Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit by Car

Leave the airport heading north on Highway 200, following signs for Tepic and Compostela. You cross the Ameca River, the Jalisco–Nayarit state line, pass Mezcales and Bucerías, and the road narrows from six lanes to four and then to two. Near km 123, on the left, next to a gas station and a convenience store, is the turnoff for Sayulita; from there it's about 1.6 km (1 mile) to the bridge into town (Sayulita Life).

Not if you take the free Highway 200, the usual route through Bucerías. Since December 2024 there's another option: the last section of the Jala–Puerto Vallarta toll highway, about 33 km, links Bucerías with Puerto Vallarta and has a 5 km spur to the airport (La Crónica, Dec 28, 2024; ADN40). That section is tolled, and local press has published different rates over the past year, so check the price at the booth before choosing it. If you're driving in from Guadalajara, the full highway takes about 2.5 hours and in July 2026 added up to 1,380 pesos across four toll booths for a car (Azteca Jalisco).

The same as in Puerto Vallarta, even though you change states. Since 2010 the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, in Nayarit, runs on Central Time so the whole bay shares one clock: Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías, La Cruz, Punta de Mita and Sayulita keep Vallarta time (Vallarta Today). The rest of Nayarit runs on Pacific Time, one hour behind (Culture Trip). If you head farther north to Tepic or San Blas, adjust your watch before booking tours, ferries or hotel check-in.

Paved the whole way, with two faces. Up to Bucerías it's a wide boulevard with traffic lights and city traffic. After that, Highway 200 becomes two lanes, with curves, hills, slow trucks and loose animals; there are speed bumps (topes) in San Ignacio and inside Sayulita, and there's often a checkpoint at the Jalisco–Nayarit line (Sayulita Life). From May to November it's Pacific hurricane season, May 15 to November 30 according to Mexico's National Weather Service (SMN): in heavy rain, leave extra time and check road conditions first.

The safest bet is to park where you sleep. Downtown Sayulita has narrow streets, many of them one-way, and traffic is managed with closures and detours the town announces on its channels (Sayulita Life). Street spaces are hard to find, and travelers report that someone sometimes asks for a fee for the spot (iOverlander). If you arrive by car, the practical rule is to leave it parked and get around town on foot or by golf cart; the downtown rules for cars and carts are in our golf cart guide.

It depends on where you stay and how much you want to get out. A car covers the airport, Punta de Mita, San Pancho and any trip on Highway 200, where, according to local operators, golf carts aren't allowed. A golf cart covers the hills and downtown Sayulita. A combination that works: arrive by car or shuttle, park the car and use a cart in town. Cart prices, minimum days and rules are in our guide, so we don't repeat them here.

The U.S. State Department rates Nayarit Level 2, «Exercise Increased Caution», and Jalisco Level 3, «Reconsider Travel», according to the state levels reported by Riviera Maya News on June 10, 2026. In February 2026, after widespread unrest, it urged US citizens to shelter in parts of Jalisco, Nayarit and Baja California; on February 24 it lifted that request, although some routes in Jalisco had not fully reopened (CNN). Before you go, check the current advisory and drive in daylight.

If your trip continues to the Oaxaca coast, you can already rent on korurent.com in Puerto Escondido: search the city, enter your dates and see which vehicles are free, with their daily price. For Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit, the destinations map shows where we operate today.