Two days after our wedding we booked flights to Sayulita, Mexico for our honeymoon. Before the pandemic hit we had planning to do a big trip in SE Asia to Vietnam. We considered our options and traveling to Asia didn’t feel safe for us since that part of the world has not had access to vaccinations.
After seeing that we would be vaccinated on time to host our wedding, we also were overjoyed that the possibility of a honeymoon could happen. I had been wanting to travel to Sayulita for some time. Alaska now flys direct from Seattle to Puerto Vallarta, making it easy to get there.
Keep in mind throughout this blog that we did not travel on a budget since it was our honeymoon, we went all out (for us). It is possible to travel to Sayulita much cheaper than we did.
Our Hotel
I found Amor Boutique Hotel after searching through Instagram and came across the view from the rooms. Sayulita is tucked in the hillside of the jungle with some of the best views Sayulita has to offer.
The villas of Amor Boutique Hotel have quite the hike to get to-making most rooms inaccessible for people unable to walk up a lot of stairs. To get to our villa there were 120 stairs to climb. June isn’t a typical time we would visit a tropical destination, meaning it was 80-90 degrees and quite humid while we were there. June-September is rainy season in Sayulita. Luckily for us it was a little overcast and rained days after we left.
We rented Villa Las Palmas, which is a two bedroom two bath villa with its own private pool. One of the rooms does not have air conditioning, so keep that in mind if you are going to book this with another couple. There is a big open concept kitchen and living room area, which would be great for cooking and entertaining.
The personal pool really sold us on this room. We were lucky to have missed the tropical rain storms while we were there, but it was still hot summer weather. We went out in the mornings for coffee and breakfast, and spent most of the afternoons staying cool in the pool. Plus, we had some of the best views of the mountains in the distance. The kitchen is equipped enough to be able to cook your own food. Markets are in abundant so it is quite easy to buy fresh produce.
I had to take advantage of taking photos while we were there, the aesthetic was so dreamy.
Places To Go
Food and beverages in Sayulita why we chose this area. We are foodies so food is a big reason why we will travel where we do. What is nice about exploring this area is everything is walking distance. You can rent a golf cart for the day if you want to get around, which we did one day. The streets are cobblestone so biking isn’t ideal, but our hotel had free bikes for guests to use.
We ate our way around and want to share our favorite places with you. These are in no particular order:
- Barracuda-we ate dinner here, its right on the most popular street in Sayulita so you will be entertained by street artists.
- Mary’s-best fish tacos in Sayulita, we went back twice.
- Escondido-best craft cocktails.
- Alas Blancas-beach bar with good food and drinks.
- Mr. Rib-Delicious BBQ to die for.
- Organi-K-we had smoothies here twice.
- Don Pedro-beach bar-dip your toes in the sand while you eat lunch or grab a cocktail.
- Tierra Viva- sushi
- Trago Frio
- La Rustica-coffee, dinner was overrated.
- Si Senor-attached to our hotel. Not cheap, but the best pina colada I’ve ever had.
- Xochi-we tried dehydrated crickets here and got drinks as it overlooks the square.
- Atico-bar with swings. Loved the vibe here.
And of course, the street Al Pastor tacos. It is fun to watch them start the Al Pastor in the afternoons, and serve all night long. I was told by a friend to not eat the cabbage in a bag as she believes it got her sick. The Baja Belly is a real thing in the area, so be cautious of the water you drink. Even brushing your teeth, use filtered water.
We were surprised at how good the coffee was here. Every morning I was able to get a Iced Vanilla Latte from the local coffee shops just like I do at home. Sayulita has financial influence to maintain quality food and beverages that are imported.
Additional Site-Seeing
We were going to visit the town of San Pancho while we were there, but opted out since we loved our hotel so much and time was limited. Close to our hotel is a more private beach, Playa De Los Muertos (Dead Man’s Beach). If you drive a golf cart here the locals will make you pay to park it.
On the way up the hillside, there is an old cemetary that we enjoyed seeing. This beach has calmer waves than the main beach, and less crowded. The locals serve food and beverages in this area, so bring cash.
We loved Sayulita and cannot recommend it enough. We felt safe the entire time too. We saw quite a few families traveling with their children.
The airport was quite busy upon arrival due to the COVID testing requirements. We were thankful to have a carry on which made things faster for us. Luckily just as we were boarding our plane the plumbing went out in the airport. Phew!
Can’t wait to visit again!
