Is Sayulita Worth Visiting? (+ Tips for Planning Your Trip)

Is Sayulita worth visiting? This colorful town on the western coast of Mexico, just one hour from Puerto Vallarta, is quickly growing in tourism thanks to its beachy mood and energetic nightlife. However, it differs from the likes of much-frequented destinations like Cancún in that it mainly attracts digital nomads from the States and Canada, budget travelers residing in hostels, and surfers looking to become a part of the culture rather than reap the benefits of all-inclusive resorts.

Sayulita is best known for its ideal surfing conditions and its eye-catching streets lined with flags nodding to its vibrant culture. Continue reading to learn why Sayulita is worth visiting, the top things you must do, and other valuable tips for planning your trip to this zestful town!

Bonus: Check out my blog on the best places to eat and drink in Sayulita!

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Fun Things You Must Do in Sayulita

One of the top reasons why Sayulita is worth visiting is that it is full of culture and fun things to do. Have a look below for some of my top recommendations for your trip.

Bar Hopping

Prior to my trip, I hadn’t realized just how much of a party town Sayulita is. After sundown, the streets in Sayulita have a different kind of feel to them. The main square fills with local performers, music pours out of establishments, and locals and visitors alike are blissfully dancing through the streets. This nightly partying scene never dies down, as there is something new going on each evening. In my experience, even a night that seems kind of dead around town can turn into one of the most memorable nights! You truly never know where the night will take you in Sayulita if you’re open enough. As someone who plans out every single moment of her travels, it felt so freeing to lean into the spontaneity of Sayulita!

So, where are the best places to party in Sayulita so that you can have this same experience? Have a look below at some of my top recommendations.

YamBak: My favorite drinking spot in Sayulita, YamBak, is a beer garden by day and a lively nightclub by night, bringing in talented DJs to entertain crowds until the wee hours of the night. Bonus Tip: Tuesdays are “Two for Tuesday,” meaning that drinks are 2 for 1 for their best-selling drinks, like margaritas!
Bar Don Pato: This three-story bar is the go-to place for dancing and late-night raving. Expect a small cover charge on high-volume nights. However, this small charge will also entitle you to a free tequila shot once inside. Open from 8 pm-3 am each night (until 4 am on Fridays and Saturdays), you can always count on Bar Don Pato to offer you a fun night out.
Barrilito Sayulita: Known as “The Red Bar” by locals, Barrilito Sayulita always attracts a crowd, whether through its intimate dance floor inside or its outside seats ascending the street on the side of the building. Margaritas here are 2 for 1 during happy hour, giving you all the more reason to indulge in this drink while in Mexico.
Selina The Garden: Selina The Garden is an open-air tiki restaurant that transforms into an energetic dancefloor at night. We happened upon this bar on our first night in Sayulita and were able to undergo a makeover of sorts thanks to the employee doing face/body painting. It was a fun night, but we didn’t last here since the DJs were playing strictly techno music this night that we grew tired of after about an hour.
Latitude 20 Sayulita: A block from the beach, Latitude 20 is a smaller establishment that often has live performers frequenting its venue. It’s a bit more of a casual spot for a night out, but it’s fun to pop into, especially on Karaoke Mondays, which start at 10 pm!
Hula Sayulita: A bit more expensive than the rest on this list, Hula Sayulita is a tropical-themed bar with an upscale beach aesthetic. Their rooftop dance floor can get quite lively depending on where everyone in town is partying that night, but it makes for a great stop while in Sayulita!

Grab Beach Massages

Everyone could use a massage while on vacation, especially if you’ve been working out on a surfboard recently. Thankfully, Sayulita Beach has a plethora of beach massage services for you to choose from, starting as low as $30 USD. These aren’t anything like the sketchy storefront massage advertisements you might be used to seeing in the States. $30 USD will get you a relaxing hour-long quality massage, proving yet again why Sayulita is worth visiting.

Where to Get the Best Massage on Sayulita Beach: Sweet Flowers Massage by Rosa Cárdenas came highly recommended to us. After getting a massage there myself, this would be a top recommendation for anyone looking to get a massage on the beach.

Hours: 10 am - 7 pm every day

Address: Calle Pescadores sin numero, Centro, 63734 Sayulita, Nay., Mexico

Explore the Shops and Streets

As you first enter Sayulita, your eyes will be drawn to the colorful flags and cultural murals of skeletons painted around town. During your time here, you must dedicate some time to strolling the streets, popping into a mixture of upscale boutiques and locally-owned businesses selling alebrijes.

