happy place
Do you have a happy place? Sayulita could be it. Sayulita is an unpretentious little town less than an hour from Puerto Vallarta. It’s small enough that you can walk from one end to the other, but many ride around in golf carts.
As far as I’m concerned, Sayulita is Puerto Morelos’s closest rival. The small Mexican towns have many similar attributes. I wrote about my love of Puerto Morelos here, and I love Sayulita just as much. Unlike Puerto Morelos, which we’ve repeated many times, we have been to Sayulita 3 times now. Thinking of our most recent visit a couple weeks ago, there is one memory that not only makes me happy but makes me laugh out loud. It was such an unusual mix of occurrences, some unexpected, some even a little strange – all of which made for a fun and memorable night.
I was celebrating my birthday during our stay in Sayulita. Initially we’d planned to have someone come and cook dinner at the rental house, this way our whole group (8 adults and 4 young kids) could have a easy/casual night in together. As soon as we checked into the house and I saw the kitchen I knew our plans should change. Instead of one large kitchen, this rental had three separate small kitchens on each level. This is nice and convenient for a large group of different families, but not conducive for a big birthday dinner.
While looking at google maps (trying to impress me for my birthday) my husband noticed a small town just north of Sayulita called San Francisco, or San Pancho to locals. He started looking at restaurants in San Pancho and realized this could be a fun birthday adventure. We booked two large SUV’s to take the whole crew the 15 minute drive up the road.
San Pancho is unassuming and down to earth – like Sayulita’s cool little sister. She’s smaller, goes to bed earlier, but same artsy and chill vibes. I’ve read that San Pancho is what Sayulita was like 10+ years ago. We were so impressed with San Pancho that we want to try staying for a few nights during our next trip to get a closer look. We pulled into San Pancho at the perfect time, just as the sun was beginning to set. San Pancho is known for its stunning sunsets. The sun descends directly into the horizon with unobstructed views and dreamy soft colors, creating an otherworldly scene.
We sat and had a cocktail right on the beach. As the sun was almost fully dipped into the ocean, we walked to water’s edge to get the full view. It was breathtaking. After sunset, we took some photos and headed back to town for a stroll through the streets to get to dinner.
The restaurant was super laid-back, had a very simple menu (only sopes, with variations that changed daily), and outside dining under the most gorgeous tree that intertwined with a huge cactus. Another bonus was a park around the corner, a perfect little escape for the energetic little boys with us.
Now the funny part of the night was the live music. It seemed so out of place, yet somehow made the night. There was a guy on a keyboard and a woman playing the viola. It was not meant to be background dinner music; no, just the opposite, they were the main event. Everyone was quiet and listened attentively while they played. Having unknowingly stumbled into the unanticipated live music situation, our group just grinned at each other across the table. The music they played was a far cry from anything Mexican. They were playing a Nordic wedding set that went with a specific story. The viola player talked about the characters in the story before each song and gave a very detailed history of the instrument she was playing. It was unexpected and therefore felt odd; it caught us all off guard, in a good way. I’ll never forget the night.
Sayulita is also close to Punta Mita, which is a gated community with high-end hotels and rentals. We stayed in Punta Mita once, and it was very nice. But in our opinion, not nearly as charming and authentic as Sayulita. We’ve also stayed in Puerto Vallarta, which is the large city that you fly into when visiting Sayulita. Anyone can see the draw of Puerto Vallarta, a bustling city with a huge food scene, art, and rich history. At the end of the day, Sayulita is our destination of choice for that region – but maybe San Pancho now too!
If you want to check out this region of Mexico, you could combine Puerto Vallarta or Punta Mita with a side trip to Sayulita. Either way, go make Sayulita your happy place.
Where to Eat
Estrella de Mar Mariscos – on the north end of town - we eat here nearly every day (either lunch or dinner – both dining in the restaurant or taking food to-go). The aguachiles or the fish tacos are my top picks, but we’ve tried everything, and it’s all very good.
Tacos Gaby – A literal food cart on the side of the street. The best fried fish tacos. These are the ones we eat in our laps on the beach, and its perfect.
Mary’s – great Mexican food right off the main square
Henshin Sushi – maybe you wouldn’t think to have sushi in Mexico but this is as good as what you can find in Japan. We went because our kids love avocado rolls, and our minds were blown. They do only omakase for dinner but made an exception for our kids. It had a lovely ambience too – I can’t recommend this place enough (especially if you are there for 7+ days and looking for a break from Mexican food)
Rollado – excellent ice cream
Café Don Bonito – north end of town - great smoothies, coffee, breakfast
Miscelanea Café – downtown - great breakfast and coffee
Su Pancha Madre - sopes in San Fransisco (San Pancho), 15 min drive from Sayulita
Where to Stay
Each time we’ve been to Sayulita we have rented a different house, and I would recommend all three, each desirable for various reasons. All three homes are on the north end of town, which we prefer because its less congested and quieter at night.
Casa Kiki – Large 4 bedroom house, private pool in a nice backyard, rental comes with a golfcart (which is nice because one less thing to deal with when you arrive). It’s walkable to the beach, but up a hill. With kids especially, its nice to have the golf cart.
Casa Azul – By far the best pool of the 3 houses we’ve stayed in. It’s a large 3 bedroom house with gorgeous landscaping and nice backyard gazebo for outdoor dining. It’s closer to the beach than Casa Kiki, an easy walk with kids. We still rented a gold cart to get into the main part of town. The rooms are very spreadout so this would be a nice option for 3 couples who want a little privacy.
Villa Robalo – This home is part of a complex called Villas de Palmar which sits right on the beach. There’s a large shared pool for all the Villas to use. This is a nice option for multiple families who want their own kitchens. It’s also nice if you have a surfer along who wants to walk quickly to the beach. It is the least private of the homes and had quiet times from 11pm-9am. The kitchens and living spaces were also much smaller than the other two homes we stayed in.
What to do
Surf – Sayulita is a surfing town - we found the little town because our friend loves to surf. I took lessons at the surf shop linked here with my son and my friends’ kid and it was an amazing experience. I think I smiled the entire time :)
Yoga – This is a beautiful spot for yoga. Its on the roof of a boutique hotel. It’s mostly shaded and lets in a nice breeze. When you stand, you can see the ocean and tops of palm trees everywhere. Classes are 75 long and they have incredible instructors. I cried at the end of the first class I took because the entire experience was so unbelievable. A weeklong pass, including mat rental, was only about $50. (note: not all classes are welcoming to beginners, we took an advanced class and it was HARD – and I’ve been doing yoga regularly for 20 years now).
Playa Los Muertos - small beach option off the main large beach
San Pancho - AKA San Francisco, another tiny town outside Sayulita, which is worth a visit!
Walk the beach - the north end is much quieter and peaceful, while the south end is slammed and feels like a big beach party
Ride around town and into the hills in a golf cart. We’ve had good experiences renting from here. We also use this company for transport to and from the airport. Each time they’ve driven us in a large suburban with excellent drivers.
