Surfing Sayulita: Mexico’s Bohemian Surf Town

Easily one of my favorite little surf towns, Sayulita is an effortless escape from the chilly winter in California. Getting there is just a short flight away for us California natives, making Mexico a desirable destination. My boyfriend Michael and I hopped on a 3 hour flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Puerto Vallarta. From there, we hired a friendly driver to take us to Sayulita, about 40 minutes away from the airport.

For the first part of our trip, we stayed in the Reina at Casa Love Pachamama. Owned and operated by an artistic surfing family, the care and special attention that goes into every detail of this boutique hotel immediately makes you feel at home. This was actually Michael’s and my second time staying here- (we loved it so much when we first came here 2 years ago). The carefree bohemian-styled decorations combined with the fact that the surf is literally a stones throw away makes this spot unrivaled. As an added bonus, it is located right in town, serving as a great home base to explore the many boutiques and restaurants Sayulita has to offer.

With just a simple pin code, you can escape the lively hustle and bustle of the town streets into your own personal haven where dreamcatchers slowly sway in the sea breeze and brightly colored walls lift up your spirits.

The Reina (which means princess in Spanish) is appropriately named. With a large canopy bed and sliding doors that lead out to a balcony overlook of the ocean, I truly felt like royalty. Michael, being the surf addict he is, was beyond ecstatic about being able to check the surf from bed every morning.

The sunset views were unparalleled. With a room high above street level, we had no interruptions to the incredible show every evening. We would lounge on the balcony overhearing the music and animated chatter from below while watching the sky change colors until replaced by a full moon and stars. Luckily, we were here during a total lunar eclipse, and the moon throughout our entire trip was especially awe-inspiring.

The second half of our trip was spent at the beautiful Villa Amor. Luckily, we didn’t have far to go when changing locations because it was just around the corner, just a little further up the beach. We stayed in the lovely 2 bedroom Romantica for a night followed by two nights in the extravagant 3 bedroom Tortuga, thoroughly enjoying the more luxurious side of Sayulita. Although Villa Amor is a close walk to town, it has a much quieter atmosphere, altogether contributing to a more relaxed experience.

The amenities at Villa Amor is a nice perk that comes along with the beautiful ocean-front grounds. With access to stand-up paddle boards, an infinity pool, beach chairs, daily yoga classes, and a spa, it was a truly enjoyable experience. A couple mornings, Michael and I woke up early to take the paddle boards out for an exploration around of the coastline. We paddled a couple coves over, found an isolated beach to land our boards, and went for a swim in the warm water, all before breakfast!

Villa Amor has an ocean front restaurant right out front called “Si Señor“, which was the perfect spot for our daily breakfast. In the morning, the tide is too high to sit right above the water, as the waves will come splash over the edge, but in the evening as the tide lowers, it turns into a romantic date spot with lights and music.

The spa at Villa Amor reminded me of Bali, with its lush greenery and wooden doorways. Michael and I treated ourselves to a 1 hour couples massage with a facial… it was heavenly.

While in the villa, I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of my own private space. With a large open-air concept, there was an unobstructed view of the ocean throughout the entire villa, and the sunrise would turn the white washed walls into a golden hue.

Every evening, Michael and I would stroll hand in hand through the lively streets of Sayulita until we found a menu and live music combo that we enjoyed ( there is no shortage of live music around dinnertime). But really, you can’t go wrong with any of the food choices in Sayulita. I also love that there is so much variety in cuisine, so if you were to ever get tired of Mexican food (which no sane person ever would,) one has other options such as Italian, sushi, etc.

Some places we really enjoyed because of the food and the overall aesthetic:

• Matiz for tapas (right across the street from Casa Love) They had a great jazz band playing and I enjoyed a Sangria with coconut shrimp, sausage, olives with hummus, and more. So delicious and a great date night spot
• Leda Ristorante is a low-key romantic date night spot with delicious Italian food. Would definitely recommend- the deserts are amazing after a delicious pasta and wine entree.
• Street Tacos. You really can’t go wrong with this option. Michael and I probably had 3 tacos (minimum) from a taco stand every night before going to a sit-down place because they’re the best tacos around. And cheap. And just the best taco you’ll ever have in your life. I went for the Al Pastor taco usually- they make them right in front of you, and even add a slice of pineapple onto it.
• Chocobanana is a great breakfast spot right in the center of town. They have a separate window for coffee, tea, smoothies, and pastries, and it was our go-to in the morning.

During my time in Sayulita, I probably spent more time in the water than I did on land. The main surf break in town at Sayulita is a lot of fun when the tide is medium to high, and it holds decent shape depending on the size of the swell. If the waves are too small or closing out, there are many other fun surf spots in Punta de Mita, just a 20 minute drive away.