Taking a trip to Mexico was on my list of things I wanted to do and one of the top places I wanted to visit. Recently, I was inspired by someone who was at one time a big part of my life; her experiences in seeing the world on her own was, as she described, something of an eye opener where she discovered not only foreign places, but found out new things about herself. This is what led me to discover the must-visit town of Sayulita.
In recent years, I have made it a priority in my life to take solo trips. I am an avid surfer, and thus my trips have been centered and inspired around this. As it turns out, taking surfing trips on my own truly has been a beautiful experience so far. Before deciding on Sayulita, I was originally planning on going back to Tamarindo, Costa Rica, to surf and stay for one week. I did fall in love with the culture and the surf there, and I was considering returning this year. However, I was conflicted because of the fact that I wanted to keep discovering and visiting other parts of the world, mainly in Latin America at this point.
A fellow surfer that I follow on Instagram posted about a trip she made to Sayulita, and how beautiful it was. When I saw the pictures, I immediately thought: “That’s where I have to go next!” So, I changed my travel plans, and ended up deciding to come to Sayulita. In all honesty I had never heard of Sayulita before; I researched and looked up many YouTube videos, and also reached out to some YouTubers I follow, and many of them responded with great tips that turned out to be extremely helpful. Thus, I booked the flight, found a great hotel and transportation, and I was all set!
I arrived in a little over three hours flying from LAX into Puerto Vallarta, got in my arranged transportation, and arrived at Hotel Villas Sayulita in a little under an hour. Hotel Villas Sayulita is located on a large hill, and is very beautiful with an excellent view. The pool, the view, the people, and the cleanliness immediately made me feel excited about the days to come. I got ready, asked for directions to the center of town, and it turned out to be just a short 10 minute walk down the hill.
I explored the town and absolutely loved the way the town looked! The colors that are spread across the buildings, the decor, the vibe- everything about Sayulita just felt right. I ate dinner at La Esperanza Restaurant, which is a very cool place with a nice vibe that offers very healthy meals. An added bonus, is the food is amazing by the way! Some of the shops were closing as I walked down Sayulita’s streets, so I made it out to the beach where I just chilled and enjoyed watching the beautiful sunset.
My experience in Sayulita turned out to be a 10/10. In the days that I spent in Sayulita, I enjoyed the beautiful Mexican culture, which in Sayulita also has a very calm, surf-town, hippie feeling to it. The food was delicious, and there were plenty of healthy spots. The people were down to earth, friendly, helpful, and always great to chat with. I loved how besides the locals, there are many different cultures and ethnicities that visit and live there. I surfed, and surfed, and surfed (Luna Azul is highly recommended for your surf needs). I can go on and on, but if you’ve made it this far in reading my experience, take this from my words- Sayulita is a must-visit town which is very safe, healthy, with nice and helpful locals who are beautiful inside and out, and the surfing is amazing. I must say that I fell in love with this little town, and my plan now is to visit Sayulita often as I can.
*Submitted and written by: Edgar Meza