Sayulita began as a fishing village, and the small boats, the pangas, still go out from the main beach. Much of what you eat here was swimming that morning, and the town's best seafood is often the simplest: a tostada, a plate of aguachile, a fish taco at a plastic table.
This guide covers what to order and how hot it will be, where the fish comes in, the cheap lunch counters, the palapa restaurants on the sand, and the places that grill a whole fish the Nayarit way.
Know your order
Three dishes cover most menus. Ceviche is fish or shrimp cured in lime with tomato, onion and cilantro, mild and fresh. Aguachile is raw shrimp in lime and fresh chile, green or black, and usually a good deal hotter. Pescado zarandeado is Nayarit's own dish: a whole fish split open, rubbed with a chile marinade and grilled in a hinged basket over wood or charcoal, traditionally mangrove wood, served with tortillas and salsa to build your own tacos.
Around them you'll see tostadas (a crisp tortilla piled with ceviche or tuna), cocteles (seafood in a cold tomato-lime broth), chicharrón de pescado (crisp fried fish) and smoked marlin. Ask for the pesca del día, the catch of the day, and how it's best cooked.
Ceviche
- Fish or shrimp cured in lime
- Tomato, onion, cilantro
- Mild; the one to start with
Aguachile
- Raw shrimp in lime and fresh chile
- Green, or black with dark chiles
- Hot; order it if you like heat
Zarandeado
- A whole fish, split and grilled in a basket
- Chile marinade, smoke from the fire
- For two or more, with tortillas
Where the boats come in
The pangas are pulled up on the main beach toward its south end, at the bottom of Calle Pescadores, and they go out early, when the sea is calm. On a morning walk you'll see them launching or coming back in; the common catch includes red snapper (huachinango), mahi-mahi (dorado), sierra, bonito and yellowfin tuna, depending on the season.
Some days a fisherman will sell you a fish straight off the boat, but there's no fixed market on the sand. For cooking at home, the fishmongers on Avenida Revolución sell the day's fillets, whole fish and shrimp; go in the morning for the best choice.
The town's best seafood is often the simplest: a tostada, a plate of aguachile, a fish taco at a plastic table.
The Dock Sayulita
Beachfront terrace right by the pangas, run by a family of local fishermen and boat captains.
Pescadería Omar (Sayulita)
Fishmonger on Revolución for fillets, whole fish and shrimp to cook at home; closed Tuesdays.
Plastic tables: seafood for lunch
The best-value seafood in town is a lunchtime thing, served at counters and family places that open late morning and close by the evening, sometimes earlier when the fish runs out. Tacos Gaby on José Mariscal does battered fish and shrimp tacos and a fiery aguachile. Mariscos Purillo's, a little out of the centre, is a classic marisquería for fish tacos, fried fish and aguachile, open from 8am to 4pm.
On the north side, El Jakal is a colourful, cash-only seafood spot for mariscos tostadas, shrimp tacos and camarones al ajillo. And El Rey, the diner at the far end of Revolución, lists a fish ceviche tostada at 45 pesos and a full aguachile at 170.
- 45
- pesos for a fish ceviche tostada at a local diner
- 170
- pesos for a full plate of aguachile there
- 250
- pesos or so for a seafood main at a beach restaurant
Tacos Gaby
Battered fish and shrimp tacos, empanadas and aguachile from a stand on José Mariscal. Go before it sells out.
Mariscos Purillo's
Local marisquería for fish tacos, fried fish and shrimp aguachile; daytime only, cash.
El Jakal
North-side seafood with big portions and low prices; try a mariscos tostada. Cash only.
El Rey Restaurante
Diner with ceviche tostadas, aguachile and shrimp plates at local prices, open until 6pm.
Mariscos Ramón
Casual daytime seafood near Playa de los Muertos, handy on the way back from a swim.
Toes in the sand: the beach palapas
A palapa is a thatched palm roof, and the restaurants under them line the main beach. You eat with sand under the table and the surf a few metres away, and a seafood main runs about 250 pesos. Many have loungers with a minimum spend; ask before you sit.
