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    Satellite view of Playa La Lancha on the Punta de Mita coast, Nayarit

    Photo by EOX IT Services, Copernicus Sentinel data 2016, CC BY 4.0, via EOxCloudless

    Playa La Lancha

    Beach Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit Municipality of Bahía de Banderas Banderas Bay Riviera Nayarit

    A wild sand beach and point break east of Punta de Mita, reached on foot: lefts and rights for longboarders, best on winter swells.

    Reached on foot from Punta de Mita: 35 min each way. How to get there ↓

    Near here

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    Plan your visit to Playa La Lancha

    Where to stay near Playa La Lancha

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Playa La Lancha.

    Hotels in Playa La Lancha Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Playa La Lancha

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Playa La Lancha; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Sayulita Yelapa & Secluded Private Beach ALL INCLUSIVE Adventure ★ 4.8 (2,559) · From US$135
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Playa La Lancha

    • Reached on foot from Punta de Mita: 35 min each way.
    • From Puerto Vallarta: about 50 min by road (~44 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
    Rent a car at PVR Flights to PVR

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Sayulita, near Playa La Lancha

    Yelapa & Secluded Private Beach ALL INCLUSIVE Adventure ★ 4.8 (2,559) 6–7 h From US$135
    Marietas Islands National Park: Full Day ALL INCLUSIVE Tour ★ 4.8 (772) 6 h From US$130
    Horseback Riding in Sayulita Through Jungle Trails to the Beach ★ 4.9 (215) 2 h From US$79
    Hike and Yoga Jungle Experience in Mexico ★ 5.0 (175) 2 h 30 min From US$30
    Sayulita Taco Tour ★ 5.0 (159) 2–3 h From US$54

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Playa La Lancha

    Playa La Lancha is a sand beach on the bay side of the Punta de Mita peninsula, in the Nayarit municipality of Bahía de Banderas, about 2 km east of the surf breaks off Punta de Mita town. It faces south into Banderas Bay below the road that runs out to the point, on a coast where much of the land behind the sand is private, and it has kept the feel of an undeveloped beach. There are no buildings or services on the sand itself.

    La Lancha is above all a surf spot. Surf guides describe it as an exposed point break with fairly consistent waves that peel both left and right, at its best on distant west-northwest groundswells with offshore winds from the west, and in winter. The Wikivoyage guide to Punta Mita recommends it for longboarding, especially around the incoming or outgoing tide. Surfers warn about sea urchins and rocks in the water, a reputation for localism, and access across private land, so it pays to be polite and to watch where you step and paddle. The peninsula around it has several other breaks, from Punta de Mita town to El Anclote and the reefs beyond.

    Getting there is part of the trip. You walk to La Lancha: Wikivoyage puts it at about 30 to 40 minutes on foot from Punta de Mita, or you hire a boat. OpenStreetMap shows a footpath down to the beach from the Punta de Mita road near the Pemex station, where a surf school and a café named after the beach stand by the highway. Bring water and shade, as there is nothing to buy on the sand.

    How to get to Playa La Lancha

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta to Punta de Mita: 50 min, 44 km

    From Puerto Vallarta, take Highway 200 north past Bucerías, then the Punta de Mita road (Carretera a Punta de Mita) west along the bay; La Lancha is below the road about 2 km before Punta de Mita town, and a footpath leads down from near the Pemex station. Punta de Mita is about 15 km southwest of Sayulita and 17.5 km west of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. Buses marked Punta Mita leave from the Walmart stop near Marina Vallarta, and direct buses also run from the Puerto Vallarta airport (cross the highway on the footbridge); they run along the Punta de Mita road past the path, or you can walk 30 to 40 minutes from Punta de Mita town. You can also hire a boat in Punta de Mita.

    Reached on foot from Punta de Mita: 35 min each way.

    Directions to Playa La Lancha on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Playa La Lancha Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Playa La Lancha. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Playa La Lancha

    • Puerto Vallarta · 44 km by road, 50 min to Punta de Mita, then 35 min on foot
    • Tepic · 143 km by road, 2 h 5 min to Punta de Mita, then 35 min on foot
    • Autlán · about 215 km by road, ~3 h 10 min to Punta de Mita, then 35 min on foot

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Playa La Lancha: hours, prices and tips

    Time needed
    About 30 to 40 minutes on foot each way from Punta de Mita, or hire a boat. Wikivoyage · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    For surfing, winter, on west-northwest groundswells with offshore winds from the west; longboarders favour the incoming or outgoing tide. Surf-Forecast.com · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Watch for sea urchins and rocks, respect the local surfers, and mind that access crosses private land. Surf-Forecast.com · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Playa La Lancha: what to see and do

    Surf the left and right point break on a winter west-northwest swell.
    Longboard the mellow waves around mid tide.
    Walk the undeveloped sand, one of the few on this side of the peninsula.
    Rent a board or book a lesson at the surf school by the highway, near the path down.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Playa La Lancha

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Playa La Lancha.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Playa La Lancha; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 13 km more to Playa La Lancha, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 41 min by road from Sayulita, the base for Playa La Lancha.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on swimming or surfing at Playa La Lancha, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to Playa La Lancha before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Playa La Lancha warm

    Playa La Lancha shares the climate of Sayulita, 13 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.

    Playa La Lancha is best for swimming and time on the water in the warmest months (June, July, and August); in the rainiest ones (July, August, and September) expect storms in the afternoon.

    See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sayulita

    Palm-shaded street of shops and stalls in the center of Sayulita, Nayarit warm
    Nayarit Sayulita

    Sayulita is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Playa La Lancha, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Playa La Lancha

    Near Playa La Lancha

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Playa La Lancha

    Beaches in Nayarit · 25 Beaches near Sayulita · 42 Beaches near Puerto Vallarta · 40

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.