Pájaro de Fuego 406
North side · 100 m to the sea
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?
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
The south sideThe plaza and a quiet cove, both a short walkPlaza 7 minBeach 3 minFeels mixedMost US$130–400
Playa los MuertosCalm water for swimming and small kidsPlaza 11 minBeach 3 minFeels calmMost US$200–900
Nanzal hillBig views from the hill; you'll want a cartPlaza 20 minBeach 3 minFeels quietMost US$200–600
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| South side | 7 min | 3 min | mixed | US$130–400 | 95 | The plaza and a quiet cove, both a short walk |
| Los Muertos | 11 min | 3 min | calm | US$200–900 | 14 | Calm water for swimming and small kids |
| Nanzal | 20 min | 3 min | quiet | US$200–600 | 36 | Big views from the hill; you'll want a cart |
| 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.
Prices are the lowest night each place publishes, usually in low season; places that don’t publish one aren’t shown under a budget. 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.
On the sand
About a hundred metres or less from the sea.
Aqua Reef Sayulita Condos
North side · 210 m to the sea
Andreas Vacation Rentals
Nanzal · 80 m to the sea
Casa De La Vida
North side · 100 m to the sea
Casa Del Sol
North side · 80 m to the sea
Casa Higuera
Centro · 130 m to the sea
Under US$150
Honest budget picks, hostels included.
Casa Cereza
South side · from US$150
El Oasis
South side · from US$125
Casa Amarilla
South side · from US$75
Casa Boho
South side · from US$149
Casa Del Sol
North side · from US$150
Casa Higuera
Centro · from US$128
Houses for everyone
Sleeps ten or more, with the price worked out a head.
Villas Piedra Blanca
Nanzal · about US$45 a head
Casa Llamarada
South side · about US$63 a head
Casa Serene
South side · about US$66 a head
Andreas Vacation Rentals
Nanzal · about US$50 a head
Casa Mariposa
Ocean view · about US$17 a head
Casa Mucho Gusto
North side · about US$35 a head
Pool and view
A pool, and the sea from it.
Villas Piedra Blanca
Nanzal · from US$714
Casa Llamarada
South side · from US$750
Casa Mango
South side · from US$395
Casa Rosalita
Up the valley · from US$300
Casa Serene
South side · from US$795
El Oasis
South side · from US$125
Small hotels
For when you don't want a whole house.
Cielo Pool Suite
Nanzal · from US$99
Cinética
Around town · from US$180
Sayulita Surf Hotel Casa Buena Onda
Centro · from US$289
Every stay, by side
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.
4 of 112 stays fit · feels lively · 5 are over budget, 44 don't publish a price
Stay · Centro
Casa Destino
Two-bedroom, two-bathroom home on the south side with a rooftop palapa and shaded patio; about five minutes' walk to the plaza; sleeps four.
Stay · Centro south hillside
Casa Higuera
2BR villa $280, Casa Sofia 3BR $308, casitas $120-142; close to 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 · Centro
Sayulita Surf Hotel Casa Buena Onda
Small surf-oriented guesthouse with three suites across four bedrooms, a saltwater pool and swim-up bar. A few minutes' walk uphill from the plaza, away from the nightlife noise.
The north side
Calmer streets behind the long north beach, palm groves and villas, with a flat walk into the plaza.
23 of 169 stays fit · feels calm · 9 are over budget, 35 don't publish a price
This month around North side
Stay · North end
Pájaro de Fuego 406
The only one-bedroom unit in the Pájaro de Fuego complex on the quiet north end, with a private terrace, bay views and use of the complex's two pools (one heated in winter) and round rooftop terrace; sleeps four, pets welcome.
Stay · North Side (quiet north)
Aqua Reef Sayulita Condos
Breezy, spotless condos with pool and jacuzzi near the north beach.
Stay · North side
Aqua Reef Sayulita Condos
Newer north-side building with three 3-bedroom apartments sharing a pool and rooftop jacuzzi, about three blocks from the beach and a 7-minute walk to the plaza.
Stay · North side
Casa De La Vida
Three-bedroom north-end house with kiddie and adult pools, a big veranda and bay views; a short walk down a lane to the beach.
The south side
Hillside lanes between the plaza and Los Muertos: views, guesthouses and a short walk down to the beach.
