Sayulita Mexico, The ultimate guide for a surf trip
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I first took a surf trip to Mexico when I decided to leave my job after some downsizing on the companies end and with some time off to spare, I ventured south in search of good surfing, warm weather, and amazing food. Sayulita exceeded my expectations and although it felt touristy at times, the food and coffee were incredible, the vibes were laidback, and there always seemed to be waves.
Not to mention you don’t really need a car to get around as there is public transportation and companies that offer surf day trips to other nearby surf breaks (more on that later). In this post I’ll be going over where to stay, surf, what to expect, things to look out for, and where to eat. Sweet lets get into it.
How to get there
To get to Sayulita you fly into Puerto Vallarta, a city that is about an hour south of Sayulita. A great way to try and save money is to check the app Sky Scanner or Google for best flight prices. Once you’ve landed you can either take the bus by walking across the bridge or a taxi. The bus is a little bit of an experience, but hey what would travel be without a story or two. It only cost 55 pesos one way. Not very expensive depending on the exchange rate. The bus transportation center is right in town and from there you can either walk or a take an in-town taxi to your accommodations. A taxi from the airport to town will run you over 1000 pesos and is more convenient, as taxis are lined up as you exit the airport.
Where to Stay
The one thing I loved about Sayulita is how easy it is to get around town and the close proximity everything is. There is a lot of action in the heart of the downtown area so if you’re looking for a lil more peace and quiet there are plenty of places to stay within walking distance to everything just outside of town. If you are a solo traveler hostels are a great way to save money. I really like Hostel World, the website has reviews, pictures, and information all located under one website or app.
I’ve stayed in Selina in the past and it is in a great location. Selina has nice accommodations and is more of a premium hostel with a pool, surf rack storage, restaurant, quiet work area, and nightly events. They also have private rooms if you don’t want to go the dorm route. The dorm rooms they have are pretty small and you could only run the AC at night, which was the downside, more for young people.
This time I stayed in an awesome VRBO, about a 2 minute walk to the beach called Casa Conchita. There were a couple studios, a two bedroom, and a Penthouse unit. All above this awesome Cafe’ with the best coffee. Sometimes there was alot of noise on the weekends, mainly from music. But for the location and how nice the unit was, it was a dream spot to stay for a couple weeks. There was also an area to rinse of your surfboard and an outside area to chill and relax.
Best time to Visit
I was told by locals that May can be one of the best times to visit because it’s the end of the high season with less people, lower prices, good temps, longer days, a lot of sunshine, and there can be some great south swells that roll through. Which happened to be the case while I was there. Summer’s can be hot in Sayulita followed by their rainy season starting in August and ending in October. The high season in Sayulita is considered to be from November-April. For surfing the waves break year round, but they are typically the best from November-February. I will say the swell that rolled through for a week when I was there in May brought some amazing waves!
I was told to avoid March because of Spring Break. With rainy season the cost of your trip will be cheaper so if you are on a budget that is something to take into consideration!
Where to Eat
Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten was in Mexico. You can really taste the love and passion that goes into the different flavors and ingredients of each meal. Anything from street tacos to breakfast spots and upscale restaurants, the food is amazing all around. Below were some of the places I really liked!
Breakfast/Coffee
Miscelanea Cafe- This was my favorite place to grab coffee and breakfast and was actually right below the VRBO I was staying in. With a simple menu including lunch, the environment here is welcoming and the staff is awesome. Open until the mid afternoon, sit down to eat or even grab just a cup of coffee and you’ll be sure to return to this unique cafe.
Organi-K- Known for their ACAI Bowls, Organi-k is going to be on the more expensive side, but worth it to try at least once. It’s definitely a healthier spot for those looking to kick start their day with a smoothie, avo toast, or acai bowl.
Artesanal- A smaller place, the vibe in here is inviting and the coffee is really good. I kept it simple with a waffle and latte’, and recommend trying this place out after a morning surf
Yah Yah- With a few locations in Sayulita, not a bad place to grab a quick breakfast sandwich, coffee, and/or smoothie
Chocobanana- Your classic breakfast/lunch diner style type menu. If you’re looking to not spend too much, this is a great option and honestly pretty damn good too. Right in the center of town, Chocobanana has been around for some time and it feels old school. A great place if you have a larger group or want something quick.
