Sayulita Family Trip Recommendations

After a glorious week in Sayulita, I thought I’d update my last post on Sayulita. The weather was perfect for our trip and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

What I love about Sayuita is the small things—the laid back beach, lazy walks to town, ice cream cones in the town square and lunch from the stalls that line the street. The Four Seasons this is not, but to me, that is the beauty and charm of Sayulita. While at times it can feel a bit like a hippy surfer hang out (complete with dogs wandering the streets), it retains its authentic charm with cobblestone streets, brightly painted buildings and awesome food.

The food is terrific here and known for its quality and diversity. Here are some of my favorites eats this trip:

Yolanda’s Chicken. In an alleyway near Sayulita Fish Taco (great stop for a taco), she grills her chicken and serves it to-go with tortillas, coleslaw, and hot sauce. She doesn’t start until sometime after noon and is usually sold out by 3:00 or 4:00pm.

Don Pedros. Right on the beach, Don Pedros is one of the nicer restaurants in town and serves up Mediterranean and French dishes with fresh local ingredients. The pizzas are great as is the ginger chili snapper.

La Terazola. The northern most beach-front restaurant. Lots of fresh fish, a great cerviche and a nice margarita. The kids can wander the beach while you enjoy dinner or appetizers. There is a good break in front of the restaurant and surfers looking for a less crowded spot than town head here.

Paninos. An authentic European bakery with great apple streudal and a brownie to die for.

Mimi Baked Goods. If you are looking for local baked goods, look no further than Mimi’s street-side stall. She generally sets up shop right on the square in the evening. She serves up great flan.

The Guy that Sells Macaroons on the Beach. Not sure how to describe him but he does sell the best macaroon I’ve ever tasted. I think they were flavored with honey and anise. Yummy.

In terms of lodging, I recommend Delfines or Gemales. These are complexes of privately owned villas. They are right on the beach (no roads to cross, just steps to the water) and are walking distance to town as well. They are generally rented by families so you may hear some crying babies at night but the family vibe worked well for us (and our kids even turned up some playmates). We rented Brisa Del Mar and loved the beach front location although the unit is a tad run down. Gemales was booked when we were reserving but it sounds like it is a slightly better set of units than Delfines. Vivianna in Gemales is a nice beach front unit.

Down the beach there are some lovely houses that are also beach front. You will have a longer walk to down (and may want a golf cart) but the houses generally have their own pools and come with household help. Check these out on Sayulita Life,