Alebrijes are a type of Mexican folk art, most noticeable by their colorful patterns adorning various animals. These one-of-a-kind pieces are said to represent one’s spirit animal and are a great souvenir to take home if you feel connected to any of these in particular.

Allow yourself time to wander into all the shops that catch your eye. From jewelry to alebrijes to hand-painted bowls, there’s quite a lot to see!

Take a Sunset Catamaran Cruise

One of the most fun things to do in Sayulita is to take an open-bar sunset catamaran cruise. We just so happened to have ours on Galentines day, which was the ideal way to celebrate this holiday of sorts.

Who to Take a Catamaran Cruise With in Sayulita: Our sunset catamaran cruise was taken with AllyCat, joined by one of the most fun crews we could have asked for! The 3-hour cruise includes an open bar and endless appetizers, like taquitos, chicken tenders, and chips and guac. You’ll want to wear a swimsuit even on the sunset cruise, as you’ll have a chance to jump in the water while appetizers are being served. Additionally, the crew blasts music the entire time, keeping the good vibes going until your return to the dock! If you’re lucky, you may even see a whale or two, as our group did.

Price: $65 for Adults

Check out more tours from Ally Cat here!

Surfing Lessons

With such a huge surfing culture, make your visit to Sayulita even more worth it by picking up this new skill that has encouraged many out-of-towners to reside in this surf town. There are various surf schools and private instructors located throughout Sayulita and the town’s surrounding areas that offer their expertise to a mix of experience levels. For beginners like me, you’ll likely impress yourself with how easily you’re able to catch on to this sport, even if you were nervous in the beginning. I hadn’t been sure I’d be able to stand on the board, but I managed to do it over ten times throughout the lesson! In order to truly experience Sayulita like a local, you should try out at least one lesson.

Where to Take Surfing Lessons in Sayulita: Our group took our lessons with Marea Surf School. This highly-rated company offers surfing lessons, surf trips, and even surf camps. There are a few different packages and trips to choose from, but if you’re hoping to stay local to Sayulita, I recommend the 2-hour surf lesson in Sayulita. You’ll be provided with a surfboard and rashguard and will receive some on-land directives from your instructor prior to entering the ocean. Once you’ve got the hang of the basic movements, they’ll guide you out to sea and help you catch some waves, encouraging you the whole way through.

Price: 1 person—65 USD* / 1300 MXN

2 people—55 USD* / 1100 MXN per person

3+ people—50 USD* / 1000 MXN per person

Check out more details here!

There are a variety of hostels in the area that also offer surf trips and deals that can save you money when renting a board. Click here to read my blog on the best hostels in Sayulita and learn which ones offer surfing opportunities!

Take a Day Trip to San Pancho

San Pancho is an endearing town just about 10 minutes outside of Sayulita. It resembles Sayulita very closely but is a bit more laid back, especially in terms of nightlife. Even still, travelers and locals were out and about when we visited, as it was the evening of the Super Bowl. (Yes, it’s even a big event in Mexico!) Crowds were dancing on the streets while Rihanna’s halftime show was being displayed on restaurants’ screens, showing evidence that San Pancho is still an entertaining town even though it’s a bit more scaled back than Sayulita.

What Should You Do in San Pancho?: One of the top things to do in San Pancho is to relax on the beach. Our group grabbed some lounge chairs out front of Oliva’s Restaurant and Bar and ordered food and drinks to be brought out to us. If you want the vibes of being at a resort without actually paying the price of staying at a resort, then ordering food and drinks to these lounge chairs is the way to go! After you’ve had enough time on the beach, you should check out some more boutiques in San Pancho. There’s one main street here where you’ll find the majority of shops: Av. Tercer Mundo.

Where Do You Fly Into to Go to Sayulita?

Most visitors to Sayulita fly into Puerto Vallarta, as this airport is located just one hour away. From here, you can take a taxi or private shuttle to wherever you are staying. This is the fastest way to get to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta.

