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How to Get to Sayulita

Wondering how to get to Sayulita? In this blog post, I’m going to go through all of the different options for getting to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and anywhere else you might be traveling from.

P.S. If you are looking for a Sayulita guide, click here. And if you need somewhere to stay, read this and remember if you’re entering Mexico, you will need to provide proof of onward travel. Instead of buying an expensive ticket, you can get an onward ticket here

Where is Sayulita

Before we get stuck into how to get to Sayulita, it’s important to know where it is right? Sayulita is located on the west coast of Mexico in the state of Nayarit. Sayulita is the jewel in the Riviera Nayarit’s crown and by far the most popular tourist destination in the state with both foreign and Mexican tourists. 

Need a driver to pick you up from the airport and take you to Sayulita? I can arainge this for you with my local driver.

Click here to book a round trip pick up for 1-3 people from Puerto Vallart Airport to Sayulita with my local driver Juan.

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How to Get to Sayulita
How to Get to Sayulita

What makes Sayulita so Popular?

So now you know WHY to visit Sayulita, let’s dig into how to get to Sayulita (and how to get away from Sayulita). 

The big thing that pulls the crowds into Sayulita is the surf. Sayulita is a small surf town with a laid back young fun vibe. It’s also a Pueblo Magico (one of four Pueblo Magicos in Nayarit) so it’s super cute and popular with Instagrammers! It’s also a popular wellness destination where you can find everything from Yoga to Kambo to Aztec Temazcals!

Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?

The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing

Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.

Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies. 

Feel free to use the table below to skip to the section relevant to you.

What Airport Do You Fly Into For Sayulita Mexico?

As most people will want to fly to Sayulita either from somewhere else in Mexico or from another country, the first thing you are going to need to know is what airport do you fly into for Sayulita Mexico.

Is there a Sayulita Mexico Airport?

There is no Sayulita Airport. The airport near Sayulita Mexico is Puerto Vallarta. 

Puerto Vallarta airport is around 40 minutes to an hour by car or bus to Sayulita. The other airport in the area is Guadalajara, but that is much farther away. It’s around 4-5 hours by car, longer by bus.

When looking for Sayulita Mexico flights you need to check first to see if you can fly to Puerto Vallarta from wherever you are. Failing that you can fly into Guadalajara, check out the city for a few days, and then travel from Guadalajara to Sayulita (see below for a full Guadalajara to Sayulita breakdown). Personally, I always look for my Sayulita Mexico flights on Skyscanner, it never lets me down! To get cheap flights you can also check on WayAWay to get 5% cashback on flights.

Getting to Sayulita From Puerto Vallarta Airport (or downtown)

How To Get To Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta

Sayulita is 38KM from Puerto Vallarta airport. To drive from the airport to Sayulita takes around 50 minutes. The bus takes a little longer.

How to get from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita

Here are the top ways to getting from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita from cheapest to most expensive:

  1. Take the bus
  2. Use an Uber
  3. Take a taxi from outside the airport
  4. Hire a private driver
  5. Rent a car and drive yourself to Sayulita
  6. Take an airport Taxi

I’m now going to break each of these options for getting to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta airport in more detail including some booking options. Just click the links to book your Sayulita transport.

How To Get To Sayulita

Take the bus from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita

If you are on a budget, or solo traveling in Mexico, this is by far the best (cheapest) option. The bus from Puerto Vallarta airport to Sayulita doesn’t come directly inside the airport, but it’s close.

To catch the bus to Sayulita from the airport you will need to exit the airport by crossing over the highway via the pedestrian bridge. When you exit the airport turn left and you will see it. Once you cross over the bridge you really can’t miss it.

The bus from Puerto Vallarta airport to Sayulita costs around $50 pesos ($2.50) and takes around 1-1.5 hours. It really depends on traffic and how much the bus stops (it often stops a lot as it’s a local bus). In general, there are busses every 20 minutes and they run from 6 am until 10 pm. The bus line that travels to Sayulita is Compostela, it will have the name written in big letters on the front in green. Not all of the Compostela busses at that stop-go to Sayulita, so be sure to look out for the sign saying Sayulita in the front window. If in doubt ask.

How To Take The Bus from Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta Airport

Puerto Vallarta airport to Sayulita

If you want to take the bus from Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta airport it’s very easy. Just head to Sayulita bus station (click on the map below) and look for a Compostela bus heading to the airport. Buses run between 6 am and 10 pm and leave every 20 minutes.

