Puerto Vallarta & Sayulita

My husband and I are lucky enough to live in Southern California, which is SO close to Mexico, so we’re able to travel there often. It’s such a beautiful country with a unique and rich culture. This past weekend, I rang in my 30^th birthday by heading down to Puerto Vallarta for a long weekend – and a MUCH needed vacay!

My parents own a timeshare at Costa Sur Resort & Spa, so that’s where we’re headed this time. It’s Jordan’s second time there, and probably my 7^th (at least!) Going to Costa Sur is always special for me because it reminds me of my childhood. And what’s crazy is that people I remember from when I was little are still working there!

The resort is, in my opinion, in the perfect location. It’s built into the mountainside, about a 15-20 minute cab ride from downtown, and has breathtaking views of the bay. It has two pools, three restaurants, all ocean view rooms, and yes, a spa. The staff is friendly, the amenities are exactly what you need, and oh – did I mention the private beach? You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, floaties – you name it! I also like it because it’s not a mega-resort, it has the feel of a boutique hotel, but with everything you need.

When staying at Costa Sur, take advantage of the all-inclusive. That’s all you can eat and drink for approximately $63/day. (I KNOW!) Time to unwind and let your troubles drift away while sipping margaritas poolside. Does it get much better than that?

After hanging around the resort and working on your tan, you should definitely head into Old Town and explore. Puerto Vallarta has a little bit of everything for everyone. Amazing art scene? Check. Romantic, candlelit restaurants? Check. Live music and great nightlife? Double check. It’s the perfect mecca for foodies, art enthusiasts, but most importantly, people who want to have a good time.

Sunday, we went into town for a day of eating and shopping. We chose to eat at Café de Olla and split the melted cheese with mushrooms (to die for) and a carne asada burrito with rice, guacamole, cheese and onions. (You choose what goes in your burritos!) After gorging ourselves on authentic Mexican cuisine, we definitely needed to walk the calories off, so we headed to the shops on the river, or the Isla Cuale.

This area is so unique – you walk down to the river and all of a sudden, you’re on this little islet. It feels very hidden, and tropical, like you’ve stumbled onto a movie set. You’ve got great restaurants (Oscar’s, River Café), a tequila distillery, and so many little shops with handmade goodies. There are wild cats and dogs running around, and if you look up into the trees, you may spot an iguana or two!

   

We also stopped in this cute store called Lemongrass Boutique, owned by the sweetest woman. Check out this store! This is what dreams are made of. I couldn’t help it and bought myself a little birthday present…two amazing cover-ups, the cutest pair of shorts, and these handcrafted earrings!

   

  

This particular weekend we were in town happened to be Easter, so there were a lot of celebrations going on. Driving through downtown, we noticed a fiesta happening at the Plaza de las Armas in front of the Church of our Lady of Guadalupe – food stands, gifts for purchase and live music – what more could you want?! So we ditched our dinner plans and opted for this instead. Walking around the Malecon with our street food under the light of the full moon made for a truly magical evening. 

  

  

After a fun night in town, we woke up feeling like we needed to adventure a bit more, so instead of doing another all-inclusive day, we decided to do a day trip to Sayulita – the cutest little hippie, surf town you ever will see.

It took us about an hour and a half in a cab to get there from Costa Sur. We used Uber, and were shocked at the price – only $25! (Note: A cab will be about $40, and the bus is only a couple of dollars, but be prepared for an even longer drive that includes all of the bus stops). Even though it was a bit of a drive, the ride was really interesting. Sometimes my favorite thing to do when in a new country is just drive around and observe the culture and the countryside…or in this case, the tropical, overgrown jungle. There were fresh fruit stands up and down the highway, farmers tending to their livestock, and restaurants that looked no bigger than a living room, that were packed with people, so you know they’re good.

When you pull up to Sayulita, the first thing you will notice are the colors. Oh my goodness! Every building was painted a vibrant pink, orange, green, red, blue, and the colorful papel picado were hanging between every building, as if to say, “Bienvenido a Sayulita! Kick off your shoes, grab a surf board, stay a while…”

We grabbed a quick lunch at Don Pedro’s, conveniently located right on the beach. We ordered fresh guacamole, pico de gallo and chips, two passionfruit margaritas (I think they had just juiced the passionfruit in the kitchen!), a grilled artichoke, and Asian spare ribs. YUM!!!

   

After filling up, we headed to the beach. Talk about people watching! This town draws visitors from every corner of the world. The beach was full of families, couples, and large groups of friends. Yes, there are many people walking up and down the aisles of lounge chairs trying to sell something – henna tattoos, bracelets, necklaces, hair braiding! So you definitely need to be aware that you’re going to have someone trying to sell you something every 5 minutes. Good thing I was in the mood for a fresh coconut!

Sayulita is definitely known for its surf culture, so if you’re a novice and want to give it a go, there are multiple surf schools with tents located all up and down the beach. You can also rent kayaks and paddleboards, or even jump on a fishing boat to go catch your dinner.

After a couple of hours soaking in the rays (please apply sunscreen!) we packed up our things and started exploring the town. Every little corner has something unique, but the two major streets for shopping are Delfines and Marlin. We stopped in boutique after boutique, all selling handmade clothes, art, and local crafts. The most popular item here is clearly the colorful pom poms, and I learned that they are actually handmade by the Huichol people.

 Definitely make a pit stop in Evoke and Revolución del Sueño. Evoke is known for its upscale crafts, as well as workshops that you can attend (in case you ever wanted to learn how to macramé). Revolución del Sueño is known for its colorful artisanal products, as well as selling Las Bayadas blankets and bags, which donates 10% of the profits of each towel sold to the Costa Verde International School.

 

Don’t forget to take a pic in front of the iconic Delfines Calle and Avenida de Revolucion. Everyone who visits Sayulita has to take a photo here – we even noticed a line of people waiting to capture the perfect moment, with total disregard to the street traffic! It seems like the locals here are used to it though 🙂

Walking around to all of these boutiques, we worked up an appetite, so decided to see where our feet would take us. We ended up at a tiny, hole in the wall restaurant called El Itacate. WOW. Were these tacos to die for! We ordered Arrachera and Sirloin, and the price just can’t be beat. Tacos for just under $2?! We were in heaven. We sat at one of four tables off the sidewalk, and enjoyed our delicious meal, while laughing and reminiscing on our perfect day together.

  

Our drive back was in rush hour, and took us almost 2 hours. Since we visited the town on a Monday, we definitely forgot to take into consideration the traffic patterns, and that even though we’re on vacation, doesn’t mean everyone else is! So next time, if we were doing a day trip, we absolutely would choose a weekend.

We enjoyed a lovely, long weekend in one of our favorite destinations. Not only did we celebrate Easter there, but I also turned 30! Every time we leave, we wish we had decided to stay the full week of the timeshare. I suppose the best part about leaving a vacation, is looking forward to your next one!

 

Hasta luego….

Kelsey