David Simmonds

I first stumbled into Sayulita, then a very small village tucked into a beautiful cove in Nayarit, in 1970, having navigated (it was a tough trip in those days) my old VW bus down from San Diego one summer break from college. And although my destination was Puerto Vallarta, which was just getting to be somewhat known, Sayulita was the place I never talked about to anyone because I wanted it to be left untouched. It was about as perfect as you could imagine and I went back many times over the years. But nothing lasts forever, and eventually, little by little, word spread. Gringos started to buy property and build homes, and the PV visitors started to show up on day-trips, with real estate prices climbing accordingly.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great little town, it’s just not the same town. Some streets are now paved, the schools are better, and the locals can make a decent living from the tourist dollars. There is also a very good web site dedicated to the town that sends out a free weekly email newsletter, The Sayulero.

If you  ever plan to travel to the Pacific Coast area between Mazatlan and Vallarta, check out their web site http://www.sayulitalife.com/ first and take a look at a town that, while not perfect, comes pretty damn close.