Sayulita is a surf town, and its main break is the reason: a right-hander that peels over sand in front of the village, soft enough that the whole beach is full of first-timers on soft boards most mornings. The crowd is the hazard, not the wave.
For something less busy, La Lancha towards Punta Mita is a long point break through the jungle, and San Pancho up the coast is the same wave with fewer people and more rip. Several Sayulita schools shuttle to both.
Off the water, the Islas Marietas are an hour by boat: an uninhabited national park with the hidden beach inside a collapsed sea cave, blue-footed boobies, and a strict daily visitor cap with permits issued in advance — check your operator holds one.
Humpback whales are in Banderas Bay from December to March, close enough inshore to be seen from the beach. The jungle behind the village has waterfalls, and the rivers are worth a walk in the wet season.