The Best Hotels in and Near Sayulita, Mexico (2026)

Key takeaways

• There's no large chain resort in Sayulita itself. Its hotels are independent boutiques of eight to 37 rooms, and the brand-name resorts are 20 to 30 minutes south around Punta Mita.

• La Puesta Sayulita is the top in-town pick, with 37 ocean-view rooms on the sand at the north end of the main beach.

• Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is the full-service choice for families and golfers. It holds a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating for 2026 and has two Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses.

• Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort is a separate property on the same peninsula: an adults-only, all-inclusive resort of 15 tents.

• Swimming conditions vary. Playa de los Muertos is calmer than the main beach, and some shorelines aren't suited to swimming, though many resorts have plunge pools.

Where to stay in and near Sayulita

Sayulita is a surf town of about 3,390 people (INEGI, 2020), roughly 40 km north of Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) on Highway 200. The drive takes 45 minutes to an hour. There's no large chain resort inside town: the hotels are small and independently run, and the biggest has 37 rooms. The brand-name resorts sit 20 to 30 minutes south on and around the gated Punta Mita peninsula, so the real choice is between staying in town and staying at a resort a short drive away.

This list covers both. Five of the eight hotels are in Sayulita or just outside it, and three are resorts around Punta de Mita. For a wider look at the coast, see our guide to the best luxury resorts and retreats in Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita, and Sayulita.

Each hotel was weighed on the five criteria in the table below. Room counts and amenities come from each hotel's own site or fact sheet, and an award is named only where a year can be attached to it.

How we chose these hotels

Our picks at a glance

1. La Puesta Sayulita: Best in town, on the beach

La Puesta is the closest thing in Sayulita to a full beach hotel, and every one of its rooms looks out at the water. It suits travelers who want to step onto the sand in the morning and walk into town for dinner without hiring a driver.

• Area & access: On the sand at the quiet end of Sayulita's main beach in the North End, about a 15-minute walk (under a mile) from the plaza. The hotel rents golf carts.

• Best for: Couples and families who want a beachfront hotel without leaving town.

• Why book it: 37 rooms and suites, all facing the ocean, on about 190 feet of beach, with MAZO Cocina del Pacífico as the beachfront restaurant and La Puesta 360°, an open-air rooftop that can be booked for private events.

• Beach & pool: Beachfront. The pool has a waterslide and a separate adults-only section.

• Downside: The north end is quieter but a walk from the restaurants, and the sauna and cold plunge on the hotel's site were still listed as coming soon.

2. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita: Best full-service resort, and for families

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita opened in September 1999. It has 177 rooms and suites, private villas and beach homes, and the Apuane Spa with 13 treatment rooms, and it holds Two MICHELIN Keys, first awarded in 2024 and retained in the 2026 selection. For a Sayulita trip it's a good base: golf, the beach and the kids' club by day, and the drive into town for dinner when you want it.

• Area & access: On the gated Punta Mita peninsula, about 20 to 30 minutes by car from Sayulita and 45 minutes from PVR.

• Best for: Families, multigenerational groups and golfers who want a full resort with Sayulita close enough for a day trip.

• Why book it: A Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating for 2026 and two Jack Nicklaus Signature courses, Pacifico (1999) and Bahia (2009). Pacifico's optional hole 3B, the Tail of the Whale, plays to a natural island green.

• Beach & pool: Two beaches on Banderas Bay, Manzanillas and Las Cuevas, and the complimentary Kids For All Seasons club.

• Downside: Dining and activities are à la carte, so costs add up, and you'll drive to Sayulita's restaurants.

3. Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort: Best adults-only, all-inclusive stay

Naviva is its own resort. It's run separately from Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita next door. The all-inclusive rate covers food and drink, a spa treatment, and the temazcal ceremony in its House of Heat. The 10 Ocean-View Bungalows are about 1,260 square feet including outdoor space, and the five Grand Bungalows run from about 1,600 to 1,720 square feet. Condé Nast Traveler named it to its Hot List in 2023.

• Area & access: On its own 48 acres of forest on the Punta Mita peninsula, next to Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and about 20 to 30 minutes by car from Sayulita.

• Best for: Couples who want an adults-only, all-inclusive stay with wellness built in.

• Why book it: 15 tented bungalows and no more than about 30 guests at a time. It opened in December 2022 as the brand's first adults-only luxury tented resort in the Americas.

• Beach & pool: Each tent has a private plunge pool. The nearby La Solana is about 575 feet of rocky shoreline that isn't suited to swimming, but swimmers use the beaches at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, about five minutes away.

• Downside: Children can't stay, swimming means heading to the beaches at the resort next door, and Sayulita is a drive away.

4. Amor Boutique Hotel: Best ocean-view villas

Amor's villas were built around the hillside, so no two are quite alike. That's the appeal, and it's also the reason to read each villa's description before you book, since layouts, stairs and views differ from one to the next.

• Area & access: On the jungle hillside at the south end of Sayulita Bay, a 5- to 10-minute walk from the plaza.

• Best for: Couples and small groups who want a villa with a kitchen and a view of the water.

• Why book it: Individually designed villas, from studios to multi-bedroom units, many with kitchens and some with private plunge pools, plus Sí Señor, an independently run oceanfront restaurant on the grounds.

• Beach & pool: Set on the hill above the water, with a shared pool and outdoor spa treatment areas. The main beach is about 100 feet away.

