Sayulita Beaches
Sayulita Beach

Sayulita Beaches
Which One and How to Get There

The main beach for surf and sunsets, a calm cove past the cemetery, and wild sand you walk to. Here is which one to pick.

10 listingsUpdated Sep 2026
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Which Sayulita Beach Is Right for You

A couple of blocks from the plaza, the main beach runs in a long curve of sand, with a river mouth partway along it and a surf break in front of it. It is where Sayulita surfs, eats and watches the sun go down. We’ve got 10 places right on the sand, from beach clubs to a food truck, so a cold drink is never far from your towel.

Most people set up in the middle and toward the south end, where the surf schools, the boats and the bars are. Walk north along the sand and it empties out fast. That is the easy win on a busy day.

It is not the only beach. About fifteen minutes south, past the cemetery on the hill, Playa de los Muertos is quieter and calmer, and it is the one people pick for a swim.

Take the dirt road the other way at the fork and you reach Playa Carricitos, with nothing built on the sand and a current that keeps most people out of the water. North of town a trail runs to Las Cuevas and Malpaso, with caves you can only walk through at low tide.

Pack for warm water. It sits around 74°F (23.5°C) at its coolest in March and near 87°F (30.5°C) in August.

The Sayulita Beach Guide

Playa Sayulita: Where to Set Up

The middle of the beach and the south end are where everything happens. The surf schools work the sandbar, the pangas sit on the sand waiting for passengers, and the bars put their chairs out front. If you want shade and a menu within reach, this is your stretch. 4 proper beach clubs line the main beach, La Isla Beach Club and Goat Beach Club among them.

Want room? Walk north along the sand, past the river mouth. It thins out quickly and the sunset is exactly the same. Pick up what you need at the shops in town first: the service stops where the crowd does. For a meal, the north side of town sits right behind this stretch.

Marea Surf School
Marea Surf School

Learn to Surf on the Sandbar

The beginner wave breaks over sand, right in front of Don Pedro’s, and that is where the lessons happen. 3 surf schools on our map give lessons, and the winter swell is the smaller, friendlier one. Compare them on the surf lessons page.

The Right, off the river mouth, is the wave Sayulita is known for. It breaks over rock and sand, runs waist to chest high on a normal day, and it is crowded. Leave it to the locals until you can turn. The Left, across the river, wants a bigger summer swell. The rest is in the surf guide.

The whole town, mapped

Every spot in Sayulita,
one map.

228 places: restaurants, surf breaks, rentals, and everything between, pinned and color-coded by category. Open the map to search, filter, and tap your way around town.

Open the full map
La Orca de Sayulita
La Orca de Sayulita

Boats, Whales and Turtles

Trips to the Marietas Islands are sold all over town. Many of them drive you to Punta Mita or La Cruz and leave from there, so ask where the boat starts before you pay. Only operators authorized by CONANP, the national parks agency, can take you in. The options are on the boat tours page.

From early December to late March, humpback whales are in the bay, and the peak is January and February: see whale watching. Sea turtles nest on this coast from summer into winter. If you find a nest or a release, no flash and no touching, as the municipal turtle camp rules put it.

Common Questions About Sayulita Beaches

It depends on what you want from the water. The main beach is the one for surfing, beach clubs and the sunset. Playa de los Muertos is the one for a calm swim, and Carricitos is the one for empty sand and a walk to get there.