Sayulita

We want to go to Sayulita on our PV stop and was wondering if this is possible? Our ship arrives at 10am and departs at 8pm. We're not planning to be there the whole time, we just want to do some shopping and have lunch.

Are there tours available when you get off the ship? or do you just recommend taking the bus? And does the bus drop you off in the town or just on the main road?

Thanks :)

I have done this twice. Both times we have rented a car outside the ship. We had plenty of time.

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I have done this twice. Both times we have rented a car outside the ship. We had plenty of time.

 

 

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Thanks for your reply :) How much does it cost to hire? And is it hard to get parking in the town?

Some ships used to have tours there but I haven't seen them lately. It is a good 45 min drive or about an hour on the bus.

Does anyone know whereabouts the new bus stop is? Apparently there are roadworks.

Yes, it can be done although your time in Sayulita will be limited. Once you can debark we suggest being among the first off your ship..and then quickly head out of the port and across the road to the large parking area in front of Walmart/Sams. There is a large bus stop (it would be towards your left) which is where you can catch the regional bus. Just ask anyone to point you to the bus to Sayulita. You pay the driver (the fare used to be about 35 Pesos) who expects Pesos...but might take dollars. Once at Sayulita make sure you check the return schedule (you can also ask your driver before you even leave PV) and plan on being back to PV at least 2 hours early (this gives you a large margin of error in case something goes wrong with the bus). If you are lucky with the schedule you should be at Sayulita by noon which gives you a few hours to walk around the small town and have lunch (we like the places along the beach/water for the view.

Somebody mentioned construction and I confess we have no clue to what might be going on (if anything) around the bus stop in front of Walmart. We live in PV during the winter months but have been gone since last March. But if there is any construction the bus stop will still be nearby (just ask folks).

Hank

P.S, Keep in mind its a long/slow ride (more then an hour) because of many stops and there is no bathroom on these buses. So go before you go. There will also be vendors who will try to sell you stuff before you depart...and this is a good time to buy a drink or snack if you want anything for the ride.

Yes, it can be done although your time in Sayulita will be limited. Once you can debark we suggest being among the first off your ship..and then quickly head out of the port and across the road to the large parking area in front of Walmart/Sams. There is a large bus stop (it would be towards your left) which is where you can catch the regional bus. Just ask anyone to point you to the bus to Sayulita. You pay the driver (the fare used to be about 35 Pesos) who expects Pesos...but might take dollars. Once at Sayulita make sure you check the return schedule (you can also ask your driver before you even leave PV) and plan on being back to PV at least 2 hours early (this gives you a large margin of error in case something goes wrong with the bus). If you are lucky with the schedule you should be at Sayulita by noon which gives you a few hours to walk around the small town and have lunch (we like the places along the beach/water for the view.

 

Somebody mentioned construction and I confess we have no clue to what might be going on (if anything) around the bus stop in front of Walmart. We live in PV during the winter months but have been gone since last March. But if there is any construction the bus stop will still be nearby (just ask folks).

 

Hank

P.S, Keep in mind its a long/slow ride (more then an hour) because of many stops and there is no bathroom on these buses. So go before you go. There will also be vendors who will try to sell you stuff before you depart...and this is a good time to buy a drink or snack if you want anything for the ride.

Wow thanks so much Hank! This is great information. I will definitely be on the first boat off the ship!

I read somewhere that there is road works just outside of Sayulita and there is a temporary stop so was hoping to see where it was on the map :)

Wow thanks so much Hank! This is great information. I will definitely be on the first boat off the ship!

 

I read somewhere that there is road works just outside of Sayulita and there is a temporary stop so was hoping to see where it was on the map :)

I honestly have no clue when and where (or if) there is any road work going on along the road between PV and Sayulita :). The last time we took the bus to Sayulita was actually 2 years ago, and there was still some road work just outside Sayulita which actually forced us to get off the bus a few blocks away from the normal in-town bus stop. That project was completed more then a year ago but that was no biggie. The bus drivers know how to deal with road projects (just like in the USA or anywhere) and, at worst, a road project can cause some delays (just like at home).