Uber from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita

Does Uber work in Puerto Vallarta airport? Yes and no. Uber and Mexico don’t have a great relationship and in many states such as Quintanaroo, it is banned. Uber is available in both Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco) and Sayulita (Nayarit) and is far cheaper than taking a taxi. 

You will easily be able to book an Uber from Puerto Vallarta Airport to take you to Sayulita. But the Uber driver will not be able to pick you up inside the airport. Instead, you will need to exit the airport and wait for the driver there. Personally, I would exit the airport, turn left and walk across the pedestrian bridger, so you are on the correct side of the highway. You can then be picked up by your Uber driver close to the bus stop.

EDIT: The last time I tried to book an Uber from PV airport it was a total NIGHTMARE. I was pretty much stranded there for over an hour late at night alone. Never again! If your flight lands during the day it might be worth the risk, but if you are on that last flight from Mexico City, forget it. Book a private driver.

Uber from Sayulita to The Airport

So technically speaking it is possible that you can book an Uber to take you from Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta airport. But I REALLY would not rely on this option. There are lots of Uber drivers in Puerto Vallarta, but very few in Nayarit. This makes finding an Uber very difficult in Sayulita. If you find one, you got lucky!

Taking a Taxi from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita

If you decide to just take a taxi from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita then you actually have two options:

  1. Take an airport taxi (and pay anything from $2000 pesos or $100 USD and up) you book the taxi from inside the airport and the prices are fixed.
  2. Exit the airport, cross the highway, and flag a taxi down (the price should be around $700 -$1000 pesos… but this may depend on your Spanish skills, or lack thereof!

The airport taxi drivers are most likely going to speak some English, the drivers you get on the street are unlikely to, but you might get lucky. Either way, make sure you have the address written down so you can pass it to the driver if you don’t speak Spanish. If you flag down a taxi from across the street then you will need to have pesos on you. There are plenty of cash machines in the airport and they are safe to use.

Renting a Car in Puerto Vallarta Airport

If you are planning to just stay in Sayulita, then this probably isn’t the best option for you as you really don’t need a car in Sayulita, it’s a very walkable town. If however, you plan on doing some exploring in Nayarit (and you really should) then I strongly recommend renting a car and driving yourself to Sayulita. Car rentals start from around $17 USD a day (including insurance) so if there is a group of you this could be a great option.

It’s a very easy drive to Sayulita from the airport. Just exit the airport, and drive under the bridge to get onto the other side of the highway. Then take the highway up past Buscarias (about 20 minutes). If you want to buy groceries there are many supermarkets on the way. There are no supermarkets in Sayulita! So you will need to stop if you don’t want to have to come back. Options are Mega, La Comer, Walmart, and Chedraui. 

I personally turn off at the turning for La Cruz and drive that way to Sayulita as the road is safer and it’s a nicer drive. But you can also just follow the signs for Sayulita. It’s a very easy drive. 

EDIT: the rainy season has hit the roads here pretty hard and the stretch of road from La Cruz pretty much all the way into Sayulita is full of massive potholes! LIKE MASSIVE. While it’s ok to drive during the day I really would not recommend driving this road after dark unless you know it because it is not well-lit. I live here and refuse to drive it at night. Stay safe guys!

Click here to check Car rental prices in Puerto Vallarta.

Hiring a Private Driver 

If you don’t want to get the bus or drive yourself, this is the best option. Hiring a local driver to pick you up from Puerto Vallarta airport and deliver you to Sayulita is not only a safe and secure way of traveling.

You have two options for this and I know both drivers well and can personally vouch for them.

Option 1 is cheaper as the driver doesn’t have an airport permit, so he can’t pick you up directly at arrivals in the airport. You just need to take a short walk to the pickup point which is at the OXXO inside the airport. You can’t miss it! I’m working directly with a local driver to facilitate this option for you. He is my go-to guy whenever me or my family need to get somewhere and I trust him completely. Once you book and pay the deposit I will get all of your details from you and pass them to him and then he will be in direct contact with you to organize everything.

The cost of this service is $1000 pesos. You will pay a $20 USD deposit ($40 for a round trip), and the rest will be in cash directly to the driver. To book just click here to read the full information and then pay the deposit for the service you want.

Once I have received your booking you will get an email from me asking for all of the information I need to go ahead with your booking. Please get this back to me ASAP. If you don’t see the email within an hour or two of booking, please check your spam and email [email protected] if you still don’t see anything.

