Dear valued guests,

We inform you about the current situation regarding the Waste Water situation at Sayulita. Recently, the Bahia de Banderas  municipality issued an official statement assuring that the water treatment plant is fully operational , however, unfortunately, the 2 km-long underwater pipeline remains loose and has not been fully repaired or connected to the water treatment plant.

Therefore, we will continue to offer transportation for surfers from Sayulita to La Lancha / Punta de Mita and  Punta Mita / La Lancha surf lessons or Coached Surf Sessions, both complimentary transport for our guests staying in Sayulita and San Pancho.

Your safety is our number one priority, and we are staying vigilant for any changes in the situation. 

Sayulita is suitable for recreational use

Concerned about the health and safety of locals and tourists, the municipal president Mirtha Villalvazo, ordered an extraordinary review of Sayulita beach, obtaining a positive and safe result.

"Come visit us, Sayulita and all the beaches in Bahía de Banderas are clean and safe for everyone," declared the mayor.

Regarding the document issued by the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), Josué Raúl Gutiérrez, Director of OROMAPAS, commented:

Concerned about the health and safety of locals and tourists, the municipal president Mirtha Villalvazo, ordered an extraordinary review of Sayulita beach, obtaining a positive and safe result.

"Come visit us, Sayulita and all the beaches in Bahía de Banderas are clean and safe for everyone," declared the mayor.

Regarding the document issued by the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), Josué Raúl Gutiérrez, Director of OROMAPAS, commented:

"Sayulita is one of the beaches that is mostly monitored, with more care, with rigorous periodic reviews due to the flow of tourists it has, that is why we are surprised by the document that was published yesterday, since the only sample they took was recently more than three weeks, time in which our results in the month of November only in one point were in 204 enterococci, the rest of the samples were below 20 enterococci.

"Our treatment plants in San Francisco and Sayulita, which are the closest to the COFEPRIS sample, have not had any negative observations, on the contrary, they are working in perfect conditions."

For her part, the municipal president Mirtha Villalvazo, also ordered preventive maintenance to the pressure emitter, in order to submerge and hold it, to avoid any leak or accident with tourists, jobs that required an investment of close to a million pesos.

"Even so, yesterday it was ordered that several samples be taken on the Sayulita beach, of course at the same point where COFEPRIS took theirs, resulting in 203 NMP / 100 ml being the allowed limit of 200, a result with which, at the beginning of November, COESPRISNAY congratulated the municipal government for these results, ”said Raúl Gutiérrez.

Bahía de Banderas es La Joya de la Corona, seguiremos cuidándola para hacer "La Mejor Historia. ¡Los estamos esperando!"

Link to the full Article in Spanish: https://tribunadelabahia.com.mx/sayulita-apta-para-uso-recreativo-51779

Surfing, Swimming & Paddleboarding in Sayulita - Is the water safe in Sayulita during the rainy season?

Rainy season is here again - so what does that mean for the water quality In Sayulita?

Thanks to the permanent sanitation watch and the new water plant installed just last year, the water pollution problem here in Sayulita is in check and under control! (Even though it may not look like it!)

This summer has seen us experience some heavy showers, meaning the river that runs through the town of Sayulita is growing and well, it’s bringing a lot of water with it; this water is a combination of sand and soil that comes from the luscious jungle terrain that surrounds Sayulita, hence why the water is brown. The water is running through the town and bringing soil to the ocean and beach. 

As part of the plan to fight the pollution, an underwater emisor pipeline was installed to treat and carry wastewater offshore and, despite some wishy-washy operating problems earlier this year, the last few months have seen no problems. This means that Sayulita beach, although not crystal clear, is now currently complying with all federal requirements and has been declared safe for recreational use. 

So yes, the water from the river may be brown. But no. It’s not polluted, just rainwater! PHEW!

So, is the water clean to swim in Sayulita? It sure is. 

All water sports such as swimming, surfing and paddleboarding in Sayulita have been declared safe activities right now, however, if you’re looking to catch a wave, have a paddle or even spot some turtles within translucent turquoise waters, Punta Mita’s, La Lancha beach (just 20-minute drive from Sayulita) is still your safest bet! 

--04th, Sep 2021

Sayulita's beaches

have improved after a year of reporting dirty waters from the river that flows into the sea; the quality of the water increased considerably making it suitable for visitors.

