Surfing Sayulita

The main wave, known as El Punto or simply the Right, breaks over a reef of stones the river has piled up at its mouth and runs towards the town beach over a mix of sand and rock. On a normal day it is waist to chest high, forgiving enough for longboards and fun for intermediates, and it holds more size on the bigger north-west swells of winter. The bay faces north-west: Punta Sayulita blocks straight south swells and the Baja peninsula shadows due north ones, so west to north-west energy works best, with a light easterly wind offshore.

Mid tide is the safe bet, because at low tide the rocks come close to the surface. Across the river mouth, the Left needs more swell and a westerly angle, turns on mostly with summer hurricane swells, and is faster, shorter and less crowded. Beginners belong on the sandbar in front of the fishing boats. Water runs from about 24 °C in winter to 29 °C in summer, with the odd cooler spell. Expect a packed line-up, loose boards, rocks and sea urchins at the point.

The easiest vantage is the sand just south of the river mouth. Riders on the Right come towards you down the line, which gives head-on angles, and the peak is close enough for a 200–500 mm lens (full-frame equivalent); a 70–200 mm covers the inside and the sandbar. The Left is best shot from the beach north of the river mouth, where its riders run towards that side.

Because the bay faces north-west, the morning sun rises behind the town and lights the wave faces, and mid-morning is often the sweet spot before glare and wind build. In the late afternoon the sun drops towards the sea, which suits backlit spray and silhouettes rather than faces. Shooting from the water with a housing is for experienced swimmers only: the take-off zone is crowded, boards fly and the bottom is rocky. After rain, keep yourself and your gear away from the river outflow.

Sayulita sits just off Highway 200, roughly an hour's drive north of Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR); buses and taxis also run the route. Parking in the centre is very hard to find, so arrive early or walk from where you stay. The Right is a short walk along the beach from the town centre to the river mouth. Surf schools, board rentals, surf shops and restaurants line the beachfront.