Sayulita, Mexico

As a little graduation present to myself, I headed down to Sayulita, Mexico the final week of March with Autumn.  After 18 months of simultaneously working and going to school fulltime, I decided I deserved it. :)  I know, unemployed and taking lavish vacations…. not quite.  With the dollar converting to 15 pesos and airfares being at their cheapest in 10 years, it was a relatively cheap jaunt. Nonstop from Denver on Frontier was $336 and we ended up spending only $400 after lodging while down there, including surfboard rentals.We stayed at a little place called Casitas Tortugas that I would highly recommend. The owner Marcelo was extremely friendly, helpful, and did an amazing job creating a natural sanctuary. The back patio has a pond with turtles, bamboo trees and iguanas high in the trees. Despite being in the middle of town and only 3 blocks from the beach, when at Casitas Tortugas you felt like you were in a nature sanctuary. It was the perfect spot for reflection, reading and relaxation.  Indio, the resident cat, was always ready to play and keep you company. For a more in-depth review including a video of one of the casitas, take a look here.Overall Sayulita still has a lot of charm despite a lot of development and growth in tourism in the past 10 years. If you have been pondering a trip ( I had been for 4 years), I would go soon!  There is still a great mix of local and gringo establishments and a general friendly feel without the pressures of a typical tourist location in Mexico. You can spend anywhere from $1 to $30 on dinner depending on where you go, but we often found places like the Sayulita Cafe excellent where you could find an amazing meal for <$10.  Don’t miss Burrito Revolucion too.Sayulita serves as an excellent location for both beginner(us!)  and intermediate surfers. The local break on the beach right in town had 2- 6 foot waves and 150-200 foot breaks you could ride all the way into shore!  Javier, the owner of Wildmex is the ONLY person you should see for surfboard rentals and trips.  While we never ended up taking a trip with him or his instructors, friends raved about the amazing breaks at Punta Burros and La Lancha, where Javier and his crew would take you through the forest to beaches where you could surf in solitude while watching the sunset. We surfed mostly on the main beach, loving the fact that we could just walk from our casita to the beach in less than 5 minutes with surfboard in tow.Overall my trip to Sayulita was exactly what I needed.  I would go back in a heartbeat. For you employed types with discretionary income, I can’t imagine a better or easier getaway from Colorado within 3 hours of flying.