Los Cafecitos (Punta Mita) - Located in a town south of Sayulita, this cafe had awesome smoothies and breakfast burritos. Depending on where you sit you’ll have a view of the ocean as you enjoy yourself. I would do day trips to Punta to surf and this was a nice place to either go before an afternoon session or after an early morning session. The cafe itself has a nice inviting layout with cool architecture.
Dinner
La Rustica - A great place for groups or couples, this restaurant is in the heart of Sayulita with the upper part right on the street with open views. Sometimes street performers will perform right in front. La Rustica is known for their pizza, but they will also have other options on the menu such as pasta and seafood.
ZinGaro- An Italian restaurant where the owner is from Italy, bringing the flavors and recipes to Sayulita. Known to have amazing homemade pastas, as well as cocktails and wine. I was recommended this place for a nicer dinner from locals who I went surfing with.
Mary’s- If you’re looking for some of the best Mexican food in Sayulita, check out Mary’s. Awesome tacos with an authentic menu. I was also recommended Naty’s and Rinconcito for Mexican food, but didn’t get a chance to try them
La Cabana (Punta Mita)- One of my favorite restaurants in a town south of Sayulita called Punta Mita is La Cabana. There’s usually someone out front trying to sell you on stopping in for lunch and dinner. It’s right on the water and they have some of the best tacos I have eaten. They have this mango sauce that you can put on the tacos that make them pretty incredible.
Street Food- Tacos, burgers, churros, pastries, and fruit will be some of the food that you’ll find being sold out of a street cart. Be cautious with some of the street vendors, especially with vegetables. There will be a number of Al Pastor (Pork) Taco places and you can see them cooking the meat and making the tacos right on the street which is a cool experience. My favorite street vendor was Baby Burger. A classic smash burger joint with good seasoning and it’s not too expensive. It has a good local feel to it and it was probably one of my favorite places in Sayulita.
What to Pack
For a Mexico surf trip there’s a number of items that are probably pretty obvious like swimsuits and board shorts, however I feel like there could be some items that are overlooked so I listed them below.
Boardshorts/Swim suit/Rash Guard- The water stays warm year round and feels like bath water when your surfing. It does get a little cooler in the winter months so you might need a wetsuit top, but other then that you should be ok. For guys I recommend a loose fit rash guard that fits like a t-shirt. This will protect you from the sun as these shirts have SPF protection in them! I like Quiksilver surf apparel, but their is plenty of amazing surf brands out there such as RVCA, Billabong, Patagonia, Vessel, and more.
Lightweight Clothing- Whenever traveling try to keep it light. It can get pretty warm, again depending on the time of year so I like to pack lightweight packable clothing. For the most part no cotton, as synthetic materials will wick moisture, and are more comfortable in warmer climates. Sometimes at night it would get cooler so I also packed a couple light weight sweatshirts. Vuori is one of my favorite brands for this type of clothing!
Drybag- These are nice to take to the beach to carry everything. Or if you decide to go on a boat for a surf day trip they are also nice to have to store everything.
Packable Beach Towels- These are a game changer in terms of travel because of how lightweight they are. I like Sandcloud or Mayde. These towels are nice for hanging out on the beach or drying off after surfing.
Zinc Sunscreen - Zinc Sunscreen won’t wash off as quickly in the water and because the sun is more intense in Mexico I recommend using this when surfing. My favorite is Sun Bum. I also recommend a Face Stick
Sunglasses- Don’t forget to pack a pair of shades. The sun can be intense during the day in Sayulita, gotta have these!
Surfboard Day Cover/Surboard Travel Bag- If you are traveling with your own surfboard or even renting one, I recommend having a day cover for when going to different surf spots as it helps protect the board. I like FCS day covers. If you plan on travelling with your own surfboard, you’ll need a travel bag. Dakine and ProLite both make awesome travel bags. Just make sure to match the specs on your board to the type of bag that the board will fit in.
