We’ve been writing a number of pieces about taking walks and hikes around Sayulita. For those curious as to the reasoning behind this: while the town beach is loads of fun, and shopping, dining, drinking, and just hanging out around the plaza can be a blast, if you’re here for a week or more you may need other things to do and fresh new places to go. A good walkabout is a great way to see and experience the town and the exotic surrounding countryside. This Carricitos walk and all the others we’ve posted come highly recommended as ways to discovered Sayulita’s myriad charms.
Sayulita’s beaches each have their character and style: downtown is the place to be for a party atmosphere and the surf; the north beach is also great, at times, for surf, for rock and roll at Bar Camaron and seasonal turtle releases at Bar Miramar; and for the long stretch north for quiet strolling. Los Muertos offers good snorkeling at times, and almost always has calm waters and fewer people than downtown.
And then there is Playa Carricitos. If you really want to get away from it all for a few hours, this is the place for you. And though it feels distant, it’s actually a relatively short walk from Playa Los Muertos to Playa Carricitos. To get there, head away from Los Muertos on the dirt road that cuts through the jungle towards Ninos Heroes and the Gringo Hills end of town. Take a right at the second turn (the first turn will take you to another, pretty little gem of a beach, but there is no clear public access) and after passing a few driveways and turn-offs, soon you’ll find yourself at the top of a small hill with a couple of options. However, the roads to the right and straight ahead are both private, so your only real option is to go left. Soon you’ll see some signs warning about a dead end ahead. Keep going, and in a few moments you’ll find the trail down to Carricitos on the right. If you pass a car-sized platform cantilevered out over the hillside on your right, you’ve missed the turn.
A five minute stroll down hill through dry forest brings you out onto Playa Carricitos. It’s only a couple of hundred yards end to end, with rocky headlands serving as bookends. A large, coral-colored private home overlooks the south end of the beach; this house, Otemita, and another one on the other side of the road just above the trail, Casa Pacifica, both offer guest house rentals, so if you love Carricitos’ for its isolation, this might be the place for you. There are other rental options nearby, but these are the two closest to the beach.
A small abandoned house sits above the shore at the northern end of the beach, seemingly a sometime roost for birds and beasts and perhaps the occasional squatter. There are certainly pelicans aplenty about, and no doubt, in season, you probably can see the whales leaping out at sea.
Here, facing open ocean, the waves crash fiercely on the shore, and even when the swell is relatively small, the water can be rough. Swim with caution, stay away from the rocks at either end (and the one half-buried in the middle), and beware of random riptides. If you’re not an experienced swimmer, and/or the waves have any size or power at all, get your feet wet and back off.
Bring food and drink if you plan on making a day of it. There are no restaurants, bars, or facilities. This walk takes under an hour. In a car it is five minutes from Playa Los Muertos. On a bike, maybe fifteen. A horseback ride would be a fine way to get there. But, as always, when you walk, getting there is half the fun, for it gives you a chance to admire the flora and fauna along the way.
Carricitos lies just a few coves down the coast from Sayulita, and a million miles away.
