TRAVEL

The A-Z of My Favourite Travel Destinations — S is for Sayulita, Mexico

Surf, sand, beaches and hikes with a dollop of town life

For our winter destination for 2023, we decided on a small town called Sayulita. It was the first time we had been on the west coast of Mexico. Previously we had spent six winters along the Caribbean Sea of Mexico and Belize, so we were wondering what this new place would be like.

It wasn’t going to be our first Pacific coast winter as we had been in Costa Rica in 2010, and in Ecuador for three winters. The big sell for us in trying out the west coast of Mexico was the reduced travel time. As we are getting older, that was a big deal.

The first thing on our agenda was to check out the main beach. It was just over two kilometres from south to north. It is a pleasant beach that did fill up closer to the southern end where the downtown area was located. We now had our daily walk area by the sea, and we were happy with it.

The surf. It is the biggest draw for people to come to Sayulita. It is surfing central on the west coast. Yet strangely, unlike Montanita in Ecuador, the surfers didn’t displace the local Mexicans. Sayulita is a vibrant community that is Mexican with Gringo visitors.

It is another aspect of the community that drew us in. Everywhere one turned, there was another work of art to be found.

We got to see so many birds in Sayulita and area. Our third-floor patio looked out onto a number of trees that had a variety of birds make an appearance, including the Black-Breasted Magpie Jay with its long scissor tail, Orioles, Grackles, Woodpeckers, Hummingbirds, and Parakeets to name just a few.

We hiked. There were trails to the south and trails to the north which took us to other beaches. Walking through the jungle was an adventure in ascents and descents as the area is made up of low mountains. The only flat areas outside of the community were the beaches.

It was the sea that was the magnet that drew us to leave our apartment over and over again. We would hike, walk the beach, and find a quiet corner away from others and stare out at the sea and listen. One feels the heartbeat of the sea and it resonates with our own hearts.

We quickly became immersed in the community, shopping locally unlike most Gringos who travel to Bucerias or Puerto Vallarta for their groceries and entertainment. We got to see parades, entertainment in the square and on the beach, surfboarding competitions, and a celebration of horsemanship.

Needless to say, the beaches became our home outside of the apartment. We weren’t in Sayulita to be tourists, we were there to immerse ourselves in the surf, the sand, and nature.

We are returning to Sayulita, assuming that we are physically able to do so for the coming winter for another three months. Maybe we will see you there.