March 23, 2022

Top 3 Places to Visit on Mexico’s Pacific Coast: Mexico West Coast Destinations You Can’t Miss

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The Pacific coast of Mexico has plenty of great places to visit. From the Baja California peninsula and popular tourist spots like Cabo San Lucas to the stunning coastline of Riviera Nayarit, there are many west coast Mexico destinations that deserve a spot on your Mexico bucket list.

Riveria Nayarit is a stretch of tropical coastline on Mexico’s west coast lined by the Pacific Ocean known for its vibrant towns, barefoot vibes and beautiful beaches. Travelling to these best Pacific Coast Mexico destinations, you will find small surfing villages surrounded by mountainous jungle.

We visited three towns at the southern end of the region – San Pancho, Sayulita and Punta De Mita. These are our top 3 places to visit on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

Looking for more tips for visiting the best vacation spots on Mexico’s Pacific Coast?

Sayulita Travel Guide
Best Resorts in Mexico for Couples
Best Things to Do in Todos Santos
Best Places to Visit in Baja California

Please note that some of the links in this blog are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission on any purchase made (at no additional cost to you). Of course this blog captures all my own personal thoughts and feelings, and if you’d love to know more about anything, please reach out to me!

Sarah at Casa Mimas

The Best Mexico West Coast Destinations

Many people think of places like Playa del Carmen or Tulum on the Gulf of Mexico when they think about Mexican destinations. Even when thinking of Mexico Pacific Coast destinations, places like Los Cabos, Puerto Vallerta, and Puerto Escondido come to mind.

These towns on the west side of Mexico may be lesser known tourist destinations, but their white sand beaches, natural beauty, and relaxed atmosphere will have you planning a return trip before you even make it home.

San Pancho

San Pancho is the ultimate chill Mexican surf town, much smaller and far less visited than neighbouring Sayulita. Within just a few days, we fell in love and are still seriously considering packing up our lives and moving here for good. 

San Pancho, also known as San Francisco, is 20 minutes from Sayulita and around a one hour drive from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport.

Surfing at sunset in San Pancho

WHAT TO DO IN SAN PANCHO

San Pancho is best enjoyed taking in the simple elements of the beach, ocean, people and food. Mexico beaches are famous for good reason, and the beaches in San Pancho will make you want to stay forever.

Well known for its good quality waves in the region, surfing is one of the main attractions of San Pancho. There is great surf straight out the front of the town with a punchy left hand wave, much less crowded than the more gentle beginner waves of Sayulita.

There are quite a few stunning beaches accessible by foot close by. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a palm laced jungle cove to yourself!

Hot tip, at the southern end of the main beach there is a beautiful fishing cove that we loved and visited regularly.

We also never missed a sunset on the main beach, where locals and visitors came to celebrate, surf, play guitar & dance in the afterglow!

WHERE TO EAT IN SAN PANCHO

Our favourite restaurants in San Pancho 😋

  • Limbo – insanely creative and curated Mexican dishes! The lentil ceviche was delicious. 
  • Yasmina’s Itzalanyasayan – owned by the most lovely lady and with equally beautiful food. Great for lunch and dinner (with a cacao shop next door for dessert!)
  • Ikan Cochina – tasty seafood Mexican, Chesh loved the octopus tacos. 
  • Cafe Floresta – just opened for breakfast when we visited but had a healthy menu and located in a beautiful boutique hotel. 
  • Bistro Organico – we had an organic breakfast here in the courtyard of a quaint little hotel. 
  • Street taqueria – cheap tacos on Latin America street.

WHERE TO DRINK IN SAN PANCHO

The stand out spot for us was La Terraya. It is a very cute barefoot bar right on the beach with views of the sunset. Amazing beachside cocktails and guacamole! We also loved the chili margaritas at Limbo.

WHERE TO STAY IN SAN PANCHO

We stayed at boutique hotel PalMar, and it was perfect for us. A white walled oasis, tucked down a quiet street in the middle of San Pancho.

It has a jungle pool, rooftop yoga studio & large rooms that open to the properties lush courtyard. The location was perfect – close to everything and very quiet. 😊

Sayulita

Sayulita is a very well known, colourful, coastal town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast with miles of coastline and cobblestone streets. It has a fun energy and strong surf culture. These days Sayulita is known as a bustling town with a vibrant nightlife scene.

Sayulita can be reached from Puerto Vallarta International Airport in about an hour and is a quick flight from the United States. 

Get our full Sayulita travel guide

Sarah drinking coconut on beach at Sayulita

WHAT TO DO IN SAYULITA

There’s so much to see in town. Wander the vibrant streets, visit the many artisanal shops, sample a huge variety of Mexican food, and enjoy the colourful buildings and flags. 

When the town gets too hot & busy it’s time to head to the best beaches in Sayulita! Sayulita is a popular beach destination with many beaches to explore.