The contingency was also a primary factor in the recovery of the ecosystem, due to the absence of people during this quarantine season which has exceeded the estimated days of closure for visitors, reaching Easter and part of the summer holidays when normally there is more flow of tourists.

Without a doubt, time heals everything and it is the same time that nature needed to recover the beauty of the beaches that run through the area of ​​San Pancho, Guayabitos, Punta de Mita, and above all, Sayulita the favorite place for surfing activities.

The residents are already receiving tourists with all sanitary measures, little by little the town has recovered and the rest of the businesses are still awaiting the reopening of this beautiful magical town, returning to the new normal.

--02nd, Oct 2020

Great News!

Not everything has been bad news for Sayulita and the Riviera Nayarit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the last months, the number of visitors decreased considerably, bringing uncertainty and concern for all.

Despite this, we have seen how for these same reasons the beautiful beaches and nature of our town have been regenerated in an incredible way.

The cleanliness of the sand and the purity of the water had a drastic change thanks to this unthinkable pause.

It is as if nature itself invites us to reflect on our lifestyle and behavior, showing us how when we relate in a kinder and more conscious way with nature the ecosystems thrive and show us their maximum splendor.

We feel that this pause, which we are all going through, beyond a crisis is an opportunity to reinvent ourselves in all aspects of our lives and thus discover new horizons.

We want to share with you these new perspectives and the newfound brightness of our sea and beaches, that is why during this crisis we decided to lower the prices of our Surf Camps to motivate you to come and share the Surf LifeStyle that we love.

--11th, Jun 2020

Times are changing, you can feel it in the air

Nostalgia strolls through Sayulita, which now looks clear of noise, laughter, visitors and children running around. The sound of waves breaking, seagulls, and primavera trees blooming now fill the almost empty place.

Nature begins to crown the town with trees full of fruit and rugs of beautiful yellow and pink flowers running along all the streets and trails. For its part, the waves of the sea continue to run wild on the beaches, which now seem untouched without anyone visiting them.

Times are changing, you can feel it in the air; The rainy season comes with a firm step to help nature finish the work it has done in this time, which man has allowed to intervene in the landscape.

A cooler climate dances in the air and soon the flora of Sayulita will look multicolored as it enjoys clean ocean water that falls from the sky.

Locals are doing their part by improving recycling habits and thus keeping trash under control, auguring that this year we will not have flooding problems during the rains.

There is no doubt that life thrives and, for Sayulita the decrease in the flow of visitors that it had given him an increase in the flow of the water that runs through it and revived the natural beauty that the made such a popular destination at first; By allowing time, nature, and people to return to their roots, it unleashed a long-lost beauty.

Have you heard stories of the beautiful little town called Sayulita, so unique and picturesque? Come and discover it with your own eyes, we are waiting for you in June!

--28th, May 2020

Water quality in Sayulita - The story

To the south of Nayarit there is a colourful town called Sayulita, full of the local culture and friendly people. It is well known by all, that this beautiful destination enjoys great popularity among national and foreign tourists, to which the town responds with immense joy to receive them all year after year, so that they know their culture, the beautiful views it offers and the surrounding beaches.

As in all stories, there are always two sides to a coin and the negative side of this romance between tourists and Sayulita is the pollution it leaves behind; the same that leaves it´s mark on streets, but especially on rivers and beaches.

This year adds to this fable an unprecedented event that strikes human health and the world economy; the SARS COV 2 virus. This new member seems to be winning the battle by separating the two protagonists of the story, since fearing for his own health, Sayulita made the difficult decision to close it´s borders to all visitors until the virus decides to take flight and stop disturbing human health.

At this point, where everything seemed lost, there is a light that comes to illuminate such a painful panorama; Sayulita's nature opens there eyes with more life than ever; By having the opportunity to have the town to themselves, the streets are cleaner and clearer than ever, the fauna runs and flies free in the mountains that are the guardians of this beautiful town, but there is an even more difficult landscape to find in these times ... There is clean water!

The sewerage system has worked without problems, the rivers look crystal clear, and the beaches look radiant, devoid of bottles, cans and other garbage; the sea has waves with white foam that would once invite tourists to enjoy them; and the fishes swim safely across the entire width of the coast.

