A morning on the water

Why the morning

On most days the calmest water comes between about seven and ten. The land breeze dies away, the onshore wind hasn't started, and the bay goes glassy. That's when paddleboarders cross the cove, snorkellers can see the bottom and boats make the smoothest run out to the islands.

The sea is warm all year but not the same all year. It's coolest in March, around 24 °C, and warmest in September, around 31 °C. November to April brings the calmest seas and the clearest water for snorkelling; the summer months bring bigger swells, afternoon storms and, after heavy rain, brown water near the river mouth for a few days.

7–10am

the calmest, glassiest hours on most days

24 °C

the sea in March, its coolest

31 °C

the sea in September, its warmest

Stand-up paddle: the cove and the south end

Playa los Muertos, the small cove 15 minutes' walk south of the plaza, is the place to paddle. It's tucked between rocks, so on small days the water inside can be almost flat, and you can follow the shore past the rocks and back. On calm mornings the south end of the main beach works too; keep clear of the surfers in the middle of the bay.

Rentals and lessons are easy to find along the beach. A 2026 guide put board hire at about 300 to 500 pesos an hour from November to April, the calm season. There's no lifeguard at Los Muertos, and bigger sets still roll into the cove on some days, so wear the leash and look before you launch.

1. 

   Playa los Muertos

   beach · Los Muertos · 13 min walk from the plaza

   The sheltered cove south of town, the calmest paddling near Sayulita on small days.

2. 

   Sayulita Surf Center

   surf school · Centro · 2 min walk from the plaza

   Rents paddleboards and teaches beginners on the main beach.

3. 

   WildMex Surf School & Adventure Center

   surf school · North side · 4 min walk from the plaza

   SUP lessons and rentals by the hour or the day, plus surf trips around the bay.

Snorkelling without a long boat ride

You don't need a tour to see fish. The rocky south end of Los Muertos is the nearest easy snorkel to town: bring your own mask or rent one in Sayulita, go on a calm morning and swim along the rocks rather than out to sea. Visibility is best in the dry months.

For clearer water and more to see, Punta de Mita is about half an hour's drive south. El Anclote, the beach by the fishermen's cooperative, is a good place to swim and snorkel, and it's also where the cooperative's pangas leave for the Marietas, so you can combine the two.

1. 

   Playa los Muertos

   beach · Los Muertos · 13 min walk from the plaza

   Snorkel the rocks at the south end on a still morning.

2. 

   Oceano Adventure

   dive center · South side · 9 min walk from the plaza

   Small-group snorkel and scuba trips, six guests at most, from Sayulita and Punta de Mita.

The Marietas Islands: the rules for 2026

The Marietas are a national park off Punta de Mita, a 15 to 20 minute boat ride from the cooperative's beach. Sayulita's dive and tour outfits drive you there; boats don't leave from Sayulita itself. You can only visit with an operator that holds a CONANP permit, and the park is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 8am to 6pm. It's shut on Mondays, except on long holiday weekends.

The national parks commission sets the fee at 125 pesos a person a day, with children under 12 and people over 60 free. Operators often quote more for the wristband and port charges, so ask what's included. In the water you must wear a life jacket; there's no alcohol, no single-use plastic and no taking anything away, and sunscreen must be eco-friendly and on at least half an hour before you swim. Some operators ask for none at all.

Playa del Amor, the hidden beach inside the island, has its own rules. It opens Wednesday to Sunday, 8am to 5pm, for 116 people a day, with no more than 15 inside at once for up to about 30 minutes. You swim in through a rock tunnel with a helmet and life jacket, only when the tide is low enough. Children under 10, adults over 65, pregnant women and anyone with heart, back or neck problems can't go in. In high season, book two to four weeks ahead. We found no closure of the beach in 2025 or 2026.

Only 116 people a day swim into Playa del Amor. Book it as you'd book a table, weeks ahead.

1. 

   Sayulita Entourage

   dive shop · North side · 8 min walk from the plaza

   Snorkel and dive trips to the Marietas every day, by boat from Punta de Mita.

2. 

   WildMex Surf School & Adventure Center

   surf school · North side · 4 min walk from the plaza

   Runs a snorkel trip round the islands and a separate hidden-beach trip timed for low tide.

3. 

   Oceano Adventure

   dive center · South side · 9 min walk from the plaza

   Private, small-group trips to the islands for divers and snorkellers.

Boats from the beach: fishing and the coast

Pangas, the long open fishing boats pulled up on the main beach, are how locals go to sea. Most fishing trips leave early, when the water is calm: roosterfish and dorado close in along the coast, and in autumn the offshore banks bring marlin, sailfish and tuna. A six-hour trip for up to four anglers on a 26-foot panga was 9,000 pesos in cash in 2025, with an afternoon option for people who can't face the dawn.

Some family outfits also take small groups snorkelling along the coast or out on a sailboat. Ask whether the boat carries life jackets and a radio, how many it takes, and for billfish, whether they practise catch and release.

1. 

   Fishing Sayulita

   fishing charter · South side · 4 min walk from the plaza

   Six-hour panga trips with live bait and drinks, for up to four people.

2. 

   Rancho Manuel

   tours · North side · 4 min walk from the plaza

   A Sayulita family running fishing, snorkelling, whale trips in season and a sailboat.