Secret Beaches in Sayulita – Secluded & Adventurous Options
There are plenty of secret beaches in Sayulita that are quiet and secluded as long as you’re willing to go a bit off the beaten path. In this guide I’ll tell you all my favourite beaches in Sayulita including beaches requiring hiking, quiet options, local spots, and more.
I spent a few weeks exploring Sayulita and the surrounding area so all these Sayulita beaches come recommended from a first hand source. These Sayulita secret beaches are all unique and offer something different from the other making each one a worthy option to visit.
ps – every Sayulita beach mentioned in this post is pinned on my downloadable Mexico map with photos and descriptions.
My Sayulita/Riviera Nayarit guides
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Download my Mexico Google Map
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)
How to get to the Beaches in Sayulita
If you’re hoping to do a beach tour of Sayulita and the surrounding Riviera Nayarit you have a few options. I opted to walk or use the local bus, however you could also rent a car, golf cart, or motorbike. There are plenty of rental options within the town of Sayulita so you can easily pop in anywhere to grab a set of wheels.
The bus is the cheapest option to explore the secret beaches around Sayulita. Bus fares cost max $5 USD, but are often cheaper. The main bus station in Sayulita is here with routes going north to San Pancho, Las Lomas, Lo de Marcos, Ursulo Galván, Villa Morelos, Chula Vista, Monteón, and Guayabitos.
You can also catch a bus to the south (Punta Mita) and usually the bus driver will drop you off at various points along the way like Higuera Blanca. Keep in mind if you come back to Sayulita from the south outside Punta Mita it can be difficult to catch the bus back. You’ll likely have to hire a taxi for the return.
Where to Stay in Sayulita
Sayulita is a lively destination with plenty of activities, beautiful beaches, and restaurants. Although “touristy” in some respects, Sayulita still has a locals vibe to it. Here are my top recommendations for where to stay in Sayulita for every budget.
Top hostels in Sayulita for backpackers: I stayed at ITH The Amazing Hostel for weeks and loved it. It’s a quieter hostel with more longterm travellers and plenty of “homey” amenities like kitchen appliances and yoga mats. Alternatively Le Redonda is the local party hostel with a more lively atmosphere.
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 Casa Pepe Hotel 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.
My Sayulita guides
Local Beaches in Sayulita
Before I tell you about all the secret beaches in Sayulita, I’ll first go over the local beaches that are accessible in town by foot.
ps – these local Sayulita beaches are pinned on my Mexico map with photos and descriptions.
Playa Sayulita
Playa Sayulita is the main beachfront in Sayulita. It’s accessible by foot from every accommodation in town. The south end of the beach has many beachside restaurants, surfboard rentals, and chairs for rent. The further north you wander the quieter the beach becomes and you can find a few shady areas throughout the day.
This is a popular surf spot, but the waves are often quite large – too large for me to enjoy swimming, personally. There are lots of locals selling all kinds of goodies. A simple “no gracias” is enough to send them on their way.
You can see sunset from Playa Sayulita during the winter months (October to March), however during the rest of the year the view is blocked and its best to venture to the beaches south for the best sunset view.
Playa Malpaso
Playa Malpaso is along the Sayulita-San Pancho hike. This is not a “secret” beach in Sayulita, however it is one of the closest, quietest beaches to the town of Sayulita. It’s located directly between Sayulita and San Pancho – many people visit this beach as a quick trip or spend the day here.
Playa Malpaso is easily accessible by foot via a jungle or beachfront trail and makes for one of the best local hikes in Sayulita. It’s around 3kms one way and takes around 30-40 minutes to reach by foot.
Malpaso Beach has soft, white sand and it’s quite large in size meaning you can easily find a peaceful spot away from the crowds.
More information regarding Malpaso Beach can be found here
Playa San Pancho
Playa San Pancho is the local beach in – you guessed it – San Pancho. This is one of the busier beaches in the Sayulita region and right on the beach you can find plenty of chairs for rent, restaurants, bars, and surf schools.
