The Perfect 7-Day Riviera Nayarit Itinerary — Sayulita, San Pancho, Punta Mita
The Perfect 7-Day Riviera Nayarit Itinerary — Sayulita, San Pancho, Punta Mita
Arrival Getaways
Area Guide
The Riviera Nayarit is the 100-mile stretch of Pacific coast north of Puerto Vallarta, anchored by Sayulita, San Pancho, and Punta Mita. We manage properties in all three towns, and the seven-day trip we map out for first-time guests follows roughly the same arc every time: base in one town, day-trip the others, hit the Marietas Islands once, and leave one day completely unscheduled. Here's the itinerary we'd write for you.
Before You Go: Two Things to Book Ahead
The single thing that derails this trip more often than anything else is the Marietas Islands tour. Access to Playa Escondida — the Hidden Beach — is capped at 116 people per day and closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so the tour spots sell out a week or more in advance during the dry season. Book your tour the moment you book your trip.
The second is the Sunday La Cruz Market — only on Sundays. If your week includes a Sunday, build day 6 around it.
Where to Base Yourself
We recommend basing in Sayulita for the centrality, the restaurant volume, and the easy walk to everything. Sayulita Sol Retreat is one of our most-booked picks for couples and small families who want walk-to-everything access without the surf-school crowds outside the door. For larger families and groups, Casa Paz has three pools across the property and works for 8–10 guests comfortably.
If you'd rather wake up somewhere quieter, base in San Pancho instead — Casa Mercurio is our pick for couples wanting jungle-and-pool privacy, and you're still 10 minutes from Sayulita by taxi when you want the action. (For the full comparison, see Sayulita vs San Pancho.)
Day 1 — Arrival and Settle In
Fly into PVR. Pick up your rental car or pre-book a private shuttle (the Compostela bus is cheap but slow with luggage); see our notes on getting from PVR airport for the four transit options ranked. Drive the 45 minutes north, settle into the property, walk into Sayulita town. Dinner at Chocobanana for a casual landing — or save your appetite and find a beachfront taco stand on the main plaza. Sunset on the main beach. Don't try to do anything else.
Day 2 — Slow Sayulita Day
Coffee from Chocobanana, breakfast on the rooftop. A morning surf lesson on the main beach is the classic Day 2 — every school on the sand offers them, and beginners almost always stand up by hour two. Lunch at Barracuda on the beachfront for shrimp tacos and ceviche, or one of the fish-taco stands on the plaza. Afternoon in the artisan market in the plaza for Huichol beadwork and silver. Late afternoon swim at Playa de los Muertos (20-minute walk north past the cemetery — quieter water than the main beach). Dinner somewhere with a wood-fire — Sayulita has several. Easy.
Day 3 — San Pancho Day Trip
Taxi to San Pancho (about 200 pesos, 10 minutes). Walk the beach end to end — wider, emptier, the swimming zone is at the south end near the river mouth. Lunch at La Ola Rica for chilaquiles and fruit smoothies. Stop in at EntreAmigos community center on Avenida Tercer Mundo to see what workshops or exhibitions are running. Late afternoon walk through the estuary preserve at the south end of town (look for crocodiles in the mangroves). Sunset cocktails on the beach, taco stands for dinner, taxi back to Sayulita.
Day 4 — Marietas Islands
Your pre-booked tour. Most leave from Punta Mita or La Cruz around 8am and return by 2pm. You'll snorkel off the islands, then swim through a low rock arch into Playa Escondida — the crater beach you've seen in every Riviera Nayarit photo. Wear a rash guard; sunscreen is prohibited to protect the reef. Life jackets are mandatory; no fins allowed. You get 30 minutes inside the Hidden Beach including the swim in and out. It's worth every minute of the logistics. Late lunch back on land, then a slow afternoon at the property.
Day 5 — Punta Mita
Punta Mita is the polished, golf-resort end of the Riviera Nayarit. The two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses (Pacifico and Bahia) draw destination golfers, but the beaches are the reason to come for a day. Drive 25 minutes south to El Anclote, the town's main beach — rent chairs and umbrellas, lunch at La Pescadora for fish tacos in the open-air spot in the village, or Hector's Kitchen for fine dining on the sand where the fishing boats land each morning. If you surf, drive 10 more minutes to Playa La Lancha — one of the gentler year-round breaks in the area.
Day 6 — La Cruz Sunday Market (or Hiking)
If it's Sunday: drive 35 minutes south to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle for the market at the marina — farm-to-table produce, handmade crafts, live music, food trucks, and the boats in the slips behind you. Walk the marina afterward (340+ slips, the largest on this coast). Lunch from a food truck, then the slow drive back.
If it's not Sunday: hike Monkey Mountain (Cerro del Mono), the most popular trail in the area — it sits just south of Sayulita near the village of Higuera Blanca, a 4.5-mile out-and-back with a 360-degree view from the summit over Banderas Bay, Punta Mita, and the coastline. Allow 2 to 3 hours round-trip. Bring a liter of water per person and wear shoes with grip; the trail has many false branches. Wildmex Surf & Adventures and Mexitreks both run guided versions out of Sayulita if you'd rather not navigate it solo.
Day 7 — Last Beach Morning
Slow morning at the property. Coffee on the rooftop. One last walk on the beach. Lunch in Sayulita — Bar La Isla on the beachfront for a final ceviche on the way out is a tradition with our guests. Drive back to PVR in time for an afternoon flight. The route is the same one you came in on, but the trip feels longer than seven days in the best possible way.
What We'd Add If You Have More Time
If you can stretch the trip to 10 days, add: a sunset sailing trip from La Cruz marina (the marina has several charter operators), a day at Yelapa (boat from PV — a beach village reachable only by water), and a second Marietas-area day for snorkeling without the Hidden Beach permit pressure.
Browse our Riviera Nayarit vacation rentals for the full collection across Sayulita and San Pancho. If you want help matching a property to the itinerary above, send us a note — we'll put you in the right home for the trip you're planning.
