Mexican Pacific Beach Guide: Sayulita, La Lancha & Playa Médano
MEXICO / BEACH GUIDE
Sayulita, La Lancha
& Los Cabos
Everything to know about Sayulita, La Lancha and Los Cabos: best time to visit, culture, food, language and things to do.
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Surf breaks and sheltered bays
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Fog & Foundry Travel Journal · Mexican Pacific
Mexico's Pacific coast is surf towns, fishing pangas pulled up on the sand and long, warm evenings. North of Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Nayarit has the easy-going surf village of Sayulita and the hidden break of La Lancha near Punta de Mita; a short flight north-west, at the very tip of the Baja California peninsula, Los Cabos has desert hills, calm bays and the famous arch at Land's End. Three beaches along this coast inspired three of our bikinis, each one named after the beach it was made for. Here is our honest guide to each one: what it's like, when to go and what we would do there.
01 / TRIP PLANNING
At a glance
- Where: Sayulita and La Lancha on the Riviera Nayarit, north of Puerto Vallarta on Banderas Bay (Nayarit); Playa Médano in Cabo San Lucas, at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula (Baja California Sur)
- Population: about 351,000 in Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, 2020); Sayulita is a small surf town of a few thousand people
- Language: Spanish; English is widely spoken in all three places
- Currency: Mexican peso (MXN); US dollars are often accepted, but paying in pesos is usually better value
- Best time to visit: November to May is dry and sunny, with humpback whales in the area from about December to March; June to October is hot and humid, with summer rain, and hurricane season runs June to November
- Average temperature: Sayulita highs around 28–33°C / 82–91°F all year; Cabo from about 27°C / 80°F in January to 35°C / 95°F in August; sea about 22–29°C, coolest in winter
02 / BEACH DAY
Sayulita — the surf village
About an hour north of Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita is a small, colourful town of cobbled streets, taco stands and paper flags strung across the lanes, wrapped around a bay that surfers have visited since the 1960s. The waves are gentle and steady, perfect for longboards and first lessons, and fishing pangas still pull up on the sand beside the surf schools.
Our take: take a surf lesson in the morning, then walk south over the hill to the quiet cove of Playa de los Muertos. In the evening, eat at the taco stands around the plaza. After heavy rain, swim away from the river mouth.
03 / EXPLORE
La Lancha — the hidden break
Between Sayulita and Punta de Mita, La Lancha is a wild, undeveloped beach reached only by a 10–15 minute path through the jungle from the road. There are no buildings and no vendors, just a long curve of sand and a mellow, consistent wave that suits both longboards and shortboards, with smaller waves for beginners off to one side.
Our take: bring water, shade and snacks, and take everything home with you. Rent a board at the surf shop by the trailhead, and watch the rocks at low tide. Afterwards, head into Punta de Mita for fresh seafood by the fishing harbour.
04 / EXPLORE
Playa Médano, Cabo San Lucas — the calm bay
Cabo San Lucas sits where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific. On the calm, sheltered Sea of Cortez side, Playa Médano is the town's main swimming beach: a long stretch of soft sand, beach restaurants and water sports, with the granite cliffs of Land's End and El Arco, the famous sea arch, across the bay.
Our take: take a water taxi or glass-bottom boat out to El Arco and Lover's Beach in the morning, when the water is calmest, then come back to Médano to swim. Never swim at Divorce Beach on the Pacific side — the shore break and currents are dangerous — and always check the beach flags.
05 / EXPLORE
Where to eat
- Fish tacos — Baja-style, battered or grilled, with cabbage, crema and salsa, from street stands and beach shacks.
- Pescado zarandeado — Nayarit's classic: a whole fish butterflied, marinated in chilli and grilled over wood.
- Aguachile and ceviche — raw shrimp or fish "cooked" in lime with chilli, cucumber and red onion.
- Evening taco stands around Sayulita's plaza, and fresh juices and coconuts from the beach vendors.
06 / EXPLORE
Culture & local life
Nayarit is home to the Wixárika (Huichol) people, whose bright beadwork and yarn paintings you will see for sale in Sayulita's shops and on its streets. Around 1–2 November, the Day of the Dead fills towns along the coast with altars, marigolds and candlelit cemeteries. Cabo San Lucas grew from a small fishing village and is still known for sport fishing, especially marlin, while in winter humpback whales come to these warm waters to give birth.
07 / TRIP PLANNING
Good to know
- Fly into Puerto Vallarta (PVR) for Sayulita and La Lancha, and Los Cabos (SJD) in San José del Cabo for Cabo San Lucas.
- Hurricane season runs June to November; September is usually the stormiest month.
- Whale-watching tours run from about December to March in Banderas Bay and through winter in Los Cabos.
- Use reef-safe sunscreen and swim only where the flags and lifeguards say it's safe.
- Tip around 10–15% in restaurants if service isn't included.
FROM THE GUIDE
Along the coast
FOG & FOUNDRY
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