Stay · Centro (south hillside)
Distrito 88 - Adults Only
Quiet adults-only hotel up a steep hill; whole property can be booked as an 8BR private villa from $1,600.
Pick your side of town
Where you stay shapes the trip: the plaza’s buzz, a quiet palm grove on the north beach, or a view from the hill. Already booked? See what’s around your stay
Which side?
Ordered for a couple; every side is still here.
The south sideThe plaza and a quiet cove, both a short walkPlaza 7 minBeach 3 minFeels mixedMost US$130–400
Nanzal hillBig views from the hill; you'll want a cartPlaza 20 minBeach 3 minFeels quietMost US$200–600
Centro and the plazaNights out, and walking to everythingPlaza 1 minBeach 3 minFeels livelyMost US$110–350
The north sideFamilies and groups: palms, pools and the long beachPlaza 10 minBeach 3 minFeels calmMost US$150–450
Playa los MuertosCalm water for swimming and small kidsPlaza 11 minBeach 3 minFeels calmMost US$200–900
Up the valleyBudget stays and everyday local lifePlaza 13 minBeach 3 minFeels mixedMost US$80–250
Compare the sides in a table
| Side | Walk to the plaza | Walk to the beach | Feels | Most stays a night | Stays | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South side | 7 min | 3 min | mixed | US$130–400 | 95 | The plaza and a quiet cove, both a short walk |
| Nanzal | 20 min | 3 min | quiet | US$200–600 | 36 | Big views from the hill; you'll want a cart |
| Centro | 1 min | 3 min | lively | US$110–350 | 112 | Nights out, and walking to everything |
| North side | 10 min | 3 min | calm | US$150–450 | 169 | Families and groups: palms, pools and the long beach |
| Los Muertos | 11 min | 3 min | calm | US$200–900 | 14 | Calm water for swimming and small kids |
| Up the valley | 13 min | 3 min | mixed | US$80–250 | 41 | Budget stays and everyday local life |
Walks are on foot from the middle of each side, roughly; carts take about a third of the time. Prices are what places publish, the middle half of them.
Sizes are what the places publish; a few don’t list them, so we keep those in. Pool, A/C and kitchen show the stays we know have them; a place that doesn’t say isn’t a no, it just isn’t listed here.
Centro and the plaza
The heart of town: the plaza, taco stands, bars and the main beach a block away. Lively, and loud on weekend nights.
26 of 112 stays fit · feels lively
Stay · Centro
Amaia Sayulita Boutique Hotel
Small hotel of eight rooms and a suite right on the main plaza, with a heated garden pool, air conditioning and good bedding. You're in the middle of town, so expect plaza noise.
Stay · Centro
Xocotla
Gay-owned guesthouse of four apartments (two studios and two one-bedrooms) in a jungle garden with a heated pool. About three minutes' walk to the plaza and beach.
Stay · Centro
Caivama
Modern complex of two-bedroom condos with private plunge pools, a rooftop infinity pool, hot tub and gym, about two blocks from the beach and plaza.
Stay · Centro
Casa Pura Vida
Four-bedroom house on Calle Pelícanos in the middle of town, wrapped in a big street-art mural, with a dipping pool, a palapa roof terrace and polished-concrete rooms; sleeps ten, with tacos, coffee and a minimarket on the street.
Stay · Centro
Pequeña Joya Ámbar
Small one-bedroom apartment beside the church on the plaza, above Salón Sayulita, with a pool on the roof and a balcony over the square; soundproofed doors keep the nights quiet. Sleeps two, three with a floor mattress.
Stay · Central, two blocks from the beach and plaza
Amare Las Villas
Two apartments, Cielo and Paraíso, sharing a saltwater pool and garden, two blocks from the main beach and plaza. Cielo has a rooftop palapa.
Stay · Centro
Caivama
Hillside complex of 26 two-bedroom residences with plunge pools and a rooftop infinity pool, gym and yoga room. A block from the plaza and about three from the beach.
Stay · Centro south hillside
Casa Higuera
2BR villa $280, Casa Sofia 3BR $308, casitas $120-142; close to town.
Stay · Centro
Casa Makai Oasis
Four-suite villa on a quiet street about eight minutes' walk from the plaza and main beach, with a heated salt-water pool, mountain views and a kitchenette in every suite. Sleeps up to ten.
Stay · Centro
Casa Namaste, 1-bedroom lower unit
Ground-floor one-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and private patio, one of five units at Casa Namaste sharing a heated pool, two blocks from the plaza.
Stay · Centro
Casa Namaste, 2-bedroom upstairs
Upstairs two-bedroom apartment with a chef's kitchen and a patio over the gardens, sharing Casa Namaste's heated pool two blocks from the plaza.
Stay · Centro hillside (above main beach)
Casa Paloma
Oceanfront estate with panoramic views of the beach and the surf break, 3 minutes from town.
Stay · Central, direct beach access
Casa Pata Salada
Hillside complex of nine casitas above the main beach, each with a kitchen, air conditioning and an ocean-view patio, with a pool; a minute to the sand and four to the plaza.
Stay · Gringo Hill
Casa Vista
Three-bedroom house with a heated saltwater pool and ocean and jungle views, the only house at the bottom of a short dead-end street. A short walk to the plaza.
Stay · Central, across from the main beach
La Esquina Studios
Eight studios and a penthouse at Pescadores and Caracol, with a shared pool and bar and the beach across the street. Ocean views from the terraces.
Stay · Near plaza (5 min walk)
Nico Sayulita
Gorgeous ocean views 5 minutes from plaza and beach; 5BR $740, 1BR $199.
Stay · Centro
Vida Feliz Casitas
Casitas on the quiet south side with a shared pool and a small plunge pool on each patio, about five minutes' walk from the plaza. One- and two-bedroom units.
Requests to book go straight to the owner or manager on WhatsApp; we don’t take payments or a cut. Owners and managers can claim a listing.