Take one of the many surrounding jungle tracks and you’ll find yourself enjoying pristine beaches with only a handful of others. It’s easy to see why this is become a more popular destination.

Our favourite beach was Playa Carricitos, reached by a 20 minute hilly walk from town, but well worth it. The turquoise water was beautiful, with the stunning scenery of palm trees and huge matte boulders hugging the beach.

WHERE TO EAT IN SAYULITA

There’s so many amazing places to eat in Sayulita. There’s plenty of new vegan cafes around to grab a cold brew and a smoothie bowl, but there are still great options for that perfect taco too!

Here’s some favs:

  • Miscelanea Cafe – open for breakfast and lunch, this is the place for clean eating and plenty of cold brew options.
  • Anchor Cafe – our other favourite for morning meals, reasonably priced and great chia and smoothies. 
  • Organi-K Cafe – amazing açai bowl range here. 
  • Don Bonito Cafe – Small boutique hotel with amazing coffee and pancakes, just out of the centre of town.
  • Mary’s – one of the most popular dinner options for Mexican cuisine. We only ever had the guacamole and tacos because they were so good. 
  • El Itacate – our other ‘go-to’ Mexican restaurant. Save it for dinner (as lunch is very hot in the street) and try the carrot or the hibiscus vegetarian tacos.
  • El Tiburon – if you want to get off the street, the upstairs area has a good vibe and live music while you eat dinner.
  • La Rustica – Italian food if you want a change-up of cuisines.

WHERE TO DRINK IN SAYULITA

  • Escondido Bar – amazing cocktails (including margarita varieties) with a 2-for-1 happy hour and very friendly staff.
  • El Barrilito – straight across the road from Escondido Bar with good cheap margaritas and a more ‘locals’ vibe. You can bar hop to Escondido Bar thanks to their happy hours aligning! 
  • Atico Bar – have a drink at the bar on a swing, with loud tunes and good guacamole to go with your drinks.

There’s more options to eat and drink on the beach, but we stayed in the town generally for to avoid the hustle.

WHERE TO STAY IN SAYULITA

We stayed in a few different spots, and I did a lot of research before we arrived to the West Coast of Mexico. Trust me, these are the best hotels in Sayulita:

  • Casa Mimas – massive vibes with this colourful hilltop abode. A five minute uphill walk from town but one that gives you instant relaxation when you enter the home, with a cooling sea breeze and amazing views to the ocean. The outdoor/indoor living space with kitchen and hammock (my most used space) is the highlight here.
  • Casa Saturno – if you have a group staying together, then I’d suggest the villa next door. It shares the same owner and same colourful walls, but with several bedrooms and an even more impressive living space. I loved the bridge and being right up among the jungle!

  • Mi Casita – nestled right behind the main street, this apartment stay has beautiful decor and was very comfortable to work and relax. So convenient to grab a bite or hit the beach, and with a beautiful rooftop area with pool for the three apartments to use. A bottle of tequila was a nice touch and the hosts were very accommodating too!

Punta De Mita

Punta De Mita is a peaceful stretch of coastline where you can escape the crowds. Different to the gated resorts of the Punta Mita peninsula, Punta De Mita has long, empty beaches and is home to the stunning oceanfront hotel, W Punta de Mita.

Punta De Mita is 30 minutes from Sayulita and around a 45 minute drive from Puerto Vallarta International Airport.

W Punta De Mita is the luxurious way to enjoy this region, thanks to amazing restaurant options and perfect beachfront and poolside lounging. You literally won’t leave the hotel.

WHAT TO DO IN PUNTA DE MITA

We loved this stay for its ultimate resort experience. Private cabanas are just steps from the sand, and we found ourselves mostly spending our day here lazing in the sun. Throw in some regular ocean dips and a stroll over to the ceviche bar and we were in heaven!

The beach is so wide and feels almost private to the hotel, with almost nothing but empty coastline visible in both directions. You’ll find relatively calm waters at this beach that’s great for swimming, although you can also find a little wave up the beach for a surf if you are into water sports (hire boards are available).

If you are really keen, there’s also good nearby surf spots such as Playa La Lancha. 

And if you don’t fancy getting sandy, there’s the very aesthetic glass pool that’s right on the edge of the beach!

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK IN PUNTA DE MITA

There’s plenty of restaurant options at W Hotel although the Mexican dishes were definitely my favourite – as you probably would expect 😜. The ceviche, tacos, and mezcal margaritas were my staple during our stay here! But as a change-up, there’s also Salerno (seafood) and the Spice Market (Asian cuisine).

As I mentioned, W Hotel provides everything you need and is a great place to have a luxe oceanfront stay. For us it was the perfect way to relax after spending time exploring the neighbouring rustic surf towns of Sayulita and San Pancho, the other two best vacation spots on Mexico’s Pacific coast we visited.

Looking for more Mexico travel tips?

Sayulita Travel Guide
Best Resorts in Mexico for Couples
Best Things to Do in Todos Santos
Best Places to Visit in Baja California

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