How to get to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport in 5 ways

The trip to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport can be as much a part of the adventure as the destination. From local buses to private shuttles, here’s a range of transportation options to suit your travel style.

📮  Hi Trisha! After reading your posts about Sayulita, I finally decided to come to spend my winter there this year! I was battling between Puerto Escondido and Sayulita but based on your stories, Sayulita won my heart! I am currently planning my travels. Do you still have a local taxi driver that can take me to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta airport? I’d love to support locals so let me know how I can avail. Thanks again and I hope to meet you!
-Cherry Ann, United States

Hola, Cherry Ann!

Glad you decided to go to Sayulita! Yes, I still have that local taxi driver and will connect you with him. I no longer live in Sayulita, but I spent two years there. I’ve written many local Sayulita travel guides, so if you need anything during your stay, just let me know!

I hope you have a wonderful stay. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there’s anything I can do for you. I am on Instagram, @psimonmyway. All my friends still live there so if you’re traveling by yourself to Sayulita, I’d love to introduce you to them! Good luck!

Xx,
Trisha

In a hurry? Here are my top recommendations for Sayulita travel:

✈️ Sayulita Trip Planning: I lived in Sayulita for 2 years and I can help you plan your trip through a 1-1 chat. You may book a call with me here.

🚖 Airport transfer: Book my local taxi driver in Puerto Vallarta here

🛏️ Accommodations: Here’s an awesome map of all vacation rentals in Sayulita that’s near the center (plaza).

🏄🏽 Things to do: Use the code PSIMONMYWAY10 to get a 10% discount on all local activities in Sayulita!

🚗 Rental Cars: It’s easy to drive from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita! Book a rental car here for as low as $25 per day.

🛜 Staying connected: Get an E-sim for Mexico for as low as $5 per day. It has great coverage in Sayulita and Riviera Nayarit areas!

🚑 Safety: Do not travel Mexico without an insurance. I use SafetyWing for my digital nomad trips and Ekta Traveling for short trips.

Quick info: Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport

Here are some helpful information to know when traveling to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport:

• The airport that serves Sayulita is Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR). It has direct flights from the USA and Canada.
• This airport also serves Sayulita’s neighboring towns, such as Punta Mita and San Pancho. The transportation rates for these destinations are similar.
• Sayulita is about an hour’s drive from Puerto Vallarta Airport. From downtown Puerto Vallarta (say, the Malecon), it can take about 1.5 hours.
• Prices for private transportation to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport start at $89 USD (4 passengers).
• For departures from Sayulita, I recommend leaving at least 4 hours before your flight. This means you should aim to be at the airport at least 3 hours before taking off.

1. Transfer to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport via private driver

A pre-arranged airport taxi is the most convenient way to travel to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport. You can book online at least 48 hours in advance. This costs $89 USD, and the driver will wait for you at the arrival gate.

This is my go-to guy, and he’s the only one I use whenever I travel to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport, especially when I was still living there! In any case, I recommend that you buy a Mexican SIM card when you arrive at the airport.

There are SIM card kiosks at Puerto Vallarta Airport’s arrivals gate, but the SIM cards may be costly. A cheaper option is to walk to Oxxo outside the arrivals gate. Buying a SIM card at Oxxo is at least 30% cheaper. They will also help set-up the SIM for you.

Additionally, please note that Mexico uses WhatsApp so make sure to download it to better communicate with your driver upon arrival.

BOOK TRANSPORTATION TO SAYULITA →

2. Rent a car at Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita

Renting a car at Puerto Vallarta Airport is also one of the ways to get to Sayulita. But bear in mind that parking in Sayulita is a horror story! This is a walking town, so the streets are narrow, often one-way, and have a lot of foot traffic.

You won’t need a car within the town. If you plan to rent a car, just make sure you book a hotel with parking. Renting a car for Sayulita is probably best if you want to do day trips from Sayulita, such as Lo de Marcos, San Pancho, Los Ayala, and the whole of Riviera Nayarit.

