The closest airport to Sayulita is Puerto Vallarta International airport, which usually takes about 45-50 minutes away by car.
A great way to get from PVR to Sayulita is to make a reservation with Sayulita Luxury Transportation (SLT). We have used them many times and they're very reliable. Each SUV can hold about approximately 6 people + luggage (depending on the people and the luggage!).
SLT will have a driver meet you outside the airport. Round trip from PVR to Sayulita and then back at the end of your trip costs about 4000 pesos, total. As of this writing, that was about $200 round trip for the group.
They provide waters and beers in the car. On your way to Sayulita, they even include a 40-minute stop at the Mega grocery store so you can stock up on food and beverages. Sayulita doesn't have any big markets and the prices can be more steep at the local bodega's.
We recommend you coordinate flights with others so you can share a ride with SLT. But they also said they will do their best to coordinate people who contact them who are coming to our wedding and arriving around the same time.
The most popular mode of transportation in Sayulita is the golf cart. You probably don't want to have a rental car here to get around town, parking can be tough. The whole town is very small and you could walk across the whole town in about 30 minutes.
The challenge can be the hills. There are two main hills in town- Nanzal Hill (where our wedding and brunch will be on the north side) and Gringo Hill (just above the plaza in town). These hills are steep in places and you might want a golf cart to get you up and down.
** It is recommended that you get a cart with a lithium battery if you'll be going up steep hills. If you rent a cart, make sure they know you'll be doing so and they'll recommend the right one.
Some hotels and BnB's include golf carts for free or for an extra fee, so check that out. And if you want to reserve a golf cart for your trip, you can contact Ocean Golf Carts and use the code REPEATOGC24 for 15% off.
Ocean Golf Carts will also be offering free golf cart rides for our guests up and down Nanzal Hill on our wedding day (details to follow).
Last time we were in Sayulita, we used Uber to get around a couple of times and it worked well (and was really cheap). There aren't a lot of drivers yet and you might wait a little longer than you're used to, but it can be a good option if you want to visit the nearby town of San Francisco (the locals call it San Pancho). Last we looked, Lyft doesn't exist here yet.