Although people tend to think of Sayulita as a beach town and nothing else, those of us who live here would like to share a little secret: there are many modes of living here, and they are not all necessarily about living at the beach. Though everybody “lives at the beach” in the sense that the ocean is close by, no matter where you are, there are different environments, each offering a variation on your basic tropical lifestyle. There are hilltop palaces with views from here to Hong Kong, and there are humble motor homes in the trailer park, with laundry strung between coconut trees, a hundred feet from the breaking waves. > Read more

If you see the old-fashioned movie marquee on the southwest corner of the plaza in Sayulita, and wander over to check on the schedule for the movie called “Esto Es Mexico,” you’ll quickly discover—that this ain’t no theater. No movie theater anyway…but it is a kind of theater—a studio and theater of color and whimsy and original Mexican art, created by the owners of the store. Esto Es Mexico. The creators of this magical, riotously colorful little place are Belen Sandovan and Cesar Godoy, from Guadalajara. They moved here 8 years ago, have kids and friends and a life here, and they have the shop, where the work is made and displayed and sold. > Read more

One of the most striking birds in the skies of Sayulita is the frigate, that fork-tailed, architecturally-sculpted beauty that we watch sailing on high on the thermals overhead, all day long. They drop down to scan the waters and waves and beach for food, but mostly, they soar, high overhead, magnificent in their perfect airborne aloofness. Except when the fishermen at the south end of the Sayulita town beach clean the dead baitfish and other stuff out of their nets, providing a feast for the local avian population. That’s when the gulls, pelicans, and frigates gather round, swooping down to snatch the fish off the beach, and we can get a closer look at them. > Read more

Along with surfing, paddleboarding, partying, sailing, hiking, horseback riding, beachcombing, sunbathing, dining and generally having way too much vacation fun, people come to Sayulita to learn and study—Spanish!! A foreign language! Yes, you can show up in town and if you want to learn a new language, or at least get started or farther along in your studies, there are people here to teach you this wonderful language, the language of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Pablo Neruda, and Garcia Lorca, among other literary noteworthies. Amazing and inspiring writers all, and if you learn Spanish you can read them in the original, and you can also learn how to ask for the check at the restaurant, and also where is the bathroom. This is important stuff. > Read more

This installment of “Sayulita Stories” focuses on beach and poolside boutique restaurant Playa Escondida. This little hideaway is the perfect answer to escape the dust and dog shit charm of Sayulita. For those not in the know, it is located a five minute cab ride away from the center of town. > Read more

Por segundo año consecutivo, la fusión de Cine, Música, Trago & Surf puso en jaque la aparente tranquilidad de Sayulita. > Read more

Le Petit Hotel Hafa lies just a few doors down from Sayulita’s plaza and its often hectic scene, but it feels a world away. Owner Christophe Mignot describes the colorful, inviting Hafa as a mix of “Mediterranean, Morocccan, and Mexican” design elements, and he has it right. Airy, bright, and surprisingly spacious-feeling (considering its small size), the Hafa effortlessly conjures Mediterranean ambience, while the keyhole cutouts and doorways evoke Morocco; in fact, the name, Hafa, comes from a café in Marrakhesh much loved by Christophe and his wife, Marina. > Read more

During the high season, many evenings as sunset approaches everybody in Sayulita hears a distant mechanical buzz coming from the north, growing louder and louder by the second. Those of us who live here know that sound, and know what’s making it. The Sayulita Air Force, which is to say, a Canadian guy named Johnny Vinge, who lives most of the year here in Sayulita with his wife Monique and three kids. > Read more

Mexico’s traditional “spring break”, Semana Santa, saw a huge influx of visitors to our town. The baseball field was turned into a gigantic parking lot for over 50 buses and hundreds of cars. Many more buses were seen at the entrance to town, in all more than 100. Many areas of the beach and town were converted into temporary campgrounds. > Read more

As a five-year resident of Sayulita and a surfer with decades of experience in the water, my surfing expectations are high. We who surf all the time around here expect good waves, either here in town or at one of the nearby breaks. Over the years I have had hundreds of memorable surfing sessions in Sayulita at the left or the town right, and at half a dozen other surf spots in the area. I guess you could say we take good waves for granted. Or took them for granted, until this year. > Read more