Some people might hate me for saying this but Sayulita is like the Bali of Mexico. I find them similar because you can find amazing Yoga and Meditation classes, the people that visit tend to stay longer, it’s a surf town with over 9 breaks (which I hear is amazing), and it’s affordable for Americans. In the same way that Bali feels like Australia or Europe…Sayulita has been stripped of some of its culture BUT a little less than Bali. You will still find plenty of Mexican treats, vendors, and people. 

The town has gotten pretty expensive compared to other parts of Mexico, but I guess that’s what tourism does!

Here’s the breakdown of what to do and not to do while in Sayulita:

TO-DO:

  1. HIKE TO SAN PANCHO
    • It was absolutely beautiful. The beaches in between the hike were probably some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever experienced. No crowds, no trash, no worries! 
    • STOP BY MALPASO BEACH EVEN IF YOU DON’T MAKE IT TO SAN PANCHO
  1. GO TO A YOGA CLASS
    • The yoga instructors are amazing and there are so many to choose from. I didn’t get to try all of them so please do some research on what you like. My favorite was the Rose Room 🙂 
  2. EAT THE LOCAL STANDS
    • There are a few stands that have a gyro looking thing that makes El Pastor (a marinated pork with pineapple), I went to the one outside of Public House like everyday. It’s so cheap and delicious…about $1 a taco.
    • Elote is bomb (corn with mayo lol)
  1. DRINK
    • Ok I genuinely had no idea this was a party town. However, this is a party town. I’m actually really happy that I came in the low season because it wasn’t too crazy. I honestly can’t imagine it being crazier. BUT if that’s your vibe, people are drinking and hitting the bars every night of the week.
  2. SURF
    • Hike to La Lancha
    • Get a surf lesson! Sayulita has a bunch, or if you make the hike to La Lancha you can get one there too.
  3. CRUISE/TOUR
    • There are a few companies offering boat tours to Marietas Island with some other excursions included. So worth it.
    • Our boat took us to Yalapa, which was really cute.
  4. MARKET AT BASEBALL FIELD ON FRIDAYS
    • There’s a cute local market at the baseball field near the bridge every Friday. When I went, there was a couple making Mexican vegan food at the very end and it was AMAZING.

Best beaches IMHO:

My most memorable moments in Sayulita were visiting the beaches nearby. The landscape in this area is INCREDIBLE.

  1. Malpaso
    • Follow the last road that hugs the beach and goes North. At the end of the road there’s a trail head. Follow the trail until you hit the beach and walk on the beach until it’s desolate…you will know when you’re there.
    • This beach is clean, desolate, and felt like a dream. Best for the views. The waves can be a little rough and deep but I still swam.
  2. Carricitos
    • You can use Google Maps to find this beach.
    • The beach is magical. Best for swimming. The water is calm and clear.
  3. Playa de Los Muertos
    • You can also use Google Maps to find this beach.
    • There is a beautiful cemetery (hence the beach of the dead). I’ve always admire how Mexicans celebrate the dead, it’s so colorful and a site to see.
    • Best beach that’s close to downtown Sayulita. There are food and drink stands and good vibes flowing throughout. It is usually packed since it’s so close to town but still a super nice beach. You can also hike through the rocks on the north side and find some pockets of secluded beach.
  4. La Lancha (surfing)
    • Hiking to La Lancha was probably the craziest day of my life. I was there during rainy season so the pathway through the mangroves was flooded with mud and at some points murky water that came up to my thighs. There were also thorns under the mud, we tried to wear water shoes but they didn’t help. After getting lost a few times, it took us an hour to hike it carrying MASSIVE beginner surfboards. My body hurts just thinking about it LOL.
    • Disclaimer, I think if the mangroves aren’t flooding, the walk is about 10-15 minutes and really straight forward.
    • In the end, the beach is gorgeous, not too many people (since it’s harder to access), and great for beginner surfers! There are rocks walking into the ocean so you can swim but maybe not ideal.
  5. Sayulita beach
    • For a calmer section of the beach walk towards the right pass the vendors.

MAYBE AVOID:

  1. Everything is expensive in Sayulita, so keep that in mind when looking for purchases. The locals definitely benefit from you buying so don’t completely stop spending. Just be mindful that it will be pricey.
  2. Stayed in Punta Mita for a few days. Probably wouldn’t recommend going back. From Sayulita there are plenty of the most beautiful beaches to hike to and Punta Mita doesn’t really have a nice area for restaurants/shops/bars. La lancha might be the only thing worth doing in that direction.

Living as a Digital Nomad:

  • Don’t do it. The wifi is reallllly bad and almost unusable at times. The only place that has reliable wifi is Sayulita Cowork which uses Sayulita Wifi, the best internet provider in the area. I also heard that Selina has reliable internet but that the coworking area could be a little loud. The cowork is amazing though if you still end up going.
  • Shop at local grocery stores! There is plenty of fresh produce everywhere. You might want to get your fruit and veggies at one place, your tortillas at another, your meat at another…so if you’re used to going to Kroger you may need to plan ahead more here.
  • If you are a veggie/vegan, there are plenty of options for you at restaurants but I still haven’t found anywhere that sells fake meat (like Beyond/Impossible meat) or tofu. But if you can eat plenty of veggies, rice and beans you will not have any issues cooking at home. Terrenal Organic Food Store does have some specific things you may want!
  • Seems safe but that was just my personal experience. I’m scared of the dark so I would literally sprint to the cowork in the mornings before the sun rose but nothing ever happened and the only places open were the tortillerias.

Overall, don’t be a DN in Sayulita unless you want to go through intermittent network issues. If you can do a lot of work offline you might be ok but even then…good luck. Hopefully the infrastructure improves there for the sake of DN’s or maybe it won’t and it’s a good place to enjoy a weekend unplugged.

$$$$:

MONEY MONEY MONEY -ABBA

So in general, cheap accomodation is hard to find. If you want to find cheap accomodation, you would need to connect with a local realtor/local people that need to fill an apartment. I’ve heard of people finding places for like $500 a month, but I was never able to find it. Maybe I’m not resourceful enough. So I used airbnb which ended being about 1.5k a month for an absolutely beautiful apartment with AC in the bedroom. You could also stay at the Selina or any hostel for cheaper!

As a DN –I would say from $500 to $2k for a 1 bedroom apartment. I chose the most expensive route since I am new to the DN life.

Groceries: $50 a month

Eating out: I had groceries and got local stands maybe once a day or every other day and maybe 1 full sit down meal a week…so about $50

Drinking out: expect US prices for cocktails and such. Maybe $5-10 for a drink. So if you go out without pregaming and want to black out, it can be as expensive as you want.

Hope this helps!!

Mexico
By Mexico, Travel