This is a story that has not ended; for now, stay at home, allow everything inside and around you to re-emerge stronger and more beautiful, as Sayulita is doing. We wait for you with open arms in summer so you can see what this rest allowed nature to make this town, and even more beautiful place.

Sayulita awaits for you!

.

--21st, April 2020

Sayulita update

The new year started with a heavy downpour, which was very unusual for this time of year. The otherwise rather calm Sayulita River turned into a torrential stream. A lot of mud was stirred up and the access to the sea had to be enlarged to prevent the river from overflowing.

Five days later now the situation has visibly calmed down. The sun is out again, we have a wonderful blue sky and temperatures are increasing. The river is shrinking back to its original size and becoming clear again and the birds are enjoying being in the river once more.
Additionally Sayulita has reached a great swell and the conditions are perfect for surfing and catching great waves right now.

Fortunately all these events had no impact on the sewage system of Sayulita. Thankfully we can still say that we have no problems with smell and diseases, since the sanitation of the treatment plant.

Furthermore for the plants, the rain shower was a blessing. The leaves, which are browning due to the current dry season, are now turning a rich green again and give Sayulita an even more beautiful look.

.

--5th, January 2020

Sayulita River water quality update

It’s Friday morning at 7:45, black Necked Stilts, yellow-crowned and white herons contemplate the lagoon that sits at the bottom of the river before flowing into the ocean. They hope to catch small fish and food that streams down the Sayulita River.

Dry season is on now and welcomes it with no fear of a horrible smell and a contaminated environment, sadly something very common in the past.

Thanks to the renovated treatment plant and the effort of locals who care for the environment, intensive plastic-waste collections and river clean ups happen often to make Sayulita a more sustainable destination.

Now surfers and swimmers can enjoy the clean ocean in the Sayulita bay. Happily, there are no reports of diseases caused by streptococcus bacteria in the area. Great news for Sayulita visitors looking to surf and enjoy the beach in this tropical paradise.

--December 20th 2019

April 17, 2019 Sayulita beach declared for safe swimming and recreational use - Sayulita is now the only beach town in the area that does not dump wastewater directly onto the beach. Many people turned out today to tour the plant and grounds, and it was great to see everyone involved in the process. There was also a noticeable lack of odor at the plant, which was a pleasant experience. The government of Nayarit also tested the Sayulita water quality and the latest test results showed between 10 and 20 NMP / 100 ml enterococci, which is well below the 200 NMP / 100 ml limit set by the government for safe swimming.

With Sayulita Life information: http://www.sayulitalife.com/sayulero/index.php/2019/04/17/completion-of-sayulitas-wastewater-treatment-plant-upgrade-emissor-pipe-project/

Sayulita Wastewater Treatment Plant and Sickness Update, April 16, 2019 Today the Governor of Nayarit and the Municipal President, came to Inaugurate the new Underwater emissor and the extension of the existing Sayulita Waste Water Treatment Plant. Lots of locals were present. As of today, there is no sewage water being dumped in Sayulita Beach, the sewage smell is gone, and the water feels way cleaner! No test has been performed yet, however, we assume that without the sewage running into the ocean, water quality should greatly improve, and infectious sicknesses in Sayulita should drop.

As of today, Wildmex will start providing the Service of Surf Lessons in Sayulita again.

With Alerta Bahía information - April 11, 2019, Wastewater treatment plant is in operation! State and Federal authorities announced the start-up of the wastewater treatment plant in Sayulita, this means contamination of the area is finished. Read More on "In operation plant to treat wastewater and stop spills to Sayulita beach"

Sayulita Sickness update April 8, 2019 at 10:30 am, there is not much movement going on at the beach, pipe or water treatment plant to keep away Sayulita sickness and reduce the probability of catching norovirus. The pipe is still out, but still floating and no one seems to be working on anchoring it to the ocean floor.Some people came in this morning and put up signs about Sayulita sewage improvement work being done.

Still, semi-treated water is running into the Sayulita river, beach and ocean. Fortunately, the bio-disc plant was turned on a few days ago (after 3 months off!!!) and water seems to be exiting cleaner and with less smell.

