Getting there & around

Getting to Sayulita

From the airport

The nearest airport is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), roughly 40 to 60 minutes south depending on traffic and where you land in town. Options:

• Private transfer or taxi. Easiest, most comfortable, most expensive. Book ahead or take an authorized airport taxi. Expect an approximate price in the higher range for the convenience.
• Bus. The cheapest route: get to the Compostela/Vallarta-line bus stop and take a Nayarit-bound bus that stops at the Sayulita turnoff. It’s a fraction of the taxi cost but involves a transfer and a walk, and it’s slower — plan on well over an hour door to door.
• Rental car. Straightforward drive up Highway 200. Handy if you plan day trips, but parking in the center is tight and the cobblestone streets are not fun to navigate.

From Puerto Vallarta town

Frequent local and regional buses run up the coast to Sayulita through the day for a low fare — comfortable enough, just not fast. A taxi or rideshare is quicker and pricier.

Getting around once there

You don’t need a car in town. Sayulita is walkable end to end in 15 to 20 minutes, and walking is genuinely the best way to move around the center.

• On foot for everything central. Wear real shoes — the cobblestones and river crossings are rough.
• Golf carts and taxis for the hillside neighborhoods or luggage runs. Golf carts are the local shorthand for getting up the hills without the sweat.

Honest note: high-season traffic on the single road in and out backs up badly on weekends. Time your arrival and departure for off-peak hours.