Also when traveling with a surfboard bag, make sure to protect the board!. I like to go to Lowes and get pack fill and foam that typically goes on piping, but I’ll use it to put on the rails of the board for protection. Then I pack the surf bag with clothing and towels.
What is the town like
The town is busy! It’s fun to walk around tho and there’s ton’s of restaurants, shops, boutiques and vendors. The streets are cobbeled and when I wasn’t surfing it’s nice to walk around and explore. Most people are trying to sell you something, so be prepared for that. During the day you’ll notice in certain parts of town that vendors have areas set up where they are selling anything from jewelry, blankets, shoes, and clothing. I picked up an awesome blanket that was made in Oaxaca, an area south in Mexico.
In the center of town there will be the well known Sayulita Sign as well as one of the streets lined with Papel Picado, colorful flags. Both are great areas to get photos!
At night the town comes alive and on the weekends there are a lot of people walking around. It def gets bumpn’ at times lol, I love it though and I’m not even a big nightlife person, but it just adds to the overall travel experience. Weekdays, depending on the time of year are going to be more quiet.
Is there good Nightlife and Bars
Yep there are going to be a number of bars and nightlife spots. If that’s your thing then you’ll like Sayulita! I’m not a big drinker, but my favorite bar was the Escondido Bar. Amazing cocktails and a cool vibe. Try the Oaxacan old fashion if you go to this bar.
Can you drink the water
No!! Filtered water only. The water in Mexico contains bacteria that can lead to some unpleasant symptoms. I wouldn’t even brush your teeth with the tap water.
Is this a safe area to travel to
Sayulita and the surrounding surf towns are considered safer places to travel to in Mexico. As I was told when I first started traveling, don’t look for trouble and you won’t find it. Meaning be smart, don’t stay out late by yourself, and be careful with who you associate with!
Are there Surf Shops, Surf lessons and rentals
Yep there are surf lessons, surf schools, surf shops everywhere, including in town and on the beach. My favorite shop in town was Lunazul as they offer a number of surf rental options. I also really liked the Sayulita Surf Center as they offered a number of good board rentals too! In town there will be different clothing boutiques and shops if you need a rash guard, swim suit, sunscreen, or clothing.
For lessons and day trips I recommend Sea Sayulita. Not only do they do surf lessons and day trips to different surf breaks, but they also do adventures such as hiking and beach camp fires.
Surfing
Best beginner Spots
The best spot I saw for a beginner was at the main Sayulita Beach, left of the main break. These will be white wash waves (white part of the wave after it crashes). This type of wave is the easiest to learn on, and since it’s a beginner wave you won’t have to worry about more experienced surfers! Again if you take a lesson or go through a surf school, they will be able to take you to the best beginner spots.
I also saw beginner surfers in Punta Mita at the main beach break, called Stinky’s.
photo Nick Deriso (Bros around the Globe)
photo Nick Deriso (Bros around the Globe)
Where can we surf
There’s a handful of noteworthy surf spots in Sayulita and also the surrounding areas. The main break can get crowded in Sayulita so I only surfed there when I felt comfortable surfing with more people in the water. It’s mainly a longboard break, but sometimes when a swell rolls through you can surf a hybrid, or midlength, and even a short board. If you go down the beach a lil bit there is a nice break with a beautiful fun left. The great thing about Sayulita and the surrounding areas are the waves are perfect for a beginner to intermediate surfer, nothing too crazy, but still big enough to where you can go fast and get a few turns in on the wave.
Another great surf spot is La Lancha or Burros. Both spots are about 20-30 minutes from Sayulita and are considered beach breaks. The paddle out for these spots is farther and the waves can get big at times! Burros is pretty much a right with some different peaks farther out that break left. Be careful with the reef and rocks!! La Lancha will have lefts and rights!
