The Best of Sayulita, Mexico
As soon as you get off the bus you will instantly fall in love with this cities quaintness and natural beauty. The locals are all kind and friendly and make you feel like you’re at home away from home by how safe and inviting they make the town. Although small, Sayulita has so much to offer!
↑Sayulita Beach aka Playa Sayulita
Sayulita Beach is the most popular beach in town. Here you’ll find beach chairs and umbrellas for rent, restaurants, shops, and lots of locals pacing the sand trying to sell everything from hair braiding to souvenirs. This is the beach where you’re also able to rent water equipment such as surf boards, stand up paddle boards, and boogie boards. During the day this beach is pretty crowded but a long enough stretch that you are sure to find a place to sit out.
✩drinking is not permitted on the streets of Sayulita, but is allowed on the beach—just make sure you clean up your bottles and leave no trace when you go!
↑Dead Mans Beach
Dead Mans Beach is a much smaller “hidden” beach compared to Playa Sayulita. Compared to Playa Sayulita, Dead Mans Beach is a small stretch of sand with beautiful rocky edges. As you approach the beach you’ll find a small stretch of local food vendor carts selling fruits and tacos. Just past these, you’ll be able to spot locals enjoying the water and shade and that’s when you know you’ve arrived!
This beach being much quieter is also much trickier to find. From Playa Sayulita, you will be heading toward the hills that the sun sets behind. Start by following a map to “Amor Boutique Hotel” also known as “Villa Amor”. Once here, you will continue down the path until you see a break in the road where the gravel continues to the right and a vibrant arch of pinks and blues on the left. This colourful arch is the entrance to a cemetery, hence Dead Mans Beach, followed by a pathway of vibrant flags leading you directly onto the sand. A cemetery sounds intimidating but I promise this is one you won’t want to miss!
✩cemeteries can make some feel uncomfortable but keep in mind that Mexico celebrates the day of the dead — this will be one of the most colourful cemeteries you will ever see so take it all in!
↑Watch the Sunset
Laying in the sun is definitely one of the reasons anyone goes on a tropical vacation, but the evening is when this beach is my favourite. The umbrellas and rental stands are torn down and the beach is bare, just in time for watching the colourful sunset disappear behind the rolling hills. We watched the sunset at both Playa Sayulita and Dead Mans Beach and found that Playa Sayulita was definitely the place to be to catch the most colour from the setting sun.
✩don’t forget your sweater! Even though you’re in a tropical place, once the sun is down the breeze can seem a little bit chillier than usual
↑Surfing
It would just be silly to travel to a small surf town and not surf! At all times of the day you can see the water filled with surfers of all experience waiting for the perfect wave to catch. If you’re a beginner or haven’t tried it before this is the perfect place to learn! Although it can seem intimidating at first, there’s an ocean full of people encouraging and cheering you on and once you start you won’t want to stop!
Lessons are offered at most surf rental shops if it’s your first time, but we found that learning the basics from YouTube the night before and then renting a surfboard in the morning and getting out there for a few hours was the best way to learn!
✩when you’re surfing make sure you wear a rash guard — your tummy will thank you during, and after surfing!
↑Enjoy Natures Beauty
It’s easy to forget about exploring the small things that make up a town when we’re in vacation mode, but the vegetation of Sayulita is definitely one worth exploring! If you’re looking along the beach, or standing in Plaza you’ll be able to take in this towns array of tropical flowers, trees, and shrubs every which way you look.
✩to fully take in all the beautiful colours that the plants of Sayulita has to offer, look in places you wouldn’t expect—high and low!
Getting to Sayulita
Sayulita is a small surf town approximately 1 hour NW of the Puerto Vallarta International Airport. You can get there by taxi, car, or bus. When you’re in a new town taking the bus can feel very intimidating, but it’s easier than you think! When you exit the airport head immediately left. You will see an over pass that will take you directly to the bus stop you need to be at. At this bus stop you will see many people, one of which will be holding a clipboard. This person works for the bus company and will be the best person to ask for help. From here, you can sit back and relax for approximately 1 hour until you arrive at the Sayulita bus station.
$ — 46 Pesos by bus, one way
Where to Stay in Sayulita
The beautiful thing about Sayulita is that there are no all inclusive resorts. Here, you will only find small hotels or Airbnbs. We chose a small 6 room hotel right outside the main square of town, and a 3 minute walk to the beach called Casa Pia. This hotel was clean, chic, and included everything we needed. Casa Pia was tricky to find due to it being just a small door beside a coffee shop called Another One. When you arrive at this hotel there is no front desk and you need to call to get your room key. If you don’t have a data plan, the kind people at the coffee shop will gladly call for you!
$ — 65CAD / night
Best Eats in Sayulita
Breakfast
Across from Casa Pia you’ll find a small breakfast eatery called El Original Cafe Sayulita. This was our go to breakfast spot when we wanted something light such as smoothies, and baked goods. If you’re fancying a coffee, head next door to Another One coffee shop to get a cup of the best joe in town!
$ — for a pastry + smoothie you’ll spend 5-10CAD // 100PESO
Lunch
Mary’s Traditional Mexican Cuisine is one of the most popular spots in town to get the best authentic Mexican dishes. Some of our favourites included the nachos, jalapeño poppers, and enchiladas.
$ — plan to spend roughly 10-20CAD // 100-200PESO here and be stuffed for the day!
Dinner
My favourite part of the day was around 7pm when the Tacos el Talican stands would open up so I could feast on El Pastor Tacos. Although these stands look like a dive, they are the best thing you’ll eat during this trip.
$ — for approximately 5CAD // 50PESO you can enjoy 4 El Pastor Tacos! Don’t forget these small stands are cash only.
Snacks: If you’re looking for a quick snack and drink, head to Choco Bananas on the way to the beach for a home made banana chocolate chip muffin and iced coffee.
$ — for only 5CAD // 50PESO you can get a freshly baked muffin, and a cool drink to tie you over for a few hours.
Late night eats: If you’re looking for a midnight snack, head to Yambak in Plaza where you’ll find the best chicken wings, burgers, and fries! This place doubles as a nightclub so you can enjoy the best craft beer, with a side of dancing with your meal.
$ — 6CAD // 100PESO will get you a delicious meal with one or two drinks and a great time!