April 7th 2019 update on Sayulita wastewater treatment plant and sickness - As of this morning, all 11 sections of pipe have been set out at sea and connected in order to form a 2.2 km stretch of pipe into the ocean, however, the project to keep Sayulita beach and Surfbreak free from Sewage water, and with this, hopefully reduce the infection vectors that could be one of the main reasons for the sicknesses Sayulita's visitors and locals have been suffering from for years and have become more recurring this 2018-2019 winter season.

The pipe being all set out in the ocean is a great step towards fixing this issue, however, there are still steps needed to get the whole plan going, and even though we would love to know, we have no certainty on when will they be finished. Here are the steps still needed to get the sewage water away from Sayulita beach and surf break.

1- Submerge the 2.2 km of pipe and anchor it to the ocean floor.
2- Connect the pipe to the water treatment plant exhaust, calibrate pumps
3- Get the whole thing working, and hope for no details to come up, that could delay the operation of the new system.

From our perspective, this could take anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks, and if something unexpected does not happen, we should be good to go.

Please keep in mind that the water discharged into the ocean floor will be treated, but not at its full. It probably will not affect any of the swimmers, surfers or habitants of Sayulita, however, modifications and amplifications to the current water treatment plant will be made through the following months in order to discharge full treated water out into the ocean.

Sadly, as of this morning, semi-treated sewage is still flowing right into Sayulita River, Beach and Surf Break.

Sayulita sewage treatment plant update - April 5, 2019. Today the last pipe of the wastewater emissor was connected, in the next days, the emissor will be submerged to the deep ocean to get finish the installation.

[APRIL 1, 2019] The works to improve the water issues in Sayulita continue to progress. There are still some pipes to be connected, however, at April 1 2019, the underwater wastewater emissor was 75% complete. However, we still recommend that all visitors avoid swimming or surfing in the sea in Sayulita until the emissor is complete.

Once the coupling of the remaining pipes is complete, the entire emissor will be submerged and installed.

We hope that the company in charge of installing the underwater emissor is efficient and can complete the work in the coming weeks, however, according to the current progress, it could take up to a month longer to complete the work.

We recommend that all our guests surf at La Lancha beach rather than Sayulita, and find lodging in nearby towns such as San Pancho, Punta Mita, La Cruz or Bucerias until the work has been completed and the water in Sayulita is in the best conditions.

If you are currently staying in Sayulita, take advantage of our Surf Shuttle to our headquarters in La Lancha, either to take your surf lessons, rent surf boards to surf at La Lancha or just spend the afternoon at the beach.

[MARCH 2019] The issues with the water treatment plant and water quality in Sayulita is something that worries all of us in town. On March 6 we were informed that for the last six weeks, all the towns raw sewage had been being dumped into the ocean, right next to Sayulita's main beach and the surf break. No wonder people have been getting sick! We recommend that all visitors avoid swimming or surfing in these waters until this issue is fixed.

The engineers installing the underwater emissor, which will pump the treated watewater further out into the ocean, tell us that they are working on the issue and installing the pipes out into the ocean.

 

The engineers assure us that the emissor should be finished and ready for connection on April 1, 2019. Until then, we do not recommend going in the water in Sayulita.

The village of Sayulita is known among surfers for its consistent river mouth surf break, and it is the perfect place for your holidays. The chill atmosphere, colorful streets, friendly locals, entertaining nightlife, combined with delicious restaurants where most use only ‘organic’ locally grown food, makes it a lovely place to hang out, and most of the people that come here “for a few days” decide to stay longer.

In towns such as Sayulita, the residents have a sense of control over their immediate environment. Residents also have the freedom to build unique eco-houses without complicated applications and council approvals. There’s a strong focus on living slow, living sustainably, and living within your means.

Sayulita is a Tropical paradise and would be an idyllic community, however, sadly the fast growth of the town and the inefficiency of the Mexican Government have resulted in a situation that affects the ocean.

Sayulita town has a water treatment plant built in 2009 right next to the river that runs into the ocean, the plant dumps treated sewage into that river, however, the water going out to the river, and then to the ocean, is not as clean as it is required for human contact. Due to this situation, there has been a higher than average rate of people getting sick during the last couple of years. Although this can be caused by numerous reasons; change of diet, excessive consumption of alcohol, and so on, studies prove that the ocean water quality at Sayulita's Surf break is far from ideal for human contact, especially during the times the town is the busiest.