It’s easy to meet locals in the area who can give you a ride or there’s plenty of surf shops who run shuttles to these breaks as mentioned earlier. If you’re unfamiliar with the area that’s what I’d recommend. These surf schools will be able to tell you areas to avoid at the break and where to paddle out to for the best waves. Besides Sea Sayulita, shops such as Wild Mex and Lunazul both offer rentals as well as shuttle trips to other local surf breaks. Even Selina, the hostel I have stayed at in the past, can set up day trips to La Lancha along with other surf spots.
photo Laurita Polvorilla
Punta De Mita has a great beach break called Stinky’s, that is less crowded with fun waves when there is a good swell. One thing to note about the Stinky’s Beach Break is there are a couple rocks to watch out for where the waves break really far out! So be careful. There’s a couple surf schools on the beach such as Stinky’s and Sapo’s that offer rentals, lessons, and even boat trips to bigger breaks.
photo Laurita Polvorilla
photo Laurita Polvorilla
A boat trip is a really cool experience that will cost more, but is worth it! These sessions typically are better waves then your beach break and with a lot less people, sometimes your the only group in the water. Your guide for the day will tell you where to sit, paddle, and even surfs with you! I’d recommend this for a more intermediate/advanced surfer looking to surf bigger/faster waves with less people.
photo Laurita Polvorilla
photo Laurita Polvorilla
San Pancho is the last break that I was able to go to in the area which will be lookers left down the beach. Only a ten minute drive north of Sayulita this beach break wave is quicker and faster than the Sayulita break. You can also take the bus if you need to, it runs every 10 minutes and will drop you off at the start of town. So you’ll have to walk the rest of the way to the beach.
The best time to surf it, is during low tide as the wave will break much cleaner. I caught a ride from Julio, a local surfer in town and met up with his friend who owned Noyo’s surf school on the beach. They were able to give me some good insight on local breaks and we just talked about surfing around the world and different waves along with spots all over the globe. That’s probably my favorite part about these trips, meeting genuine people with completely different backgrounds, but who share the same passion for the ocean and surfing.
Quick Tips
Be aware of Reef and Rocks when surfing different breaks and be respectful in the water. There’s only so many waves and sometimes the breaks can get crowded so go for a wave, but also don’t drop in on anyone.
I recommend purchasing Travel Insurance just in case you get hurt or there’s an emergency.
Bring what you need to the beach and store it with one of the surf school’s on the beach to avoid theft.
Activities outside of Surfing
If you’re looking for stuff do outside of surfing or if surfing isn’t your main thing there’s still plenty of cool things to do in Sayulita and the surrounding area. There’s a lot of cool shops, street vendors, and artwork to check out as you walk around town. I really liked the Palu Gallery for its surf, desert, and beach inspired artwork. The artwork is designed by Mexican artists, Anne Luna and Paulina Gutiérrez. They have photography, paintings, canvas work, and even post cards.
Explore nearby towns San Pancho and Punta Mita. These towns are going to be smaller than Sayulita, but will still have different restaurants, shops, and beaches to hang out at. Definitely worth doing a day trip to each town depending on how much time you have!
Check out the other beaches in the area or walk all the way to the end of Playa Sayulita and back, catching blue hour (after sunset) as you walk back to town. There’s two really cool beaches I liked, Playa Carricitos and Playa Malpaso. Both have strong undertow’s and are not recommended to swim at. There’s hardly anyone at either of these beaches and both have amazing scenic views. Playa Malpaso is about a 50 min walk northeast of town on Av. del Palmar then through a Jungle.
Playa Carricitos is on the west end of town and you walk by a graveyard to get to it. It’s a great place to catch a sunset and hang out. Check out the blog post I did, three secret beaches to check out near Sayulita.
A cool jungle hike to do is Monkey Mountain. It’s about 20 Minutes from Sayulita. I’d recommended either taking a taxi and downloading an offline map on All Trails or going with one of the guided groups around town. There’s no real signage and it’s easy to take a wrong turn on the trail.
One thing I wish I could’ve done was the Islas Marietas. A group of uninhabited islands near Sayulita and Punta de Mita. There’s a hidden beach that you can walk around on and a lot of companies also offer snorkeling. Worth looking into.
Mexico is a beautiful country that is definatley worth checking out if you ever get the chance. It’s cool to check out different cultures and meet new people from different backgrounds and places. Just make sure to brush up on your Spanish before you head down, eat some tacos, drink a couple cervezas, catch a few good waves and you’ll have a great time.
