We’re not sure when the first golf cart appeared in Sayulita, but whoever trucked it in had an inspired idea: why not cruise our narrow and oft-congested streets in something smaller than a car, yet more mobile and powerful than a bike? After all, some of the hills in town are too steep for most bikes and/or wannabe bikers, and cobblestone streets are too bumpy as well. Or muddy, or potholed, or…well, you name a street problem, somewhere in Sayulita you’ll probably find it. Not that it stops anybody from having a good time, it’s just that you have to improvise a little more while getting around here.
You can’t carry your kids on a bike, but a virtually silent, non-polluting golf cart has room for kids, grandparents, groceries, cases of beer, surfboards on the roof, and everything else. It’s pretty much the perfect vehicle for Sayulita. Why else would so many full-time residents drive them? Not only full-time residents, but plenty of visitors as well—and visitors’ kids! 7, 8, 9 years old? Sure, you can drive a golf cart in the streets of Sayulita! We can’t encourage this blatant breaking of the law, but on the other hand, the carts don’t go that fast and there’s usually at least one adult on board. Plus—hey grown-ups!—kids don’t drink and drive. At least not little ones.
Admittedly there may be a few hills to steep for an electric golf cart with a relatively small motor. And in the rainy season, many of the streets are too awash in mud and flowing water for golf cart cruising. But that’s only for a few weeks in the rainy season. The rest of the year, these nifty little vehicles are perfect for Sayulita.
You can rent golf carts from a couple of places around town. They aren’t exactly cheap, but on the other hand, if you’ve rented a house on the top of Nanzal on the north side, or Gringo Hill behind the plaza, that walk home from the beach or the late night restaurant or bar is a killer, especially carrying the surfboard, the beer, the sleeping kid, and/or the groceries.
In fact, we would suggest that when you sign up to rent a house here, if that’s your plan, inquire as to how far from the plaza and the beach the house is located, and ask if you’ll need a golf cart. Some of these home owners and managers talk about a ten minute walk to the beach, but when that ten minutes returning to your rental house is up the side of a mountain, you’ll be sorry you don’t have motor-powered wheels.
On the other hand, if you rent on the flats, use your feet or rent a bike. Nothing is that far away here in Sayulita.
