Getting to Sayulita
Fly into Puerto Vallarta (PVR). Sayulita is about 38 km north of the airport on Highway 200, under an hour by car, and there are four ways to cover it.
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- 38 km
- north of Puerto Vallarta airport
- Under an hour
- by taxi, shuttle or rental car
- 60 to 90 min
- on the Compostela bus
- 3 to 3.5 hours
- from Guadalajara on the toll road
Airport to town
Stop 1
Puerto Vallarta airport (PVR)
Rental counters sit on both sides of the highway outside the airport.
Stop 2
Highway 200 through Bucerías
Drive north on Highway 200 through Bucerías. A new toll road also runs from the airport to Bucerías in about 20 minutes.
Stop 3
Past the Punta de Mita turnoff
Then up a winding two-lane stretch to the signed Sayulita turnoff.
Stop 4
Sayulita
In town the streets are narrow and cobbled and parking is scarce, so most people leave the car and walk.
Airport taxi or a pre-booked shuttle
The authorized taxis sell rides inside the terminal at a fixed zone fare, with no meter, and Sayulita is priced as a special zone. Agree the price at the desk before you walk out. A shuttle booked ahead meets you with your name on a sign, which is the calmest way to do it after a long flight or with boards.
Rental car
Rental counters sit on both sides of the highway outside the airport. Drive north on Highway 200 through Bucerías, past the Punta de Mita turnoff, then up a winding two-lane stretch to the signed Sayulita turnoff. A new toll road also runs from the airport to Bucerías in about 20 minutes. In town the streets are narrow and cobbled and parking is scarce, so most people leave the car and walk.
The Compostela bus
Cross the pedestrian bridge over the highway from the airport. The white-and-green Compostela buses with Sayulita in the windshield come by roughly every 15 to 20 minutes, from about 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pay the driver in pesos, and ask where they stop for Sayulita: some drop you at the highway turnoff rather than in town.
From Guadalajara
The toll road from Guadalajara through Jala and Compostela is finished now, and the drive runs about three to three and a half hours. Keep cash for the tolls. By bus, ETN and Primera Plus go to Puerto Vallarta in about five hours; from there it is a taxi or the Compostela bus.
Good to know
- No paper tourist card any more. Flying in, your passport gets stamped with the days you are allowed, and the digital FMM is on the INM page.
- Sayulita keeps the same clock as Puerto Vallarta. Tepic and Compostela are an hour behind, under Mexico's official time zones.
- Golf carts are the town's second car, but they can't go on Highway 200. Where to rent one is in golf cart rentals.
- Staying at a resort down the coast? The all-inclusive page has the drive times into Sayulita.
Amanecer Golf Cart RentalCommon Questions About Getting to Sayulita
Puerto Vallarta (PVR). Sayulita is about 38 km north of it, under an hour by car in normal traffic. Tepic is the other option, about 124 km away, so PVR is almost always easier.
Airport taxis charge a fixed zone fare, not a meter, and Sayulita is a special zone, so ask the price at the desk before you go. Taxis waiting across the pedestrian bridge, on the highway side, are usually cheaper.
The rules for app pickups at the airport went back and forth in the courts through 2025, so open the app when you land and see what it offers. If it won't book a pickup at the terminal, walk across the pedestrian bridge and try again from the highway.
Yes. The Compostela buses leave from across the pedestrian bridge outside the airport, run about every 15 to 20 minutes from roughly 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and take 60 to 90 minutes. Pay the driver in pesos.
About three to three and a half hours on the toll road through Jala and Compostela, which opened in full in 2024. Bring cash for the tolls.
Not in town. It is walkable, the streets are narrow and cobbled, and parking is scarce. A car earns its keep for day trips along the coast. Golf carts are popular in town but are not allowed on Highway 200.
Not a paper one. Arriving by air, the immigration officer stamps your passport with the number of days you are allowed, up to 180, and you can download the digital FMM from the INM site once, within those days.
Central time, the same as Puerto Vallarta, with no daylight saving. Tepic and Compostela, inland, are an hour behind, so your phone may change as you drive in.
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