Sayulita Mexico Information

The picturesque fishing village of Sayulita Mexico offers visitors and residents incredible beaches, lush jungles and a taste of rural Mexico. Located on the Pacific coast of Nayarit, Mexico, this pueblo is slowly gaining popularity as a vacation/second home destination with plenty of norteamericanos. With cobblestone streets hosting dogs, chickens and playing children, Sayulita is a half-century away from nearby Puerto Vallarta and it's huge resorts, discos and parasailing. Sayulita's location is ideal, only 35 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta airport and 3 hours from Guadalajara.

Areas and locations of vacation rental homes in Sayulita:

North or North end:  This is the area of Sayulita located at the north end of the Sayulita bay.  Until about 10 years ago, it was free of any construction except a few homes on the beach.  Now it has become quite popular with new foreign-investment high-end vacation homes.  The walk to the center of Sayulita from the North End is between 10-15 minutes.  Advantages to renting on the Sayulita north end are tranquil environment, close to the beach, not a lot of traffic, no general town noise.

Central:  This is the general “downtown” area of Sayulita, south of the school, where most of Sayulita’s commercial locations exist.  Plenty to do and see here and you are right in the middle of everything and can easily walk to almost any place.  Advantages to renting in Sayulita’ s central neighborhood are proximity to stores/restaurants/shops, closeness to the original Sayulita-Mexican environment, and walking right to the surf break.

South End:  The south end of Sayulita has become another recently developed area once only inhabited by local Sayulita fisherman and their families.  Most of the houses here are just about 5 minutes walking from town and some offer great views.  Advantages to renting here include proximity, easy access to Los Muertos Beach, local Mexican Sayulita neighbors, and a relaxed environment.

Gringo Hill:  Appropriately named for the original foreigners who came here in the 1980’s and constructed a few vacation homes.  Located on the hill overlooking Sayulita, most of the homes here are very well cared for and offer a variety of rental possibilities.  Advantages included views, walk to town (a bit of a hill though), closeness to other foreigners on vacation, and luscious gardens.

Nanzal:  The Nanzal area of Sayulita offers some of the best views for miles around.  Almost all of the homes up here have been built in recent years and offer a variety of modern conveniences.  A car is almost mandatory due to the steep windy road up to the homes.  However, the views, tranquility, and privacy up here can be well worth the 5-10 minute drive.

Beaches: The main beach of Sayulita is rarely crowded, the exceptions being at Christmas and Easter. The constant activity of fishing boats and bird life make it a pleasant place to be. There are other nearby beaches more absent of tourists and worth discovering as well. The nearest is La Playa de Los Muertos which can be accessed by heading south along the main to the road and then until the road ends. Take the trail to the left that goes over the hill and through the cemetery. If you want to walk about 45 minutes, there are wonderful beaches to the south called Pasquero and Pasquarito. Take water and food as they are at least a half hour walk away and there is nothing available out there. ----In the opposite direction, beyond the Sayulita beach heading north is a beach bordered by palms that is usually unpopulated. To get there, walk along the beach to the end of the beach, cutting up to the right before you reach the last house. Follow the road through the jungle, staying generally to the left. The land has recently been divided and there are confusing fences. Once you reach the beach you might be in a small cove with caves that will take you to the larger beach you can walk to get to San Pancho. If you continue north you will have to cut around the ex-President of Mexico's house by going up the hill (follow the trail) and you will eventually reach San Francisco (San Pancho), the small town on the next beach .

Hospital/First Aid: Sayulita has a health clinic when you first enter the village on the main road to your left. It is a gray and blue colored building, which says SALUD on the front. The hours are flexible so it is best get there in the mornings. There are also two pharmacies located in Sayulita. San Francisco (San Pancho) four miles north of Sayulita, has a basic yet functional hospital. AmeriMed and San Javier Hospital in PV are highly recommended for serious incidents.

Post Office: There is no post office in Sayulita. The closest is in La Peñita and there is also one in Bucerias, the PV airport and two in Puerto Vallarta.

Groceries: If you want to cook at home in Sayulita, basic staples are available in the village. There are a number of small grocery stores in town, some offering better produce than others. It is worth a stroll through town to see what is fresh that day. One Sayulita grocery store with great choices is across from the plaza, near the ice cream store but there are a number of places you can get good food. For fresh fish, try Bibi's deposito just south of the bridge on the east side of the road.

Sayulita Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon in English: Call 291-3154 for more info:

Meetings held at Calle Primavera #11, Sayulita
Mon- 630pm BB Study
Tues- 630pm Topic
Thurs-630pm Step Study
Sat-630pm Speaker
Alanon- Thurs- 5pm

Beer Deposits: The best way to buy beer in Sayulita is by the case. You will pay $130 pesos/case and a $50 pesos deposit. Make sure to exchange your empty bottles each time in order to avoid the deposit.

Night Life: Most of the action in Sayulita is at Don Pedro's, Calypso, Buddha Bar or just hanging around the plaza. During holiday periods, live bands are usually playing on the beach or in the coconut grove next to the river. Saturday nights offer a disco in the baseball field and Sundays usually offer a bull-riding/live concert a the rodeo ring.

Holidays: Major holidays affecting Sayulita and Mexico are the week around February 24 (Sayulita Town Days), Holy Weeks (the weeks before and after Easter), December 1-13 (Celebration of the Virgin of Guadeloupe) and Christmas thru New Years. During Christmas and Holy Week, most Mexicans head to the beach and Sayulita fills up nowadays. Beaches and evenings are not as quiet during these times, but it's still a great place to be. The Day of the Dead is at the beginning of November but is not a huge celebration in Sayulita as it is in Michoacan.

Religion: A variety of Services are held throughout the village on different days of the week. Some of the more popular include: Catholic, Contemporary, Jehovah Witness, and Baptist.