Sayulita, Mexico

After six months of Winter in Tahoe, I was ready for some warm weather. I wasn’t just craving sun - I wanted to go somewhere where the vibe was laidback, the ocean was warm, and the food was fresh and spicy.

…. off to mexico!

I met my friend Jasmine in Sayulita, which is about an about from Puerto Vallarta.

… I told the driver to look for the door that says “Mexico, I fucking love you” Wasn’t Hard to spot…

We rented a condo in the center of the bustling little beach town. If you like being in the action, I recommend this AirBnB.

After a cold beer and a quick change into my bikini, we headed out to explore…

The streets were lined with colorful flags and people selling crafts and giant ceramic jugs of margaritas.

We wondered around and found a taco spot that a friend recommended. It had THE BEST guacamole .

We made our way to the beach, and stumbled onto the perfect spot to watch the sun go down. The whole beach was pink-ish orange, and the waves splashed gold flakes as we dug our toes into the warm sand

Margarita Time …

The next morning we woke up and headed to Playa de los Muertos (the beach of the dead ).

The beach was a lot less crowded than the main beach of Sayulita. We found a spot in the shade and ordered spicy micheladas.

There were talks of a secluded beach that was close by. So we decided to search for it..

Directions weren’t clear, and it was hot. We were about to turn around when we saw a broken sign that said “Playa”.

We found paradise.

The whole beach was ours. After walking along the water, we parked ourselves at a daybed, which belonged to a giant estate behind us.

Dinner that night was at Mary’s. if you’re looking for traditional Mexican food, this is the spot. We finished the night with a couple drinks at the bar next door while watching fire dancers in the street .

* * *

The next next morning we took the bus to the town next door. It was a bit sleepier then Sayulita - most places are closed until the afternoon, when the town starts to wake up. The beach was beautiful, we made friends with the bartender and his very friendly dog.

As we made our way back home, someone recommended a place we need to try for the best tostadas. Its a little beach bar called La Isla, (behind Aloha bar) towards the Northern end of Sayulita.

Enter from the main street here…

Honestly, I usually don’t order tostadas or ceveche… but these were so freakin’ good. We ordered 6. They made fresh Maracuya (Passion fruit) mezcal margaritas.

… Thay had some of the best mezcal I’ve ever had… and it was their house Mezcal. They get it from a local family who brews big batched and delivers them in water jugs.

If you ever go here…. definitely try the House Mezcal.

Mezcal and tostadas were followed by Margaritas at home.

It was a joint effort of squeezing fresh lime juice.

(Obviousely) Mexico has some of the best Mexican food around… but if you’re in Sayulita and you’re craving pizza, try La Rustica.

We decided to order a to-go pizza and sit on our patio

… we drank wine - laughed - cried - ate the entire pizza. It was a good day.

* * *

One of my favorite breakfast/lunch spots, anchor, was located right up the street. We ate there every morning. You have to try this place…

Always filled with expats on their laptops. this hole in the wall has smoothie bowls, fresh smoothies, grain bowls, and really good chai lates. I recommend the farmer bowl for lunch.

We decided to head back to playa Cerritos for a quiet afternoon by the beach.

… Turns out the owners was home and invited us up to watch the sunset from the pool.

We all took shots, thanked them for their hospitality and walked back to town.

the road was dark… we should’ve taken the offer to get a ride back … damn.

luckily, these two girls offered us a ride back on their golf-cart.

It was friday night and the streets were alive

sayulita is a vibrant place to visit. it’s touristy, but still feels authentic.

get there fast, then take it slow…

food:

Mary’s: Traditional Mexican food located near the main plaza.

Anchor: Probably one of my top 5 favorite breakfast spots in the world. They’ve got tons of fresh fruit, superfoods, and really good espresso.

El Tecate: my favorite taco spots in town. The guac is also really good and they give you lots of yummy sides.

La Isla : This beach restaurant is located behind Junta Al Rio and has really good Tuna Tostadas. Don’t forget to try the house Mezcal.

Tienda terrenal: Small organic grocery store. Has lots of exported health foods.

Beaches:

Playa de los muertos A quiet beach past the cometary on the south side of town. They have a bar and umbrellas for rent.

Cerritos : A local secrete. Its about a 20 minute walk from Playa de los muetros… follow the dirt road south, take the second right, and continue following that road until you see a sign for “la playa”. Ask anyone on the road and they’ll point you in the right direction.

Transport:

From PVR airport its 35 minutes to an hour depending on traffic.

Taxis (one-way) are around $50.

You can also get an Uber for $25, but you have to cross the bridge to the other side of the road once you get out of the airport.

You can also take the bus ($4), but it takes 1.5 hours and drops you off about a mile from the center of town.

Tips:

DOn’t use the atms in town. There are 1 or 2 that are safe, at the center of town. Ask where these are.

Rent a golf-cart for the day to explore the area.