About staying in Sayulita
Sayulita is a cobblestoned surf town on the Nayarit coast, louder and pricier than its size suggests. Everything is walkable — the plaza, the main beach with its surf schools, the quieter north side across the river, the climb up Gringo Hill — and you can cross it end to end in fifteen minutes. Our 2026 scans found only 5 hotels with a real price here, because most of the lodging is houses and apartments for rent: from US$71 a night and a typical rate of about US$119, expensive by Mexican standards and normal for the Riviera Nayarit. From December to April the town fills up, and you feel it on the street.
Sayulita hotel FAQs
Which part of Sayulita should I stay in?
The centre, around the plaza and Calle Delfines, if you want everything on foot and the late-night music does not bother you. Cross the bridge to the north side, towards Playa Norte, and you get the same walkability with the bars out of earshot, five to ten minutes away. Gringo Hill and the lane towards Playa de los Muertos buy views and quiet, paid for in steep climbs.
When is it cheapest to sleep here?
June to October, deep in the rainy season: humid heat, afternoon storms and a fair number of places shut in September, but far better availability and rates. The expensive weeks are Christmas, New Year and Holy Week, when minimum-stay rules appear and you need to book months out. Midweek always beats weekends, whatever the month.
How do I get here from Puerto Vallarta, and do I need a car?
Puerto Vallarta airport is about 40 km away, 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter depending on traffic through Bucerías. A private transfer runs roughly MX$1,200-1,600 in rounded 2025 terms; the Compostela or Punta de Mita bus costs on the order of MX$60-80. Skip the car: the town is a fifteen-minute walk across and parking inside is genuinely awkward.
Is Sayulita a good place to learn to surf?
Yes. The main beach has a sand bottom and forgiving waves, with several schools and boards for rent, and winter swell is especially kind to beginners. Stronger surfers head for the peak on the north side or nearby beaches such as Carricitos and Malpaso. Two caveats: the line-up gets crowded in high season, and after heavy rain the water near the river mouth turns murky.