Casa Higuera
Centro · 130 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?
Ordered for friends; every side is still here.
The north sideFamilies and groups: palms, pools and the long beachPlaza 10 minBeach 3 minFeels calmMost US$150–450
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 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North side | 10 min | 3 min | calm | US$150–450 | 169 | Families and groups: palms, pools and the long beach |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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.
On the sand
About a hundred metres or less from the sea.
Casa Mar de Grecia
Outside Sayulita: Burros, ~20 min south · from US$500
Casa Pata Salada
South side · 70 m to the sea
El Palacio & Casa Milagros
North side · 50 m to the sea
Hacienda Camino al Mar
Centro · from US$950
Pool Side Condo
North side · 100 m to the sea
Under US$150
Honest budget picks, hostels included.
El Oasis
South side · from US$125
Casa Higuera
Centro · from US$128
Ximena Hotel Boutique
North side · from US$150
Houses for everyone
Sleeps ten or more, with the price worked out a head.
Casa Llamarada
South side · about US$63 a head
Casa Serene
South side · about US$66 a head
Villa Valentin
South side · about US$133 a head
Casa Pura Vida
Centro · sleeps 10
Casa Mariposa
Ocean view · about US$17 a head
El Palacio & Casa Milagros
North side · about US$56 a head
Pool and view
A pool, and the sea from it.
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
Villa Valentin
South side · from US$2395
Small hotels
For when you don't want a whole house.
Cinética
Around town · from US$180
Ximena Hotel Boutique
North side · from US$150
Every stay, by side
The north side
Calmer streets behind the long north beach, palm groves and villas, with a flat walk into the plaza.
10 of 169 stays fit · feels calm · 59 don't sleep 6
This month around North side
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 beach
Casa Tulipán
Modern three-bedroom house in a small complex on the quiet north side, with two heated saltwater pools, a rooftop deck with ocean views, a gym and a games room. Seven minutes' walk to the north beach.
Stay · North end beachfront
El Palacio & Casa Milagros
Casa Milagros (3BR, from $750) and El Palacio (4BR, from $1,100) rent separately or together as 7BR Villa Milagros (from $1,850) on the private north end of the beach.
Stay · North end (Av. del Palmar)
Pájaro de Fuego
Condo complex across the road from the north beach with two big pools, one heated in winter, plus 24-hour security and daily housekeeping. Units run from one to four bedrooms; expect stairs.
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.
3 of 112 stays fit · feels lively · 40 don't sleep 6
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 south hillside
Casa Higuera
2BR villa $280, Casa Sofia 3BR $308, casitas $120-142; close to town.
The south side
Hillside lanes between the plaza and Los Muertos: views, guesthouses and a short walk down to the beach.
10 of 95 stays fit · feels mixed · 29 don't sleep 6
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.
Stay · South side
El Oasis
Compound of six casas sharing a waterfall pool and palapa lounge bar on the south side, under a 10-minute walk to the plaza and beach. Rent one casa or all nine bedrooms (24 guests).
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 · 4 don't sleep 6
Stay · Los Muertos hillside
Villa Pelicanos
Nine beachfront bedrooms near Playa Los Muertos; featured in Architectural Digest.
Up the valley
Inland along the river and the town entrance: everyday Sayulita, the soccer field and quieter, local streets.
2 of 41 stays fit · feels mixed · 17 don't sleep 6
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.
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.
3 of 39 stays fit · feels quiet · 12 don't sleep 6
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 · Around town
Cinética
Boutique guesthouse of five independent casitas, each with a full kitchen, set in jungle above Playas Patzcuaro and Patzcuarito southwest of town. Has a pool and shaded palapa and takes stays from a few nights to a whole winter.
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.