Surfing is better than coffee.
There. I said it.
I’m probably going to be forever shunned from other Seattleites, but I’ll stand my ground. Surfing is better than Coffee. No day went by in (or around) Sayulita that I woke up apathetic about the tide. 6:30 comes early for this night owl, but I did it. And it was worth every moment.
Although I know that the waves are far better during the winter, I happened to be in the area in May, just after they die and all the tourists leave. (Which meant I had the waves all to myself!) I discovered there are something like 12 different surf breaks throughout the peninsula, and wanted to share a quick surf guide to Sayulita with you (along with a compilation of additional resources). I hope you find the water as rejuvinating and zen as I do- Sayulita has been my therapy.
A Surf Guide to Sayulita
A few pointers:
- Patricia’s Surf Rental is the cheapest place to rent boards in Sayulita. You can normally ask them if you would like to rent for sunrise or sunset surf sessions in advance. They are located directly on the beach at Sayulita.
- They will also offer to take you by boat to other breaks (like Burros) for $35 USD/day
- Wild Mex offers boards to rent (right across from La Lancha) but they are inconsistent with pricing and a board rental can cost you up to $40 USD per day. Make sure to agree on a price (max 300 pesos) and pay in advance. The guy that runs the store in the morning is a lot friendlier than the lady that closes in the evening
- If you choose to bring your board, simply hop on a city bus (8 pesos each way) and take it down to the designated areas.
- If you are scootering to different breaks, wear your helmet. Check out the story at the bottom for a classic Cassy travel mishap
A guide to the Surf Breaks
Although I wasn’t able to surf all of the breaks, here’s a quick breakdown to what I do know:
- San Pancho: Short Boards Only/ Not for Beginners It’s a harsh shore break with left turns only.
- Sayulita: Always Crowded Best in high tide when the reef is covered
- La Lancha: Can get busy in mornings and weekends/popular with surf schools Almost always has good breaks, even in the afternoon when choppy. Wild Mex is located across from the trail access (20 min sandy walk to the beach from the road)
- Stinky’s: break is slow and steady. Located next to La Quinta del Sol
- El Faro: Good for Intermediate/Advance Surfers: fast break, usually surfed as a right.
Additional Resources
- Cinco Hotel Guide to Sayulita Surf Breaks
- San Pancho Surf School Guide
- Magic Seaweed Surf Report
- SF Gate Guide
Another Travel Mishap Brought to you by yours truly
It was only a 15 min ride to La Lancha, so what did I have to worry about? And besides, it was 7:30am, far earlier than most people in Sayulita even thought to get out of bed. The cool morning air was a little brisk, and I could feel Brandon’s goosebumps beneath his rash guard, but we sped along, passing a few other vespa-drivers, also helmetless. Our mistake? We’re Gringos.
(Dammit, no one told me my white privilege only works in the U.S….)
The flashing red & blue lights irked me, at 7:30am, without coffee or saltwater to wake me up. I barked at Brandon to open the hatch below the seat so we could put our ill-fitting helmets on and be on our way. Here’s where it gets better: Neither Brandon or I were awake enough to pay attention to how close my legs were to the exhaust. He parked the moped, by pushing it back, and my leg touched the exhaust, (Holy effing OUCH) leaving a pop can-sized 2nd degree burn on my outer right calf.
It’s still healing, 3 weeks later.
The policia still extorted us for a few hundred pesos, despite the tears that were running down my face. Surprising, because that normally works for me in the states…. LOL
Happy surfing 😉
4 comments
Sayulita pretty much breaks all year. La Lancha requires a south or south west swell, so summer months are best for the spots with a south west exposer. Sayulita will miss a bit of the souths, but if its got some west in it it will break. I have surfed Sayulita from knee high to 2′ overhead. I have seen the surf go completely flat when the tide fills in too much. You end up with just a close out shore break. I have surfed it from super low to super high. I think itbreaks the best on a mid.
Going to spend vacation in Puerto Vallarta in beginning of April and planning to go to Sayulita for surfing (been there once for one day). Can you please help me :
1. What time is the best swell?
2. What time surf shops will be open in the morning (so I can rent a board)?
Hey Dmitriy; Some of the guys sleep at the surf shop right in Sayulita, so you can rent a board there at the crack of dawn if you tell them you are coming in advance. Otherwise, I normally see them open 7-8am depending on the evening prior (Lots of beach parties!!!) They also let me rent for a week when I told them where I was staying and gave them my USA Drivers license as collateral.
There is a really nice swell at LA LANCHA- which is a bit down the road….La Lancha was my fave because in late may the waves were 2-2.5 meters and super clean, it’s also a sandy bottom for most of the beach!! . I rented a vespa with surf rack, grabbed a board for the week in Sayulita and took those waves at sun-up. Sometimes sundown as well, though it did get a bit windy.
The waves at Sayulita proper were pretty small in April-May to be honest, but it was sick to be in the water with all the stingrays jumping at 6am.
Best of luck to you!!
Something to remember should you come back to Mexico (and I hope you do,,,,and try the Baja!) is something I was taught shortly after moving here….always insist that the policia give you a ticket for whatever infraction you are being accused of. At worst, you will spend a little time at the station and pay much less, at best (and the usual outcome) they will mumble something about “advertencia” (a warning) and you’ll be on your way. They only work the bribes because us gringos pay it. Hope you are enjoying Mexico – there is so much to offer here!