Common sickness problems are constant flu, respiratory troubles, and stomach sickness. Even if you don't go into the water these bacterias have some volatile compounds. To be practical about it, a lot of locals in Sayulita don't feel 100% comfortable going into the water at the beach in town.

We are by no means saying that people should not visit, stay or eat at Sayulita. It still has its charm, great restaurants, bars, and most importantly the people that make it lovely. We are just saying that the Ocean water at Sayulita’s beach is not as clean as we would like and that we reccommend people wanting to surf or spend lots of time in the Ocean, to head to cleaner beaches.

The problem of water pollution in Sayulita is like a big elephant sitting on the beach. This is, of course, a delicate and uncomfortable subject for residents, rental house owners, and resorts, but it's Sayulita's reality.

In order to solve this, residents, rental homes, hotels and local business owners have come up with a project to resolve some of the sewage and water treatment issues in town. To read more about the "5 part plan" go to this link

New sewage and rainwater drains will be installed, and a concrete structure will be placed across the river that will both serve to protect the sewage drain and allow traffic to move across the river safely throughout the year.

As part of another plan, a new water treatment plant is supposed to be built during the next years.

Until these plans are achieved, we will always recommend our guests to choose other surf breaks like La Lancha at Punta Mita for surfing.

Wildmex offers daily shuttles from Sayulita to "La Lancha" surf break in Punta de Mita, luckily one of the most consistent breaks years round is only a 25 min drive away with crystal clear water.

At La Lancha, not only the water is cleaner, but it is a real surfer spot, no big crowds with swimmers or children's playing in the water and going on your way while on a wave, it is a quiet beach where you’ll mostly meet other surfers or paddlers.

At La Lancha, there is consistent waves year-round, multiple peaks for all level surfers to enjoy, clean water, and an incredible white sand beach.

Very common to be surfing with sea turtles, plenty of fishes and pelicans there. The beach is surrounded by a jungle. No rivers discharging nearby, and plenty of ocean currents around to keep things fresh.

It is definitely a nicer and cleaner spot for those who like to catch the waves, which fortunately does not suffer the same issues as Sayulita Beach.

To know more about it:

https://www.sayulitalife.com/news/detail/612

http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/testing-reveals-only-one-beach-unsafe/

http://www.atl.org.mx/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6344:water-pollution-plagues-mexicos-scenic-pacific-coast&catid=114:contaminacion-del-agua&Itemid=576

In Spanish:

XI. LA COMPOSICION QUIMICA DEL AGUA DEL MAR. (2019). Retrieved 27 August 2019, from http://bibliotecadigital.ilce.edu.mx/sites/ciencia/volumen1/ciencia2/12/htm/sec_16.html

Duran Ramirez, X. (2019). ¿Desalinizan agua las nubes?. Retrieved 27 August 2019, from https://www.iagua.es/blogs/xavi-duran-ramirez/desalinizan-agua-nubes

Severiche Sierra, C., Barreto Lezama, A., & Acevedo Barrios, R. (2019). Efecto de las Lluvias sobre la Calidad del Agua en La Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombia. Retrieved 27 August 2019, from http://www.unilibre.edu.co/revistaavances/avances-10-1/Tema_07_Cienaga_Grande_Santa_Marta.pdf

COFEPRIS (16 de Abril 2019). Playa Sayulita, ubicada en el municipio de Bahía de Banderas, cumple los niveles de seguridad establecidos por la OMS. Lugar de publicación: COFEPRIS. https://www.gob.mx/cofepris/articulos/al-100-aptas-las-playas-del-pais-cofepris-197446?idiom=es

COFEPRIS (10-21 de junio 2019). Resultados de calidad de agua de mar. Lugar de publicación: COFEPRIS. https://apps1.semarnat.gob.mx:8443/dgeia/gob-mx/playas/destinos/bahia-de-banderas.html

MARQUEZ GONZALEZ, A. R., TOVAR HERNANDEZ, S. R., & MONDRAGON JALMES, V. A. (2017, 19 diciembre). Calidad del agua de mar y su conocimiento por turistas nacionales: el caso de tres municipios costeros del estado de Nayarit, México.. Recuperado 3 agosto, 2019, de http://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/eps/n33/1870-9036-eps-33-330.pdf

http://rivieranayaritone.blogspot.com/2017/03/el-municipio-bahia-de-banderas-nayarit_21.html