14 of 95 stays fit · feels mixed · 6 are over budget, 27 don't publish a price
Stay · South side
Casa Cereza
Two-bedroom house on a quiet south-end street, about four minutes' walk to the plaza and beach, with a private garden, outdoor shower and air-conditioned rooms. No pool; sleeps four.
Stay · Gated community
Casa Llamarada
Four-bedroom villa in the gated Selva Maaku development just south of town, built for groups: a heated pool and hot tub ringed by three fire pits, a pool house with a wet bar and a chef's kitchen; sleeps twelve, with five baths.
Stay · South side near the south entrance, Selva Maaku
Casa Mango
Three-bedroom house with a saltwater pool, a garden and a bungalow on the roof, inside a gated estate with round-the-clock security; sleeps seven, with two kitchens and three and a half baths.
Stay · Gated community (5 min to town)
Casa Serene
Four-bedroom villa for big groups in a private development in the jungle south of town, with a saltwater pool, hot tub, wood sauna, cold plunge and fire pit; sleeps twelve, with five baths and a pool house.
Playa los Muertos
The sheltered cove south of town, through the cemetery path. Calmer water, families and swimmers.
1 of 14 stays fit · feels calm · 3 are over budget, 3 don't publish a price
Stay · Los Muertos
Casa Kukana
Hillside estate on 2.5 acres with two bungalows, a three-suite Moroccan-style one and a one-bedroom English Country one, with sea and jungle views. About a 6 to 8 minute walk to town.
Nanzal hill
Villas with big ocean views on the hill above the north beach. Steep: golf-cart country.
5 of 36 stays fit · feels quiet · 2 are over budget, 8 don't publish a price
This week around Nanzal
Stay · North-east hillside
Villas Piedra Blanca
Two villas on a gated hillside estate above the north side, with three pools, a palapa bar and the whole bay below. Casa Piedra Azul sleeps ten from US$714 a night; the seven-bedroom estate sleeps sixteen and hosts weddings of up to 120.
Stay · Nanzal
Andreas Vacation Rentals
Three homes on Avenida del Palmar at the north end, bookable singly or together for up to 12: Casa Mariluna (3 bed), El Templito (2 bed) and Mi Casita (1 bed). Pool access, A/C, direct booking.
Stay · Nanzal
Casa Gardenia
Two-bedroom hillside house on Nanzal Hill with an infinity salt-water pool and ocean views from every room. Stairs next to the property lead down to the beach in about eight minutes.
Stay · Between Nanzal and Gringo Hill, Margarita del Cielo
Cielo Estrella
One-bedroom villa at Margarita del Cielo with a full kitchen, queen bed and daybed. Shares the complex's pool, barbecue and pizza oven.
Up the valley
Inland along the river and the town entrance: everyday Sayulita, the soccer field and quieter, local streets.
4 of 41 stays fit · feels mixed · 1 are over budget, 20 don't publish a price
Stay · Up the valley
Casa Rosalita
A three-storey hacienda-style house in a gated compound on the quiet north end, five minutes from the beach: a heated pool before a jaguar-and-sharks mural, a pool bar, three kitchens and a sea-view rooftop. Sleeps eight to ten, from US$300 a night.
Stay · Tamarindo neighborhood
Casa Tamarindo
Upstairs two-bedroom unit of a classic Mexican house about a 5-minute walk from town, with three queen beds, A/C, a terrace, private kitchen and a mature fruit garden. Budget-friendly.
Further out
The edges of Sayulita and the next towns along the coast: Punta Sayulita, Playa Escondida, San Pancho and beyond. A cart or car ride from the plaza, and often the biggest houses.
5 of 39 stays fit · feels quiet · 8 are over budget, 5 don't publish a price
Stay · Outside Sayulita: Burros, ~20 min south
Casa Mar de Grecia
Beachfront homes about 20 minutes' drive from Sayulita, just south of Punta de Mita, steps from a surf break. A three-bedroom lower unit sleeps six; a six-bedroom house sleeps twelve.
Stay · South of town, gated jungle enclave
Sayulita Jungle Retreat
Balinese-style teak house in a gated compound of six houses, with a large jungle-facing deck and BBQ patio. Two or three bedrooms, sleeps up to seven, with an optional extra casita.
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.