Casa Bougainvillea
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.
On the sand
About a hundred metres or less from the sea.
Casa Mis Amores
South side · 280 m to the sea
Casa Nicoya
Centro · 390 m to the sea
Casa Rosada
North side · 50 m to the sea
Villa del Oso
North side · 80 m to the sea
Villa Violeta
Nanzal · 360 m to the sea
Under US$150
Honest budget picks, hostels included.
El Oasis
South side · from US$125
ITH Sayulita Amazing Surf Hostel
Centro · from US$12
My Sister's House
South side · from US$25
Sayulita Trailer Park & Bungalows
North side · from US$25
Amari Boutique Hotel Sayulita
North side · from US$89
Casa Boho
South side · from US$149
Houses for everyone
Sleeps ten or more, with the price worked out a head.
Villas Piedra Blanca
Nanzal · about US$45 a head
Casa Mis Amores
South side · about US$250 a head
Casa Rosada
North side · about US$250 a head
Casa Serene
South side · about US$66 a head
Villa del Oso
North side · about US$194 a head
Villa Encanto
North side · about US$55 a head
Pool and view
A pool, and the sea from it.
Villas Piedra Blanca
Nanzal · from US$714
Casa Bougainvillea
Centro · from US$200
Casa Mango
South side · from US$395
Casa Mis Amores
South side · from US$3500
Casa Nicoya
Centro · from US$625
Casa Rosada
North side · from US$3000
Small hotels
For when you don't want a whole house.
Villa Karuna & Sol Agua
South side · from US$175
Sayulinda Hotel
Centro · from US$166
Sayulita Trailer Park & Bungalows
North side · from US$25
Amari Boutique Hotel Sayulita
North side · from US$89
Hotelito Los Sueños
North side
Casa El Mirador
Centro · from US$499
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.
48 of 169 stays fit · feels calm · 59 don't sleep 6
This month around North side
Stay · North side
Casa Norte
Single-level three-bedroom villa with a detached one-bedroom guesthouse, large pool and palapa, on a quiet north-side street less than a block from the beach.
Stay · North end beachfront
Casa Rosada
New luxury beachfront villa with full-time staff who arrange activities and transport.
Stay · North Side (C. Chiripa)
Los Almendros
Gated complex of about two dozen villas on a quiet flat street at the north end, around a big shared pool and gardens, three blocks from the beach. Villas have two to six bedrooms.
Stay · North end beachfront
Villa del Oso
Seven-bedroom oceanfront estate on the quiet north beach, sleeping 16, with a heated infinity pool, jacuzzi, full staff including a chef, and lawns that host weddings of around 100 guests.
Nanzal hill
Villas with big ocean views on the hill above the north beach. Steep: golf-cart country.
7 of 36 stays fit · feels quiet · 17 don't sleep 6
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 Colorin
Three-bedroom hillside villa on the quieter north side with an infinity pool and ocean views from every room; the north beach is about 150 yards away.
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.
16 of 112 stays fit · feels lively · 40 don't sleep 6
Stay · Centro
Casa Ambar at Casa Galeria
Two-bedroom condo in the Casa Galeria complex, two blocks from the plaza and beach, with a shared salt-water pool, air conditioning and secured parking. Sleeps six.
Stay · Centro south hillside (oceanfront)
Casa Bougainvillea
Oceanfront 4BR from $850, casita $200, palapa casita $230. Steep stairs to the beach.
Stay · Gringo Hill
Casa Nicoya
Four-bedroom hilltop home on Gringo Hill, a main house plus a separate casita, with a pool, ocean views and a 5-7 minute walk to the plaza.
Stay · Centro (2 blocks to beach)
Casa Deseo
Modern 3BR in the center with rooftop pool and ocean views.
The south side
Hillside lanes between the plaza and Los Muertos: views, guesthouses and a short walk down to the beach.
28 of 95 stays fit · feels mixed · 29 don't sleep 6
Stay · South (residential)
Villa Vargas Sayulita
Spotless group villa with private pool and an attentive host.
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.
4 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.
Stay · Near beach (walk to downtown)
Villa Tranquila
Panoramic bay views: 3BR $650, 2BR $475, king studio $225.
Stay · Los Muertos
Tía Adriana Hospitality
Family-run local hospitality company with roots in one of Sayulita's first hotels, renting La Gran Villa and other ocean-view villas and apartments on the south end; La Gran Villa also hosts weddings for groups of up to about 15.
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 · 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.
Stay · East side, quiet mixed neighbourhood
Casa Las Chicaz
Three-bedroom house over three levels in a quiet mixed neighbourhood, with a salt-water pool, jungle views and air conditioning in the bedrooms. Short walk to the beach and plaza.
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.
13 of 39 stays fit · feels quiet · 12 don't sleep 6
Stay · Outside Sayulita: Chacala, ~45 min north
Casa Cleofas
Five-bedroom villa with a big pool, each room with its own bathroom, in the Marina Chacala jungle about 45 minutes north of Sayulita.
Stay · Outside Sayulita: Punta del Burro, ~20 min south
Casa de Las Abuelas
Four-bedroom beachfront house in a gated community at Punta del Burro, with chef and staff included; sleeps 11.
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.
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.