Playa San Pancho can be reached by foot from Sayulita via this trail or by the Compostela bus. Playa San Pancho offers a better sunset view than Playa Sayulita.
Playa De Los Muertos
Playa De Los Muertos – or “beach of the dead” – is within walking distance from the town of Sayulita. It’s approximately 10-15 minutes from the main beachfront in Sayulita by foot making this a quick and easy beach adventure.
There isn’t anything overly special about this Sayulita beach aside from the colourful cemetery you’ll pass along the way. The cemetery is definitely worth checking out, however the beach itself isn’t worth a visit if you’re short for time.
Best Sunset Beaches in Sayulita
For the majority of the year the sunset view is blocked in Sayulita so it’s best to visit the beaches to the south. The best time of year to see sunset in Sayulita is in the winter months (October to March), however the beaches to the south offer a great view year round.
ps – these Sayulita sunset beaches are pinned on my Mexico map with photos and descriptions.
Playa Carricitos
Playa Carricitos is the best beach in Sayulita for sunset as it’s fairly close and offers unobstructed views of the setting sun. It’s only about a 30 minute walk from the town of Sayulita meaning it’s a fairly quick and easy sunset mission.
The golden sand, palm trees, powerful waves, and lack of people make Playa Carricitos an epic spot to enjoy golden hour and watch the last light disappear below the horizon.
Although not a secret beach in Sayulita, Playa Carricitos ranks among one of my favourite beaches in Sayulita for it’s spectacular views and proximity to town.
Playa Patzcuarito (Black Sand Beach)
Playa Patzcuarito is one of the most unique beaches in Sayulita. Although not 100% a black sand beach, the mix of black and golden sand creates a beautiful contrast. This is the beach with the highest concentration of black sand in Sayulita, so if you’re looking for a unique beach experience you can go right ahead and add this one to your bucket list.
Just slightly south of Playa Carricitos, Playa Patzcuarito is a 40 minute walk from town and ranks as one of the best sunset beaches in Sayulita.
Beaches with Caves Near Sayulita
One of my favourites – Sayulita’s cave beaches. I’m a sucker for a good cave on the beach and luckily there are two great options near Sayulita.
ps – these Sayulita cave beaches are pinned on my Mexico map with photos and descriptions.
Playa Las Cuevas
This is the closest cave beach to Sayulita. Playa Las Cuevas is part of Malpaso Beach (which I mentioned above), however it’s separated from the main beach by a series of small caves.
You can access Playa Las Cuevas from the Sayulita-San Pancho jungle trail, however the quickest way to get there is to walk to the furthest north end of Playa Sayulita. At the end there’s a trail over the rocks that follows a fence then enters the jungle. It’s a quick uphill jaunt to Playa Las Cuevas from here.
It’s best to visit this Sayulita cave beach at low tide so you can enter the caves and cross over to Malpaso Beach. During high tide this isn’t possible.
Playa Patzcuaro Sur
If you’re looking for the biggest beach caves in Sayulita and one of the most secluded beaches in Sayulita, Playa Patzcuaro Sur is your best option. The golden sand, caves, waves, and ocean views are enough to make any beachgoer swoon.
Something I liked about this beach were all the colourful shells and hermit crabs I came across which is fairly uncommon compared to the other beaches in Sayulita.
To see these Sayulita beach caves you’ll need to walk about an hour south from town, past both Playa Carricitios and Playa Patzcuarito. The final stretch of road to the beach is a bit steep, but it’s worth every step.
Download my Mexico Google Map
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)
Secret Beaches Near Sayulita
These lesser known beaches take a little work to access, but offer some of the most remote, quiet beach experiences near Sayulita. These are the best secret beaches in Sayulita.
ps – these secret beaches in Sayulita are pinned on my Mexico map with photos and descriptions.
Playa De Barros (Mud Beach)
Playa de Barro – “Mud Beach” – is my absolute favourite secret beach near Sayulita. The beach itself has strong waves, golden/soft sand, and a quiet feel, however the “star of the show” are the clay deposits.
