Mexico's most beloved surf town — jungle-backed breaks, skull murals, and epic tacos on the sand
Sayulita is a small fishing village turned surf town on Mexico's Pacific Riviera Nayarit, 40km north of Puerto Vallarta. It has the combination that makes great beach towns great: a consistent left-hand beach break that works for beginners in the mornings and delivers long rides for intermediates by afternoon, a main plaza that comes alive at dusk with street food vendors and mezcal bars, and a bohemian creative community of expats and Mexican artists that keeps the culture genuinely interesting. Day of the Dead here is among Mexico's most atmospheric, with the beach cemetery illuminated by t…
Sayulita was a quiet Huichol (Wixáritari) and mestizo fishing village until the 1960s when California surfers discovered the break while driving the Pacific coast. Word spread slowly through surf culture and the town grew organically as a low-key alternative to Puerto Vallarta's resort scene. It was designated a Pueblo Mágico ('Magical Town') by the Mexican government in 2015. The Huichol culture — known for extraordinary yarn paintings and beadwork representing shamanic visions — remains present in the surrounding sierra, and artisan markets in Sayulita sell authentic pieces.