Pre-book the rental car online if you want decent-sized cars such as SUVs. If you book in person, they often have limited availability on bigger vehicles. Here are the most common car types with prices:

• Mini (Volkswagen Polo or similar): $11 USD per day
• Economy (Nissan March or similar): $18 USD per day
• Compact (VW Gol or similar): $20 USD per day
• Intermediate (Mitsubishi Mirage or similar): $28 USD per day

The daily rates are cheap, but remember that you have to pay a security deposit when renting a car in Puerto Vallarta. The rate depends on the number of days that you are renting the car. An example would be $450 USD deposit for a 7-day car rental.

The security deposit is a floating charge on your credit card, and it will be reimbursed once you return the car in good condition. Don’t worry or hesitate to swipe your credit card—it’s safe! Additionally, debit cards from the USA or Canada are considered credit cards in Mexico. If you’d rather use a debit card, that works too!

3. Uber to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport

The Uber app does not work in all Mexican cities (for example, Puerto Escondido), but it does in Puerto Vallarta. However, Uber is not allowed to enter Puerto Vallarta Airport. If you booked an Uber through the app, you must leave the airport premises to meet your driver. All you have to do is cross the bridge outside the PV airport, and your driver will be waiting for you at the other end.

This is ideal if you are traveling light, but this bridge is a bit long and high if you have heavy luggage. There is a ramp at the footbridge for your luggage, so don’t worry. Uber fares to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport vary by time of day. For example, if you arrive between 7 and 10 AM, expect to pay around 1,000 pesos ($52 USD).

I find nighttime taxi fees more expensive, but this depends on Uber’s algorithm, not the drivers. There’s a lot of taxi politics in PV airport against Uber, but if you’re willing to bring all your luggage and leave the airport to meet your Uber driver, then this option is for you.

Of course, you need a location in Puerto Vallarta Airport to call the Uber. You can’t do it inside, so you have to walk to this location and then order the Uber from there. Taking the Uber requires more work, so if you don’t want to follow the steps above, just book the private taxi service, which is only a few bucks more.

How much is Uber from Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita?

If you’re coming from downtown Puerto Vallarta, you can simply take an Uber, which will cost you around $55 USD—$150 USD.

Uber is commonly used in Puerto Vallarta, so you’re good to go if you have the app! However, some Uber drivers may not want to travel to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta.

This means that they can cancel the ride if they see that the final destination is Sayulita. You can also haggle with white taxis downtown but I do not recommend this if you do not speak Spanish.

There are also transportation options to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta downtown where the driver will pick you up door-to-door from your resort/hotel/Airbnb.

This is ideal for those who are staying in Puerto Vallarta but want to explore Sayulita for a day trip. Expect to pay around $89 USD for one-way trips and a discounted ride for two-way trips.

4. Bus to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport

Regular buses to Sayulita depart from Puerto Vallarta Airport. These buses bear the big letters ‘Compostela’ and usually have a written sign on the windshield that says SAYULITA. Like Uber, you must cross the footbridge outside PV airport to the bus stop. This is the location of the bus stop at Puerto Vallarta International Airport. Use Google Maps and follow the instructions.

This costs $4 USD and will take you directly to the bus station in Sayulita. However, this trip is longer (up to 2 hours) as these buses stop frequently. This bus also passes by Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerias in case you want to visit these small towns during your stay in Sayulita.

They also don’t always stop at the bus stop in Puerto Vallarta airport, so make sure to raise your hand when you see the bus with the sign that says ‘Sayulita’ in it. They are not frequent – sometimes, the wait time can take up to 30 minutes. When the bus is full, you will have to stand during the ride or wait for another bus to arrive, which, unfortunately, I have no idea how long it will take.

5. Hitchhiking to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta

I want to add this to the list of ways to get to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport because the reader question above is from a backpacker and solo traveler. I’ve hitchhiked a lot in the Nayarit area, and I can assure you that it is really safe! Mexicans are super friendly to foreigners, and you will surely get a ride in this area easily.

You must cross the bridge from PV airport to the other side to hitchhike. Nayarit is the other way, so you must go to the other side of the road. Follow the instructions for getting an Uber and taking the bus to find the best hitchhiking spots.

Put on your big smile and thumbs up! There is only one highway to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta airport, so you’ll have a higher chance of getting a ride.