Mirador Del Toro Hike Guide + Playa Del Toro Info: Los Ayala
The Mirador Del Toro hike is one of my favourite trails in Riviera Nayarit. The hike weaves through lush jungle before coming to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the Pacific coastline. Playa Del Toro – a secluded beach – is located just “around the corner,” meaning you can easily hike to Mirador and swim at Playa del Toro in the same day.
Playa del Toro is one of my favourite beaches in Riviera Nayarit for its small waves and great swimming potential. I stayed here for about half a day and got to enjoy the beach almost entirely to myself, float in the salt water, and watch whales surfing in the distance. As for the Mirador del Toro hike, this is one of my favourite trails near Sayulita for its jungle scenery, shade, and beautiful views.
In this guide I’ll tell you everything you need to know regarding the Mirador del Toro hike inducing how to get to Playa del Toro, hiking stats like time, distance, and elevation as well as what to expect along the way.
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My Mexico map has recommendations for:
- Places: beach towns, mountain villages, backpacker hotspots, and magic towns
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- Restaurants: street food, healthy options, local favourites, international eats
- Experiences: holy sites, excursions, holistic experiences/retreats, turtle releases, photo-ops
- Planning: bus stops, lodging, public washrooms, tedious details (like laundromats/grocery stores)
How to get to the Mirador del Toro Hike from Sayulita
The Mirador Del Toro hike is located in Los Ayala which is just down the road from the popular Rincón de Guayabitos along the Riviera Nayarit.
If you’re already staying in Rincón de Guayabitos, you can easily take a taxi for 50-70 pesos one way to the Mirador del Toro hike in Los Ayala. The taxi drops you right at the Mirador Del Toro trailhead making this a literal “door-to-door” service.
If you’re coming from Sayulita to hike Mirador Del Toro, you’ll need to take a 95 peso green Compostela bus from the main station in Sayulita to Rincón de Guayabitos (bus stop drop-off location in Guayabitos). From here you’ll need to take a taxi to Los Ayala (50-70 pesos) OR walk 45mins/1hr from the bus stop to the Mirador del Toro trailhead.
To get back to Sayulita from Rincón de Guayabitos by bus you’ll need to flag down a green Compostela bus at the Pemex (gas station) across the road where you were originally dropped off in Guayabitos. Sometimes there may be a Compostela bus already waiting in the parking lot. You’ll be dropped off along the main highway in Sayulita opposed to the main station in town which will add around a 20 minute walk to your return journey.
ps – all the bus stops mentioned here are marked on my downloadable Mexico map for planning convenience
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Where to Stay in Los Ayala / Rincón de Guayabitos
Here are the best options of where to stay in Los Ayala as well as Rincón de Guayabitos based on travel type and budget.
Where to stay in Los Ayala: Santa Martha Bungalows and MALAKI are both nicer options within walking distance to the Playa del Toro hike. Hotel Y Bungalows Islas Careyes is a better budget option for those looking to save a few $.
Where to stay in Rincón de Guayabitos: Sunset Islands Villas is a beautiful 5 star resort whereas Villas Dulce Suenos offers a better price for those travelling on a budget. For something priced in the middle that still has good reviews, you can give the Luxury Hotel Inn a try.
Where to Stay in Sayulita
If you’re coming from Sayulita to hike Mirador del Toro or Playa del Toro in Los Ayala, these are my favourite lodging options based on type of travel and budget.
Best hostels for backpackers: ITH The Amazing Hostel (quiet and best amenities), La Redonda (most social/lively), Casa Pepe and Viajero (fancier), My Sister’s House (women’s only/spiritual vibe).
Budget hotels in Sayulita: Villas Vista Suites and Hotel Playa Azul are both right by the beach and come in at very appealing price points.
Mid-range hotels in Sayulita: the 4 star Hotel Vista Oceana Sayulita and Casa Pia are also within close proximity to the beach, but with a bit more class.
Luxury hotels in Sayulita: if you’re looking for the best 5 star experience in Sayulita the Nomada Wellness Hotel is less than 100m away from the beach and has all the best fancy-dancy amenities.
About the Mirador del Toro Hike in Guayabitos
- Distance: 6.1kms
- Elevation gain: 263m
- Estimated time: 2hrs (usually 45 minutes one-way)
- Rated: moderate
- Type of trail: out & back
- Time of year: year round
The Mirador del Toro hike in Los Ayala follows a fairly steep jungle route to a scenic viewpoint overlooking the Pacific coastline. The trail itself only takes around 45 minutes one way making it a quick and easy hike with big rewards.
“Just around the corner” from Mirador Del Toro is Playa Del Toro which is a secluded beach area with small waves that are perfect for swimming. After making it to the viewpoint you can wander down for a swim and relax on the beach, enjoying the quiet atmosphere.
Tip – try to hike to Playa del Toro early in the day to ensure you get quiet time at the beach. Later in the day water taxis may show up dropping off larger groups of people
The Mirador Del Toro trail is well packed and has some smaller rocks and roots exposed. Proper footwear is recommended, but you could definitely hike this trail with sturdy flip-flops too. Almost the entire Mirador Del Toro trail is shaded by the jungle so you don’t need to worry about lathering on sunscreen before this hike.
