Sayulita has it all...charm good looks, great locale, but has lost its local flavour with the influx of tourists and displaced locals...

The zocalo in the evening is a bustling hub of activity...
An absolute highlight is the young man selling the most fabulous array of hand made pastries in the back of his truck bed...only in Mexico... find him! It is worth it!

There are as many local foreigners as there are tourists...
If you want the taste of a smaller Mexican town, venture up the road to San Pancho...slower pace, more flavour...and no granola gringo beach hawkers selling " special brownies" to the tourists...

Great beach...fabulous surf and sand.......

The waves in Sayulita are family perfect- the teenagers can surf and the younger and older can boogie board. Get to the beach early and score an umbrella and chair in front of Don Pedro's, the best surf spot as there are no rocks. (They have a bathroom, too).

Stop at a little store in the quaint town first for Gatorade, bottled water, beer and cokes and then rent boards from the guy who gives you the navy surf shirt to wear- it will save your shoulders from sunburn and your belly from chaffing.

Buy scrumptious pastries- cheese, apply, and strawberry pies, coconut muffins and bars, from beach vendors- $1.50 each but negotiable in bulk.

Cabs from Nuevo Vallarta run $40 or more, but the bus will take you there for $2.50, it just takes an extra hour to get there. Don't pet or feed the wild dogs, shy but friendly for food, they most likely have fleas and worms.

Just got back from 11 days in Sayulita with my wife and 2 kids boy 10 and girl 9. This was about my 15th time to Sayulita and about my kids 5th time. We always stay just north of town on the beach as it is just outside of town and quieter but just a short walk into town.
I had been a little concerned after hearing about the floods of September but was pleased to find that only a small portion of town seemed affected by the flooding. As a matter of fact my son and I had been down in July and I had been concerned on that trip by the lack of beach left. When we arrived this November we found that because of all the sand brought down by the flooding there was much more beach than before.
Everytime we go we are pleasantly surprised by the amount of very good restaurants and food choices. A short list of some of our favorites is below;
Calypso; very good Mexican food (and great hamburgers) in a nice atmosphere that overlooks the main square.
Rollies; a breakfast tradition.
Los Afortunados; great courtyard atmosphere, cool bar and great food. The owner is a really nice guy who comes by the table to make sure everything is good. The best raviolies we've ever had.
Rubens Deli; 2 doors off the main square. The best sandwiches I good have imagined. Try the BLT.

I was able to surf about half the days andWe all had a great time in the ocean and walked into town most days. Often my wife and I played scrabble on the beach (with cerveza's) while our kids made sand castles and played in the surf.

A favorite activity was going to Punta De Mita one day and renting a panga (boat) to take us out to the islands and go snorkeling.

Sayulita is a wonderful place to visit if you aren't looking for an active nightlight, fancy hotels, or a sewer system that can handle toilet paper. I loved it, but I know many people who wouldn't.

The street food was fantastic. I love dogs, so I enjoyed watching the numerous dogs wandering around with no apparent owner. They all seemed either friendly or completely disinterested in people. If you don't like dogs, or are afraid of them, you will be too stressed out to enjoy the place because they are on the streets, beaches, and in some of the outdoor restaurants.