Across the river on the quieter north beach, Bar La Isla has a sand floor under its palapa and is known for aguachile and octopus. El Costeño, off Delfines, is one of the cheaper beach options, for grilled fish and very large margaritas. Coco's Beach Club has a roof deck over the break for fish tacos and octopus ceviche, and Alas Blancas sits at the beach end of Delfines with octopus tacos and a good sunset view.
Bar La Isla
Sand-floor palapa on the north beach, away from the crowds; aguachile, tostadas and octopus, open until 10pm.
El Costeño
No-frills beach restaurant for grilled fish and huge margaritas at fair prices; slow when busy.
Coco's Beach Club
Thatched beach club with a deck above the surf; fish tacos, octopus ceviche and margaritas.
Alas Blancas Restaurante
Tables on the sand at the end of Delfines; octopus tacos and seafood with the sunset.
Barracuda Playa Sayulita
Laid-back beach outpost of Barracuda, with loungers facing the surf, ceviche and guacamole. Cash only.
Whole fish over the coals
Zarandeado takes time and a fire, so not every place makes it, and some only on certain days. La Panga Seafood & Grill on Revolución, a short walk from the centre, is the name locals give for it, along with ceviches and aguachiles; it lets you bring your own drinks. Its grill has been reported as running mainly on Saturdays, so ask before you set your heart on it.
Maika, a beachfront grill on the main beach, cooks seafood and meat over charcoal, with an octopus zarandeado and a green shrimp aguachile people order again. It opens from midday until about sunset.
La Panga Seafood & Grill
Local-favourite seafood with pescado zarandeado off the grill; bring your own drinks, and check the grill day.
Maika Seafood Grill
Charcoal grill on the sand: octopus zarandeado, green aguachile and fish tacos, from midday to sunset.
A seafood dinner
For a sit-down evening, Matiz on Marlín is family-run and open-air, with a tuna tostada that often sells out, octopus carpaccio and fried fish tacos; it's cash only. Barracuda, upstairs on Delfines, is busy and loud with street music below, and good for a seafood molcajete to share and a marlin birria.
Estrella de Mar on Avenida del Palmar, on the north side, is a small place whose shrimp aguachile is the reason to go. For a special night, Sí Señor sits over the water on the road to Los Muertos, with pulpo arriero and whole red snapper; expect to pay much more than in town.
Matiz
Family-run, open-air and upstairs near the beach; the tuna tostada goes early. Cash only.
Barracuda Sayulita
Busy upstairs seafood room on Delfines for ceviche, tuna and a molcajete to share.
Estrella de Mar Mariscos
North-side seafood spot known for its shrimp aguachile; closed Wednesdays.
Sí Señor Sayulita
Over the water on the road to Los Muertos for octopus and whole snapper at special-occasion prices.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between ceviche and aguachile?
Both are seafood cured in lime. Ceviche, usually fish or shrimp with tomato, onion and cilantro, is mild. Aguachile is raw shrimp in lime and fresh chile, and is usually much hotter.
Where can I eat pescado zarandeado in Sayulita?
La Panga Seafood & Grill on Avenida Revolución is the best-known, though its grill has been reported to run mainly on Saturdays. Maika on the main beach does an octopus zarandeado over charcoal.
How much does seafood cost in Sayulita?
A fish ceviche tostada is about 45 pesos at a local diner. At a beach restaurant, a seafood main costs about 250 pesos in 2026, and special-occasion places charge much more.
Can I buy fresh fish in Sayulita to cook myself?
Yes. Fishmongers on Avenida Revolución sell the day's fillets, whole fish and shrimp, best in the morning. Sometimes the fishermen sell straight from the pangas on the main beach.
When is the best time to eat seafood in Sayulita?
Lunch. The cheap seafood counters open late morning and often sell out or close by late afternoon. Bring cash; many don't take cards.
Written by sayulita.co from our own research, checked against 12 sources. Nothing here is paid for. Photos: ; Pequeño mar (CC BY-SA 4.0); . See something out of date? Tell us.