girls at a little cart near the town square.

Playa Sayulita

When you’re ready for a beach break, head to Playa Sayulita and grab a table or a set of lounge chairs at The Dock. The Dock has beach chairs and a restaurant patio and serves up all of the essentials for a relaxing afternoon on the water. We also grabbed a drink at Aloha Sayulita.

For dinner, our favorite spot we ate in town was El Itacate. The steak tacos were SO good, and they bring you this big tray of salsas and toppings for the table. My kind of place.

salsas and taco toppings at el itakate in sayulita

We also loved El Tiburón. A few more restaurant picks on our list: Alto Alto, La Katrina, and Sur38.

Day 2: Explore the local beaches + have dinner at La Joya

The beaches around Sayulita are pristine. There are a few options depending on what kind of day you want to have. I’ve outlined a few choices below.

a beach next to the ocean in sayulita mexico

After your beach day, end your visit with a relaxing dinner overlooking the crashing Pacific waves.

Dinner at Tekuamana at La Joya

Even if you don’t stay at La Joya, I highly, highly recommend making a trip over for dinner one evening. You can’t beat the sunset views from the restaurant, and it will be a welcome retreat from the busyness of downtown for an evening.