Sayulita with kids: A Travel Guide
The kids walking to Sayulita Beach to enjoy sunset
We spent a wonderful spring break week with kids in Sayulita. After getting married here 10 years ago, we were excited to show our girls(ages 4 and 7) one of our favorite towns in Mexico. While Sayulita has certainly changed over the last decade (haven’t we all), it still maintains the charm and soul of a surf town that we fell in love with so long ago. Read below for all of our favorites on a memorable trip to Sayulita.
View from Villa Corazon, a two-bedroom unit at Villa Amor
STAY
This condo hotel is great for families, with one, two, and three-bedroom condos. There is also a nice pool and the location is great for checking out the main beach or Playa de Los Muertos.
With it’s own beautiful private beach, this is a beautiful quiet hotel set away from the hustle and bustle of town (about 5 minutes drive).
This beautiful 5-bedroom villa is located on the quiet North Side of Sayulita but is still walkable to everything in town. The decor is stunning and it’s located directly on the beach.
Enjoying the pool at Villa Amor
EAT
The food options in Sayulita are plentiful. From hole-in-the-wall taco stands, to fine dining to churro carts in the square, the options can be overwhelming. Find the list of our favorite places to eat here.
TO DO
Head to the beach
The main beach in Sayulita can get VERY crowded during peak season. If you are looking for surf lessons, this is the place. With kids, we enjoy the beach south of town, Playa de los Muertos. You have to walk through the Villa Amor property then through a small cememtery to get there. Once there, however, there are chair and umbrella rentals ($300 pesos) and food and drink service. There are also several people walking around selling oysters fresh from the bay. We got there early enough in the morning to see them diving for oysters which we purchased a few minutes after they swam to shore—-delicious.
Enjoy the many restaurants on Sayulita’s main street
SURF LESSONS
The waves here are perfect for beginners, making Sayulita beach a wonderful place for kids to learn to surf. There are tons of places offering lessons, but Lanazul has been around forever and has a wonderful surf shop right on the beach.
Looking for whales on Ally Cat Sailing trip
RENT A SAIL BOAT
We have gone on a whale watching adventure (season runs through mid-March) with Ally Cat Sailing three times and every time has been amazing.
View of Sayulita Beach
THINGS TO KNOW
ATMS: These can often run out of money, so it’s best to get pesos at the airport or at a bank on your way into town.
GROCERY STORES: Most transportation companies will include a stop at one of the large grocery stores on the highway from Puerto Vallarta. It’s definitely worth it to stop here and stock up before you get into town.
WILDLIFE: This trip to Sayulita we had several encounters with coati’s, a racoon-like animal that likes to break into hotel rooms and steal your food. I hadn’t noticed them on previous trips, but they certainly were a nuisance this trip.
SANITATION: Sayulita has been plagued with sewage issues for the last few years, but we have been told that the city has completely rebuilt the sewage system, ensuring nothing leaks into the ocean or the tributaries. We didn’t notice anything indicating the contrary during our stay, so fingers crossed this issue is a thing of the past. As always, we only consumed bottled water during our stay to prevent any Montezuma’s revenge.