Juan will be in contact with you a day or so before your flight to confirm everything and put you in touch with your driver via WhatsApp. 

If you have any issues or further questions you can email me at any time.

Please be aware that we need at least 48 hours notice to guarantee a driver. If you need to book short notice contact me here first before paying a deposit. I’m in Europe a lot more these days so I’m often 8 hours ahead of Mexico so keep this in mind when contacting me.

Please note the above info is just for 1-3 people. If you have more than 3 people in your party then you will need more than one car!

Getting from Downtown Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita

Wondering how to get to Sayulita from Downtown? Not everyone traveling to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta is going to be arriving through the airport. You may have taken a bus to Puerto Vallarta, or be living there and want to know how to get to Sayulita for the day.

The options are pretty much the same for getting from downtown Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita as they are from the airport:

  1. Take the bus
  2. Use an Uber
  3. Take a taxi
  4. Rent a car and drive yourself to Sayulita
  5. Hire a private driver

Taking the bus to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta is the cheapest option. It’s also the slowest option.

To take the bus to Sayulita you are first going to need to get yourself to Walmart, yes there are other places you can take the bus, but this is by far the easiest place. The bus to Sayulita runs every 20 minutes from 6 am until 10 pm.

The second best option is Uber which is far cheaper than taking a taxi to Sayulita. The only issue is that you will be very unlikely to get an uber back unless one happens to be in the area dropping off. In this case, I would plan to take the bus back to PV from Sayulita.

Renting a car is a great option if there is a group of you. Click here to check prices.

And finally, you can also always book a private driver to pick you up. Just choose one of the options above to book through me in most cases it will be the same price unless you are staying super far out of town away from Sayulita. If you are unsure then you can contact me and I’ll get you a quote!

You can also book a private car from Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita from Gottogo.

Getting to Sayulita From Guadalajara

Guadalajara to sayulita

I know that some people, especially backpackers may be wondering how to get to Sayulita from Guadalajara. Or maybe to want to visit Guadalajara next and therefore need to know how to get from Sayulita to Guadalajara.

Here are your best options for traveling between Sayulita and Guadalajara:

  1. Take the bus
  2. Make your way to Puerto Vallarta airport and fly
  3. Rent a car and drive
  4. Use BlaBla Car

The bus is probably going to be your cheapest and less stressful option. Renting a car will potentially be the fastest and most comfortable way. While flying could suit you better, it will be more expensive and you will still need to travel to PV to fly.

Taking the Bus from Guadalajara to Sayulita (and taking the bus from Sayulita to Guadalajara)

Sayulita to Guadelajara

The bus company running the Sayulita to Guadalajara route is Vallarta Plus they generally run twice a day departing Guadalajara at around 7 am and 9 am and arriving in Sayulita at around 11 am and 1 pm. I would strongly recommend booking your ticket online with them.  

If you want a bit more flexibility with timings then nearby Buscatrias has buses arriving and departing much more frequently as it’s on the main route from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara. 

If you choose this option just take the Compostela bus from Sayulita to Bucerias bus station and then hop on the next bus passing through to Guadalajara. Same if you are traveling from Guadalajara to Sayulita. When you get to the main bus terminal in Guadalajara take the next bus to Puerto Vallarta and book a ticket to Bucerias. Once you arrive at Bucerias then you will need to hop on the Compostela to Sayulita. 

Personally, I would do this option if you want to have more flexibility and don’t mind the change of bus. 

The bus from Sayulita to Guadalajara costs around $600 pesos and takes 6 hours (minimum). The two bus companies operating the route from Bucerias to Guadalajara are Vallarta Plus and PaciFico. Both bus companies have large comfortable buses and the prices are about the same. I think generally PaciFico is a little cheaper than Vallarta Plus.

If you decide to rent a car and drive from Sayulita to Guadalajara, the drive is actually really easy and I’d highly recommend stopping in Jala (one of Nayarit’s 3 pueblo Magicos) and Tequila on the way.

Another option that you might consider is using BlaBla car. I have not used this myself, but I know people that have used it. If you don’t already know BlaBla car is actually a ride-sharing app where you can pay for a lift in the car of someone already driving that route. Kinda like a more organized way of hitchhiking. Click here to check BlaBla car. 

And that’s it! How to get to Sayulita, and how to get away. I really hope this post has been useful and you have a great time in Sayulita however you choose to get there.

Matteo

Sunday 17th of October 2021

Thanks for the info!