Getting there & around

Getting to Chacala

The nearest airport is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), roughly an hour and a half to two hours south by road. Chacala sits just off Highway 200 in northern Nayarit, north of Sayulita and San Pancho.

• Private transfer or taxi from PVR. The simplest door-to-door option, around 90 minutes to two hours. Book ahead; it’s the most comfortable way in. Approximate cost is meaningful, so agree the fare before you leave.
• Rental car. Practical and freeing, since Chacala has so little on-site and day trips are the natural move. The highway is good; the last stretch down into the cove is a rough, cobbled, sometimes steep access road. Take it slow.
• Bus. Cheapest by far. Take a bus up Highway 200 toward Las Varas (roughly two hours from Vallarta), then a short local taxi or colectivo the final few kilometers down to the cove, since long-distance buses drop you on the highway, not in town. Approximate and worth confirming locally.

Getting around once you’re there

You don’t need a car in the village. Chacala is small enough to cross on foot in a few minutes, and the beach, restaurants and most lodging are all walkable. Keep a phone light for the unlit lanes at night.

Honest notes

There is no ATM in the village and card acceptance is spotty, so arrive with cash. Pull pesos in Sayulita, San Pancho or Las Varas on the way in. If you’re relying on buses, plan around daytime arrivals; you don’t want to be sorting a highway-to-cove taxi after dark.