Alternatively, if you’d like to save some money, you can catch a bus just outside of Puerto Vallarta airport that travels into Sayulita. After exiting the airport, you’ll have to walk over the footbridge to arrive at the bus stop. To locate these buses, look for the giant “Compostela” sign on the front of the bus. This costs about $50 pesos (a little over $2.50 USD) but can take a bit longer due to traffic and frequent bus stops. Since these drop you off at the bus station in Sayulita, however, you’ll just need to figure out how far of a walk your accommodations are.

The next closest airport to Sayulita is in Guadalajara, but this will take you even longer to arrive in Sayuilta, as it is about a 4-5 hour drive away.

If you prefer to rent a car of your own, begin your search below!

How Many Days Do You Need in Sayulita?

Sayulita is worth visiting for much longer than I stayed, which was about five days. Many people do enjoy stopping in for this short amount of time to enjoy some beautiful scenery and crazy nights. Others visit and choose to stay for weeks on end, even building a life there. The beauty of Sayulita is that it thrives on spontaneity. However, if you’re like a lot of Americans and only have a limited amount of time to spare, I’d say that 5-7 days is a great amount of time to experience the highlights of Sayulita.

I hope to return and stay about a month in Sayulita someday. But five days was a great introduction to this lovable community.

What Is the Best Month to Go to Sayulita?

As I heard from all the locals, Sayulita gets unbearably hot during the summer months. November-April is the favorable time to visit, as the weather is still comfortably warm without making you feel like you’re drowning in humidity. I visited in February and saw daily sunshine and temperatures in the upper 70s! The evenings could get a tiny bit chilly, but it was nothing that a pair of jeans couldn’t fix! Plus, after a few minutes of dancing, you won’t even notice the light breeze. It was the best weather I could have asked for, so I’d definitely say that Sayulita is worth visiting in February.

What to Wear in Sayulita

With how beachy it is in Sayulita, your daily attire will likely consist of a swimsuit and some sort of light cover-up for walking around town, grabbing a late lunch, and stopping in a shop or two. If surfing is more your fashion, then you’ll likely embrace the surfer chic style while visiting, sporting a wetsuit or trendy rashguard.

At night, you’ll likely want to dress it up a tad bit more with some jeans and a cute top or a casual dress. If you’re visiting during one of the colder months, I also recommend packing a jacket or long-sleeved shirt so that you have some options. Don’t get dressed up too fancy, though. Sayulita is known for its cobblestone streets, and you don’t want to be walking around on heels in those streets after having had a few drinks or even while completely sober! A cute pair of sandals is the way to go in terms of footwear in Sayulita.

Is Sayulita a Party Town?

Sayulita is undoubtedly a party town! I hadn’t known just how much this town loves to party until I experienced it for myself. With how chill Sayulita is during the day, I hadn’t expected it to be as lively as it was at night. I came to love this nightly atmosphere rather quickly and loved seeing how each night differed from the next.

Even though Sayulita is a fairly small town and appears to have a small selection of bars at first glance, you’ll come to find that there are plenty of venues to keep you entertained throughout your stay. From salsa nights to “Two for Tuesday” at Yambak to glow parties, there is always something going on, and there are always new people pouring in and out of town to meet while you’re visiting, making a night out even more fun!

Do Places in Sayulita Accept Cards?

Prior to going to Sayulita, I knew that some places might not accept credit cards, but I hadn’t realized just how many places this would apply to! The majority of restaurants and bars in Sayulita are cash-only.

There are some ATMs around town, but these can be unreliable. I learned towards the end of my trip that the National Guard comes into town about every two weeks to fill up the ATMs, meaning that they frequently run out of money towards the end of this 2-week period. As a result, if you run out of cash and can’t find any in the ATMs around town, you’ll likely need to stick to establishments that accept cards, borrow cash from a friend, or drive out to a gas station where you can ask for cash back.

Thankfully, I budgeted well enough and had enough free meals thrown into my week to make my cash last me throughout my stay. But you’ll want to make sure you stroll into town with a good amount of cash to last you for most of your stay, just in case. You can either do a money exchange prior to arriving or stop at one of the ATMs in the Puerto Vallarta airport after landing.

I hope this blog post has done its job of convincing you why Sayulita is worth visiting! This entrancing town left quite an impression on me and helped me return home with some crazy stories to tell, some new beginner surfing skills, and an even deeper appreciation of Latin American culture. As Sayulita continues to grow in tourism, I hope it will continue to remember its roots and not conform to the larger resort destinations, as its small-town feel is exactly what makes it so worth remembering!