If this issue is causing you some anxiety you could go to TripAdvisor and pull up the Puerto Vallarta page. Then go to the Puerto Vallara Forum where you can post this same question. On that forum there are a group of expats (we know one) who live in PV year round...and they will normally be able to tell you where every pothole is located...much less road projects :). If Ine is around and sees this post (she might be on a cruise), she also has the ability to find out the exact road construction situation and post here.

Hank

As Hank mentions I was on a cruise and just returned home in The Netherlands. Since constructions and road repairs are almost always going on I am not surprised about it. However I havenot heard about major problems getting to Sayulita.

Take enough time to get to and from Sayulita by bus, you need far more then 1 hour. The bus makes a lot of stops, be aware not all buses have airco and arenot as comfortable as buses in other parts if the world.

Depending the season it can get rather busy in Sayulita.

Enjoy your trip.

As Hank mentions I was on a cruise and just returned home in The Netherlands. Since constructions and road repairs are almost always going on I am not surprised about it. However I havenot heard about major problems getting to Sayulita.

Take enough time to get to and from Sayulita by bus, you need far more then 1 hour. The bus makes a lot of stops, be aware not all buses have airco and arenot as comfortable as buses in other parts if the world.

Depending the season it can get rather busy in Sayulita.

Enjoy your trip.

Welcome Home Ine :). Hope you had a great trip. Regarding the Sayulita bus, the last time Kathy and I took one of those buses our seat actually started sliding the first time the bus stopped (the seat was not attached to the floor). We laughed so hard....and stayed in that seat the entire trip since it was a challenge :). It is all part of the charm.

Hank

We rented a car and drove ourselves. It was @ $50/$60 for the day. We drove ourselves. We parked about 2 blocks from the beach. Parking is tight.

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Welcome Home Ine :). Hope you had a great trip. Regarding the Sayulita bus, the last time Kathy and I took one of those buses our seat actually started sliding the first time the bus stopped (the seat was not attached to the floor). We laughed so hard....and stayed in that seat the entire trip since it was a challenge :). It is all part of the charm.

 

Hank

Indeed that sounds like a real mexican bus! And of course sometimes a musician comes on board, sings or plays his guitar and then ask for some money.

Hank we had a super cruise, much better then expected. Next one in December, then January we will meet again in Vallarta.

I agree Sayulita is well worth the trip. Yes it is possible by bus. We were in Bucerias for two weeks last May and we took the bus everywhere. Although this trip we did not go to Sayulita.

As stated above catch the bus in front of the WalMart bus terminal. There are two stands, go to the further one. The front of the bus will be marked Sayulita. But ask anyone for assistance they are very helfpul.

Here are directions I found on a website that are very acccurate:

at Walmart. You’ll notice two bus waiting areas. Facing Walmart and Sam’s Club, walk to the larger bus waiting area

There is usually a man with a clipboard stationed there to direct passengers to the correct bus for their desired destination.

Board a green-and-white Compostela bus with the word Sayulita written on the windshield. The bus fare is $35 pesos.

They are building an overpass just north of the city of PV in Nuevo Vallarta area and every car is directed to the side roads. This can cause back ups but every time we were on this route it was minimal delays and the one time it was bad the bus just turned a block off the main drag and back onto the main street a few blocks later. In all give yourself an hour on the bus, but it probably will only be 45 minutes at that time of day.

Buses leave Sayulita regularly.

We will be back in Jan and plan to visit Sayulita this time.

Enjoy

We took the bus to Sayulita in Sept of this year. Yes there is construction but it didn't make much of a difference on our drive.

Others have given you correct info on where to catch the bus and there is a man with a clipboard yelling...Sayulita, you can't miss it. I suggest sitting in the first few rows, back of the bus is rough to say the least.

Going there the ride took us an hour and 10 minutes, there are a lot of stops. Plus we went in the late morning so maybe that was a factor. The bus let's you off in a big parking area and you take a short dirt path to the beach. Lots of restaurants, offers of massages and quite persistent beach vendors.

Traffic coming back was terrible. It took us an hour and 45 minutes. As an alternative you could bus there and cab back. The parking area was lined with cabs when we visited.