• Downside: Many villas involve a lot of stairs, there's no elevator, and a road runs through the property.

5. La Joya Sayulita: Best for wellness and spa

La Joya is the pick for a Sayulita trip planned around the spa. It has its own restaurant, Tekuamana, so an evening doesn't require a trip into town.

• Area & access: On Playa Escondida, reached by a private road with a security checkpoint, about a five-minute drive from town.

• Best for: Couples and solo travelers who want a spa-focused stay just outside town.

• Why book it: 18 accommodations (bungalows, casitas, a casa and a villa), a hydrotherapy spa with sauna, steam room and cold plunge, and a yoga terrace overlooking the ocean.

• Beach & pool: A saltwater infinity pool, heated in winter. The hotel advises against swimming in front of the property, where currents wash the sand out from January to June and expose rocks.

• Downside: Stone stairs run through the grounds, some of them steep, and town is a 25-minute walk, so most guests drive or take a golf cart.

6. Hotel Ysuri Sayulita: Best for families near the main beach

Ysuri gives up La Puesta's spot on the sand for a more central one: the plaza and the beginner surf break on the main beach are both a few minutes away on foot. Its multi-bedroom suites and penthouses make it one of the easier fits in town for a family of four or more.

• Area & access: Across the street from Sayulita's main beach, about a five-minute walk from the plaza.

• Best for: Families who want to stay a short walk from both the beach and the plaza.

• Why book it: 28 units, from one-bedroom junior suites with kitchenettes to penthouses of three and five bedrooms with full kitchens and private pools.

• Beach & pool: An ocean-view pool, a children's pool and a pool bar. The beach is across the street.

• Downside: Some guests report noise between rooms, there's massage but no spa facility, and the restaurant serves breakfast and lunch only.

7. Distrito 88: Best adults-only boutique in town

With eight suites, Distrito 88 is the smallest hotel on this list, and the whole property can be booked as a private villa (formerly marketed as Casa Frida) for up to 21 guests. There's a bar and grill on site, and in-suite massages can be booked ahead for some of the suites.

• Area & access: On a hillside in central Sayulita, about a four-minute walk from the beach and the plaza.

• Best for: Adults who want a small, quiet hotel within walking distance of town.

• Why book it: Eight suites, six with ocean views, and two heated pools, one up top facing the bay and one in the garden.

• Beach & pool: Not beachfront. The upper pool looks out over the town and the bay.

• Downside: The entrance is at the top of a steep hill, with flights of stone stairs up to the suites, so it's a poor fit for anyone with limited mobility.

8. Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection: Best beachfront resort with surf lessons

Susurros opened in November 2022. Auberge's fact sheet lists more than 80 rooms and suites, plus 30 villas and residences. There's also the ONDA spa, with more than 25,000 square feet and 11 treatment rooms, and the restaurants include Elio and La Boquita, an open-air Mexican kitchen.

• Area & access: On the Banderas Bay side of Punta de Mita, on the road toward La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. It's about 25 minutes from Sayulita and 45 minutes from PVR.

• Best for: Couples and families who want a resort with surf lessons on its own beach.

• Why book it: Two MICHELIN Keys, first awarded in 2024, and about 1,850 feet of beach where lessons run on property. The left side of the beach suits beginners.

• Beach & pool: Beachfront, with three cascading infinity pools, one of them adults-only with a swim-up bar.

• Downside: You'll need a car to get to Sayulita, and some guests find the dining options limited on a longer stay.

Final take: matching the hotel to the trip

Choose by where you want to wake up. In town, La Puesta is the one on the sand and Ysuri sits across the street from the main beach, while Amor and Distrito 88 are up on the hillsides.

If you'd rather have a full resort, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is the choice for families and golf, and Naviva, next door but run separately, is the adults-only, all-inclusive option with lots of wellness options.

Wherever you stay, Sayulita's food is a short trip away. Our street food guide to Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita covers where to eat.

Frequently asked questions

Are there five-star hotels in Sayulita?

Not in town. Sayulita's hotels are independent boutiques. The nearest resort with a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating is Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, rated for 2026, on the Punta Mita peninsula.

Are there all-inclusive resorts near Sayulita?

The hotels in Sayulita itself aren't all-inclusive. The closest luxury all-inclusive is Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, an adults-only resort of 15 tents on the Punta Mita peninsula. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, next door, is not all-inclusive; its dining is à la carte.

Which part of Sayulita is best to stay in?

Downtown is the busiest and the closest to the main beach and restaurants. The South End sits on hills near Playa de los Muertos, a calmer cove for swimming. The North End, across the river, is flatter and quieter, and it's a good fit for families and longer stays.

How far is Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta airport and Punta Mita?

Sayulita is about 40 km north of PVR on Highway 200, a 45-minute to one-hour drive. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita lists Sayulita as 20 to 30 minutes away, and local guides give up to 45 minutes depending on the route and where on the peninsula you're going. Our Punta Mita travel guide covers the peninsula in more detail.

When is the best time to visit Sayulita?

November through April is the dry, peak season, and humpback whales are in Banderas Bay from December to March. The rains run roughly June to October, and the Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30.

Is it safe to swim at Sayulita's main beach?

Water quality has varied. Mexican health authorities rated Playa Sayulita unfit for swimming in sampling before Semana Santa 2025, cleared it again that April after a drainage repair, and it wasn't on the unfit lists for summer 2026. The latest COFEPRIS results are worth checking before a trip.