Magic Charters- Sailing Adventures in Sayulita

One of the best ways to enjoy a day off or to spend a day of vacation here in Sayulita is to take advantage of your location and go on an unforgettable sailing trip! With so many beautiful sites to see around the area, as well as incredible wildlife, such as dolphins and whales, nothing compares to spending a day on the ocean with great company. Magic Charters in Sayulita is the perfect option when looking to book your intimate and memorable sailing adventure! Owners Monika and Tony tell me more about Magic Charters Sayulita, and what exactly gives it its “magic.”

Hi Monika & Tony. First, can you tell readers a bit about yourselves, and why you created Magic Charters?

Monika is originally from Colima and has been visiting Sayulita since she was a teenager. She always had a desire to one day live in Sayulita, which she finally did in February of 2017 after getting a bartending job at El Atico bar in Sayulita’s Centro. Since the 2018 high season, Monika has been the highly regarded manager of the bar, a position she hopes to relinquish in order to develop our sailboat charter business that we believe fills a niche in the growing tourist market, that of small and intimate, private-party tours, in comparison to large “party boat” types of tours. Monika has loved Sayulita for its coastal beauty and vibration for the past twenty years, which is why she envisions a much more eco-friendly approach to the growing need for tourist activities in Sayulita, especially around the magnificent and sensitive whales, which are an integral part of the beautiful vibration of this area that Monika is dedicated to enhancing and preserving.

I (Tony) am a lifelong sailor and surfer, who first sailed to Sayulita around the year 2010 aboard my first boat, which I later donated as a “research vessel” to a Mexican non-profit organization when I fell in love with Sayulita and moved ashore six years ago, (around 2014). I came to live in Sayulita’s centro, just next door to El Atico bar, where I met Monika shortly after she had arrived to live in Sayulita as well. I taught Monika to surf, along-side all the tourists in Sayulita’s perfect learner waves, and the two of us eventually fell in love with each other. Our shared joy of this area and of the sea led us to purchase a classic 33 foot sailboat in San Francisco, California in May of 2018, and after two long months of living on the boat yard and doing all the repairs ourselves, we sailed down the California coast together to San Diego, before Monika returned to Sayulita by airplane to resume her position as manager of El Atico, and I sailed solo back to Mexico for the second time in ten years.

Wow! So when did you officially open/begin offering tours at Magic Charters?

Magic Charters in Sayulita first “opened” on November 1st, 2019, having just completed all of its permit requirements. However, our tours were going on for friends throughout the past year, from December 2018 when the sailboat arrived here for the first time, until September of 2019, when she was berthed in the La Cruz marina in order to begin preparation for this year’s whale watching season, as well as to prepare the permits required to officially begin Magic Charters Sayulita.

What makes Magic Charters so “magical”? Also, what kinds of tours or excursions do you offer that makes your sailing experience unique? 

The tours we offer are the result of much local experience, and reflect the best possible format for the customer. For instance, our location in Punta de Mita is 12 miles closer to the Marietas Islands, which is closer than any other sailboat tour in the area, so when we depart from Punta de Mita at 9:00 a.m. for our early tour, we are among the first observers in the area, which becomes significant as more and more boats begin crowding around any surfaced whales as the day goes on. Also, the early tour will provide for calmer conditions and glassy water, while the afternoon tour will almost always be guaranteed with a good wind for sailing among the whales, without the need for the engine. Most of the time the engine will not even be turned on during the afternoon tour, but instead the boat will sail from her mooring out to the Marietas Islands and among the whales, and back to her mooring, offering the customer a rare and unique experience, and the most eco-friendly sailing service available. In addition, the afternoon tour is designed to finish at sunset, so the sail back to Punta de Mita at that time is among the most photographic and inspirational possible, with spectacular views.

What sorts of “custom tours” do you offer in addition to the morning and afternoon tours?

The possibility of “custom tours” is unlimited! For instance, this past year, we sailed friends and guests to Yelapa, some just to see it and return in one day, others to spend the night ashore and return the next day to Punta de Mita. Furthermore, we have delivered friends and guests to the other Marinas on the bay in “one way” sails. We have also sailed to protected anchorages to spend the entire day swimming and relaxing on the boat. In addition, we have spent moonlit nights having cocktails with friends on the placid water until the moon’s reflection is clear upon the sea.

How does your sailing experience differ from the other sailing companies in town?

Magic Charters Sayulita is different in the way we take people on the water. We are not “A party boat”, we are “YOUR party boat”, as we like to say.  The real effect of this is twofold: first, it is a much more eco-friendly approach to sharing the activity of sailing, and second, it is considerably more intimate. We offer our guests a chance to sail like a local and enjoy the memorable experience the way people who have their own boat would. The only other way to have this type of intimate experience is by panga, which is much less comfortable, and nowhere near as eco-friendly. Our expertise is taking small groups sailing, and sharing a rare experience with them that they will not find elsewhere, unless they have a friend with a sailboat.

What can guests expect when they take a tour on Magic Charters?

Guests will experience the joy of sailing, and the freedom of being around friends that only comes in an intimate environment, as our boat comfortably fits six guests. That, combined with the thrill of seeing whales or dolphins, or encountering any number of magical moments at sea, means there is no more satisfying and organic way to experience these things for many people, especially for the adventurous types who love nature. Those who sail with Magic Charters Sayulita will feel special, moved, honored, and grateful. 

What are your hours of operations or the current daily tours that you offer?

We do two tours daily, the morning tour, which is from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the afternoon tour, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. We also have the full moon tours, which begin at 8:00 p.m. and end at 12:00 a.m. Our classic 33 foot sailboat has interior space out of the elements, a galley with non-disposable service-ware, and a bathroom with a sink, so the boat is very comfortable to spend the day on, and a safe and sea-worthy boat to sail to any destination. Our pricing structure is $99 each person for the daily four hour whale watching sailing tours, $500 for a private party booking tour, and $129 each person for full moon party tours, which for the month of December 2019 will be on the 12th and 13th. Prices include not only the sailing experience itself, but roundtrip panga taxi service to/from the sailboat in Punta de Mita, complimentary juices, mixers, ice, and soft drinks (guests are encouraged to bring their own alcohol if they wish), as well as quality snacks. 

*Written by: Aanya Sheikh-Taheri