In this Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita transportation guide, we’ll break down the most efficient, cost-effective, and scenic ways to make the journey, ensuring your vacation starts on the right foot.
Planning a trip to Sayulita? You came to the right place! I lived in Sayulita for a year and Puerto Vallarta for two years, and this is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive from travelers.
It is pretty easy to travel from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita. This is not a complicated trip. The only thing you need to consider when choosing airport transportation is your budget and your travel style.
I also included common scams in this guide when traveling through Puerto Vallarta International Airport. They’re not harmful, but it’s best to be aware of them to avoid them.
Here’s a complete transportation guide from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita.
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Taxi from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita
There are three ways to get a taxi from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita:
Pre-booked Puerto Vallarta Airport taxi
A pre-booked taxi service is still the best way to travel to Sayulita from the airport, as it gives you the confidence that someone will be at the arrival gate waiting for you once you arrive.
Depending on the type of service that you booked, some will be waiting at the arrivals gate holding a sign with your name, while others have designated lines at the Puerto Vallarta Airport parking lot.
The price of the transportation from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita starts at $89 for a Sedan that can fit up to 3 people comfortably.
Bigger vehicles like the Chevrolet Suburban (7 pax max) and Nissan Urvan (12 pax max) range from $150 – $300.
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Take your chance: haggle with drivers at the airport
If your trip to Sayulita is last-minute and you can’t pre-book an airport taxi service, you can go to the taxi line at the arrivals gate and haggle the price with the drivers.
Not all taxi drivers speak English, so you must have Spanish skills to haggle. Usually, the minimum price they will give you is around $120 but you can lower it up to $100.
Shared transfers from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita
A shared taxi service from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita is also available for those on a tight budget. You don’t have to pre-book this.
The line will be outside the arrivals gate (see photo above). There is also a designated window to buy tickets. Prices start at $15, and you can share the ride with up to 20 people.
As this is a shared ride, the van will only leave once it is filled, which can take up to 30 minutes. The vans fill faster during the busy arrival hours at Puerto Vallarta Airport (1-4 PM).
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Bus from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita
To take the bus to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport, you must cross the footbridge to the other side. It’s just a 6-minute walk to the other side of the bridge.
However, if you carry suitcases, you must roll them up the ramp, which is easy and not that challenging. Just note that it can be hot if you arrive during the day.
Once you are on the other side of the footbridge, you should be in this location, the bus stop for trips to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport.
Note that the locations above will not give you a walking route on Google Maps but a driving route. I tried to change it to ‘walking’ on the map to show you the way better, but it is not available on Google Maps.
The easiest way is to go to the Oxxo convenience store at the arrivals gate. From there, you will see the footbridge without following the map.
The bus fare to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta Airport costs $4, and the trip can take up to 2 hours. This bus does not go directly to Sayulita but stops in major areas like Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerias.
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Pre-booking a rental car that you can pick up when you arrive at Puerto Vallarta Airport is always safer. If you book online, prices start at as low as $10, and there are many cars to choose from.
Sure, you can also rent a car in person (upon arrival), but the vehicles are limited in availability. In my experience booking in person, you can only choose from small cars smaller than Sedans (i.e., Chevrolet Beat).
If you want SUVs or larger vehicles, it’s best to reserve it at least a week before your trip to Puerto Vallarta.
Here are some helpful tips on renting a car from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita:
- You need to pay a security deposit. The deposit depends on the number of days you are renting the car. There isn’t any general rate for this but you can use $450 for 7 days as a reference. The deposit will be reimbursed to your credit card upon return of the rental car (in good condition).
- Debit cards are considered credit cards in Mexico. If you have a non-Mexican debit card, the terminals/machines accept debit cards as credit cards.
- Drop-off fee. If you are returning the car to another destination, there is a $150 (approx) drop-off fee.
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Uber from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita
Ubers are not allowed to pick up passengers at Puerto Vallarta International Airport. But this does not mean you cannot order an Uber from the airport.
If you use the app inside the airport, it won’t work, and/or the driver will send you a complicated pick-up spot. It’s best to put the location of the Uber pick-up point in Puerto Vallarta Airport.
Sayulita is towards the north, so if you are at the airport, you must cross the footbridge and meet your driver at this location. The wait time for Uber is around 10 minutes, with the possibility of cancellation.
Drivers don’t see the final destination, so they can cancel your ride if they don’t want to travel towards Sayulita.
Here are the prices for the Uber from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita during non-busy hours (for example, from 9 AM – 11 AM):
- A Sedan start at 459 pesos ($24)
- A larger vehicle, often called UberXL, starts at 955 pesos ($50)
In this post, you will see many photos of the footbridge to cross to the other side of the airport. Notice that the bridge has ramps (not stairs), so it will be easy to roll your suitcase.
How to get to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta downtown
If you are vacationing in Puerto Vallarta and want to visit Sayulita for a day trip, you can also get an Uber from your resort/hotel in PV.
The prices are the same as those for the airport transfer to Sayulita, and you can also pre-book them.
If you want to book a 2-way ride where your driver comes back for you after a few hours in Sayulita, that’s possible too! Just use the link above to say it’s for a day trip (not an airport transfer).
There are also buses that go from Puerto Vallarta downtown to Sayulita. You can take them from Gallerias Vallarta Shopping Mall or Soriana.
✅ BOOK TRANSPORTATION FROM SAYULITA TO PUERTO VALLARTA →
Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita Transportation Tips
Here are some helpful tips for traveling from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita.
Skip the timeshare!
You will see the timeshare agents at the arrivals gate, who will invite you on a timeshare tour. As one of the top resort towns in Mexico, timeshare is common in Puerto Vallarta. However, in 2024, there have been a lot of timeshare scams, specifically for Puerto Vallarta.
According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data, timeshare fraud in Mexico between 2019 and 2023 claimed almost $600 million USD from almost 6,000 Americans. Mostly the CJNG in Puerto Vallarta runs this illegal business. The governments of Jalisco and Nayarit are taking many precautions regarding the timeshare scam.
If the transportation is too cheap, it’s a scam
I know we are all attracted to cheap prices. I mean, who does not want to save while traveling? Unfortunately, cheap travel is no longer a thing. You also notice that everything in your daily life is expensive. What more with travel!
You don’t have to book $200 airport transportation, but you should still be smart about assessing the price. Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita is about an hour’s ride, so consider the fair pricing for this route/transfer.
Leave Sayulita 4 hours before your flight
The traffic from Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta Airport is very unpredictable. Sometimes, your ride will take an hour, sometimes more. The best practice is to leave Sayulita 4 hours before the flight (for international flights) and 3 hours for domestic flights. You may want to add extra time if traveling during rush hour. Again, Puerto Vallarta Airport’s busiest hours are from 1 PM to 4 PM.
What airport do you fly into for Sayulita?
The airport that serves Sayulita is Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR). This is also the airport for popular beach towns like Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias, Punta Mita, San Pancho, Lo de Marcos, and the rest of Nayarit.
How long is the trip from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita?
Depending on the traffic, the trip from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Sayulita takes 1 hour. The highway connecting these 2 Mexican destinations, KM 200, has unpredictable traffic that is caused by:
- Highway renovations and improvements
- Increase in tourism during the high season (November to March)
- Accidents
If you are going from Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta Airport, you don’t want to miss your flight so given these circumstances stated above, you must leave your hotel 4 hours before an international flight.