The Mirador del Toro hike is generally easy to follow, however there are a few forks in the trail early on where the trail splits. These paths all lead to the same point. Just watch out for a few blue arrows or “Mirador del Toro” signs along the way as these will point you in the right direction.
Hiking the Mirador del Toro Trail in Guayabitos
If you opt to take a taxi from Rincón de Guaybitos to Los Ayala you’ll be dropped right in front of the alley pictured below. I personally used the 50-70 peso taxi service instead of walking the 45mins-1hr between the two towns which, from first hand experience, was SO worth the money.
There are taxis everywhere in Rincón de Guayabitos so you likely won’t even have to wait to flag one down. If you tell the taxi drivers “Mirador del Toro ” they’ll know exactly where to drop you off for the trailhead.
Once you walk through this alley take a left along the beach and look for the colourful path going upwards along the coast. This is the official trailhead for the Playa del Toro hike.
A few minutes after starting the trail you’ll come across a small beach called Playa Frideras which is quiet in the morning and busy in the afternoon. Rather than walk cross the beach you’ll want to take the path on hiker’s left to continue through the jungle.
After this point the trail remains in the jungle. There’ll be various paths that seem to split in all directions, but they all lead to the same place. The only thing to watch out for here is the odd blue arrow or sign referencing Mirador del Toro. These are significant turning points, but they’re hard to miss. As long as you stay aware you’ll remain on-course.
If this sounds worrisome, download the Alltrails map so you can track your location via satellite as you go.
After a while of following a continuous trail with no offshoots (around 40 minutes) you’ll come to a clear, wide fork in the trail. There’s a sign to mark it, but it’s easy to miss. All you need to know is hike left for Mirador del Toro and hike right for Play del Toro. The viewpoint and the beach are only a few minutes from one another so I definitely recommend visiting both spots. A swim at the Playa del Toro is perfect after hiking the 45 minutes to Mirador del Toro.
ps – if you opt to hike Mirador del Toro in the morning you’re almost guaranteed to have the viewpoint to yourself
Exploring Rincón de Guayabitos
After the Mirador del Toro hike I recommend stopping for lunch in Guayabitos.
The main beachfront in Guayabitos is massive and there are tons of delicious food options. From the restaurants along the main road to the various beach restaurants and cart vendors you can find literally every type of food here for basically nothing price-wise.
For 100 pesos at a beach restaurant I got 3 skewers of mahi mahi that came with salad, rice, and veggies – total bang-for-your-buck and some of the best fish I’ve ever had!
There are also pelicans that are borderline “domesticated” on the beachfront in Guayabitos. They hang around the restaurants and the workers don’t seem to be bothered by their presence. The pelicans themselves are kind of a “tourist attraction” as you can get right up close to them. As long as you don’t try to touch them they’re not bothered by you.
More Hikes Near Sayulita
Here are a couple more hikes along the Riviera Nayarit you can add to your Sayulita itinerary.
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Get all my Mexico travel recommendations saved directly to your phone – a digital guide available at your fingertips!
My Mexico map has recommendations for:
- Places: beach towns, mountain villages, backpacker hotspots, and magic towns
- Outdoors: beaches, hikes, waterfalls, hot springs, volcanos
- Restaurants: street food, healthy options, local favourites, international eats
- Experiences: holy sites, excursions, holistic experiences/retreats, turtle releases, photo-ops
- Planning: bus stops, lodging, public washrooms, tedious details (like laundromats/grocery stores)
Quick Mexico Travel Guide
Travel Insurance: ALWAYS purchase reliable travel insurance before your trip. This insurance is trusted by backpackers and adventure sport enthusiasts around the world. You can also use my link to receive 5% off SafetyWing policies. Here’s a blog post with more trustworthy travel insurance options you can compare.
Best time to visit: December to April has cooler temps and sunny skies. Hurricane season is from June to November.
Currency: Mexican peso, displayed as “$.” Cash is king in Mexico so it’s best to always have some on-hand. Small bills and change are always helpful for transportation and tipping. Most ATMs have service fees so try to withdraw larger amounts at once.
Local transportation: varies from trams and buses in bigger cities to colectivos in smaller beach towns. Local transportation is cheap, but if you’re looking to travel long distances you’ll need to utilize pricier night buses or fly.
Phone: SIM cards can be purchased at Oxxo. Data plans are generally cheap.
Language: Spanish. In popular backpacking spots you can often get by with English, however having basic Spanish or Google Translate is necessary elsewhere.
Safety: Mexico’s safety varies greatly from place-to-place.
Purchase my Mexico map: which is downloadable to Google Maps on your phone and has all my Mexico recommendations & travel tips constantly available at your fingertips.
Packing Guide: here’s my ultimate packing guide/travel essentials.
Happy adventuring!
Taylor ♡
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About the Author
HI, I’m Taylor – the voice behind The Holistic Backpacker.
After moving to Banff National Park in 2020 I became an outdoor adventure enthusiast and vowed to never stop exploring.
I now spend my days travelling the world, climbing mountains, and spending nights under the stars in the Canadian Rockies backcountry.
I created The Holistic Backpacker so I could share my adventures and help connect people like you with the same amazing experiences.
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