Sayulita The Ultimate Travel Guide

Sayulita The Ultimate Travel Guide. A surfers paradise and any yogis dream, located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Having visited over 4 years ago, we were curious to see how much this quaint beach town had changed.

As with any new, trendy vacation spot…eventually word gets around and we were not surprised to see how much busier and built up the town was this time around. However, we still were able to find moments of quiet and enjoyed the charm that Sayulita had to offer.

Sayulita has been deemed the “crown jewel” of the Riviera Nayarit’ and has become popular amongst backpackers, and locals looking for a relaxing weekend getaway from Puerto Vallarta. The town itself, is only about an hours drive from the main city of Puerto Vallarta. Chances are, if you are visiting from out of town, you will be flying into the airport.

There are dozens of taxi services, buses, or even rental car companies that can help arrange a car to get you to the town of Sayulita. Even if you are solely planning to stay in the town of Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita is a close enough day trip that we recommend you try on your vacation.

On this particular trip to Sayulita we were travelling with Hanna’s family. Therefore, our trip was centred much more around relaxation, yoga and beach time rather than adventure. Nevertheless, we hope this blog can give you some inspiration and insight into our favourite parts about the town of Sayulita.

Things To Do

Yoga Classes

Sayulita is a town that has learned to embrace its hippy culture. Which is great for all those who are looking to practice some yoga, or have a spiritual awakening. For ourselves, we managed to meet up with a yoga instructor who came round to our Air BnN to give us a one hour lesson. This was perfect for us as we were a party of 9 and getting every one up and ready to a studio wasn’t going to happen. If you’re in Sayulita we would definitely recommend giving yoga a go. It is a great way to bond with the people you are with and fortunately Sayulita is the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Surfing

If you love to surf then Sayulita will have you covered. Luckily the cove in which Sayulita sits creates the perfect surf for professionals and beginners alike. You’ll find plenty of places to rent boards and boogy boards along the main beach. This is great if you have kid, or if you want to try surfing for the first time. Just one this to be warned though, depending on the tide and season, there can be some sea urchins on the coral, so be careful!

Hiking

One of the great things we loved about Sayulita is the hiking that you are able to do. Not only are there wonderful beach walks, but if you head up north you can hike your way to the next beach and to the next town. This is a must if you plan to be in Sayulita for a few days. The next beach over is beautiful and generally it isn’t that populated like the main beach. The hike to the next beach can take around 30 – 40 minutes and to the next town can take around 2 hours. If you are facing the water, just walk all the way to your right until you find a small path at the top of the sand. Follow that trail for about 15-20 minutes to get to the next beach. If you get to the rocky cliffs, you have gone too far. Apparently, you can still get to the beach from the cliff, but it is more dangerous and a bit trickier, so we suggest you take the path.

Shopping

As Sayulita has become more and more popular, there has been an increases in the amount of boutique shops you can find. This is great for the ones of us who like to shop. We found some awesome deals along the main strip and even a beautiful art motif located in the back of another. One of our favourite stores is Pacha Mama, it has super cute dresses and swimsuits.

Day Trip to San Pancho/San Francisco

As we mentioned before, the hike to the next beach and town, San Pancho is a great day activity. If you’re not inclined to walk or unable to, definitely grab a taxi over. San Pancho is a throwback to how Sayulita was a couple of years ago and is a great place to spend the afternoon. A little more quiet than Sayulita with a touch more charm in our opinion. The beaches are large with beautiful sands and water, with some amazing restaurants located along the strip. Again this is a must if you’re in Sayulita.

Sayulita The Ultimate Travel Guide

Where To Eat

Choco Banana

If there is one thing you must try on a hot day in Sayulita, it is a Choco Banana. A frozen chocolate dipped banana covered with coconut shavings! It is absolutely divine and a popular thing to try when in Sayulita. If you are not a fan of bananas, this cafe is still a great place to check out especially for breakfast, or a morning coffee. They have a really healthy and large menu perfect for anyone looking for a good fill up before their day.

Mary’s Restaurant

If you are looking for some delicious authentic Mexican food, definitely stop by Mary’s. They have dozens of different taco choices from fish, shrimp, chicken, pork, and steak they have it all. The portions are huge so make sure you go on an empty stomach. We guarantee you will leave happy.

Restaurante Sayulita

Another great place if you are looking to eat some traditional Mexican food. They had really tasty fajitas and tortilla soup!

Organik Sayulita

This was our go to spot for breakfast and coffee. They had some really tasty smoothie/acai bowls and a great selection of coffee and tea. If you are a fan of smoothie bowls, definitely stop by this cute spot.

Pizza Venezia

This was hands down the best pizza and Italian food in Sayulita. The lines run out the door for dinner, so make sure you arrive early to get a table. If you don’t feel like sitting and eating, you can also get it for delivery. The pizza here is incredible and they also have great gluten free alternatives!

La Rustica

This is one of the newer and trendier restaurants in Sayulita. While the food is tasty, it is a bit pricy compared to other spots. However, we thought it was worth a mention because we did enjoy the food and they also had some pretty tasty cocktails. If you are looking for a nicer place to eat, definitely check it out!

Atiko Bar

This was our favourite little bar to grab cocktails. They had fun swing seats and in the evening they play some great music. Next door they also have live music most nights so if you are looking for a fun place to dance and drink, this is your spot. Try their spicy margaritas, yum!

Wa Kika

Wa Kika is a really tasty popsicle spot. If it is a hot day, or you spend time at the beach take a quick walk over to their shop. They have yummy flavours like mango, kiwi, strawberry and lemon.

Sayulita The Ultimate Travel Guide

Where to Stay

Hotel Vogue

We stayed here four years ago and it was absolutely perfect! With stunning outdoor seating, comfortable rooms, and walking distance to the beach, it can’t get much better than that. Since then, the hotel has even gone through a major renovation and it looks even nicer now. We definitely recommend you stay here if you are looking for a hotel in the area.

Air BnB

Due to the fact that Sayulita is a bit more of a slow paced town, many people rent homes in the area. There are hundreds of stunning properties all around the town. For this trip, our family rented a house that could fit all of us. It was such a fun home base for us. We loved that it had a pool and a gigantic kitchen for us to cook in.