On the south end of the beach you’ll find holes in the wall where you can dig out rich clay that has healing properties for your skin. When I visited we covered our skin in clay, exfoliated with sand, and rinsed in the ocean. My skin has never felt better!
More information regarding Sayulita’s clay beach can be found in this post
La Playa Monterrey
This beach is located only 15 minutes from Playa De Barro so it’s best to visit them the same day. Rather than turn left at the fork, you’ll want to continue down the main road until you reach Punta Monterrey Reserva Ecologica y Comunidad – which is a beautiful wellness retreat with bungalows, meditation seminars, etc. The beach is just steps from the resort.
This ranks as one of the quietest beaches in Sayulita that I visited and one of the best “secret” beaches as essentially no one I spoke to in Sayulita had heard about it. Those who do visit this beach are mainly those staying at the resort so you can imagine the peaceful energy that exists here.
Playa del Toro
Playa del Toro is my favourite beach near Sayulita for swimming. The waves are small, the shore is fairly shallow, and it’s in a secluded area meaning you can find some true peace and quiet here.
Gaining access to this Sayulita beach does require some work as you need to take the bus to Rincoin de Guayabitos, take a taxi (55 pesos) to Los Ayala, then hike for about 40 minutes. It is however well worth the reward. I spent half a day here enjoying the water, watching whales jump off the coast, and enjoying all the little critters that exist along the shore.
You can also take a quick detour off the hiking trail to this Sayulita beach to see Mirador del Toro which is a phenomenal viewpoint overlooking the ocean and a beach down below.
More information regarding Playa del Toro can be found in this post
Beaches Accessible by Bus From Sayulita
These beaches near Sayulita are accessible by public bus and make for great day trips.
ps – these beaches near Sayulita and their corresponding bus stops are pinned on my Mexico map with photos and descriptions.
Playa La Lancha
La Lancha has the prettiest white sand of all the beaches near Sayulita. There’s also epic surfing here, small seawalls with little “caves” you can explore on the south end of the beach during low tide, and supposedly a crocodile that likes to hang out on the beach (although I didn’t see it during my trip to this Sayulita beach).
To get to La Lancha beach from Sayulita you’ll want to take the Compostela bus to Punta Mita, ask to be dropped off on the highway hereo, then walk or hitchhike the rest of the way to La Lancha. The walk is around 40 minutes along the highway which isn’t ideal so I opted to hitchhike which saved tons of time.
For the return journey I opted to walk along the beach from Playa La Lancha to Punta Mita, then caught the same Compostela bus back to Sayulita. This was a much more scenic and safe option compared to the trek along the highway plus I found tranquil, secluded areas on the beach I could relax.
Playa Rincón de Guayabitos
Playa Guayabitos is definitely one of the busier, more “touristy” beaches near Sayulita, however I thought I’d add it here as it does have some positive aspects. The beach is full of Mexican tourists rather than internationals so you’ll find local families and plenty of live music. There’s also an assortment of delicious, cheap beach food here so you don’t need to worry about packing snacks.
The waves here are gentle and the beachfront is long and shallow which makes this one of the nicest beaches for swimming on the Riviera Nayarit. There’s also a hiking trail to Playa del Toro and Mirador del Toro which starts in nearby Los Ayales – which is what originally brought me to this beach near Sayulita.
My Favourite Beaches in Sayulita
To finish off this post I’ll quickly go over my favourite secret and not-so-secret beaches in Sayulita. These are the Sayulita beaches I deem most worthwhile to visit.
Most accessible beach in Sayulita: Playa Sayulita
Favourite sunset beach in Sayulita: Playa Carricitos
Best secret beach in Sayulita: Playa De Barros (mud beach near Sayulita)
Most unique beach in Sayulita: Playa Patzcuarito (black sand beach 40 minutes from Sayulita)
Best cave beach in Sayulita: Playa Patzcuaro Sur
Best beach near Sayulita for swimming: Playa del Toro (calm waves & secluded)
Nicest sand: Playa La Lancha
Download my Mexico Google Map
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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