Lots of blonde, lots of tan, lots of dreads and most everyone with a surfboard

There are many places just a short bus ride away from Mazatlán, yet a world apart. That’s what I discovered recently when a friend and I decided to check out the Nayarit Riviera. No, not Puerto Vallarta - too predictable for my taste - but Sayulita, a small fishing town about 40 miles north of PV.

After a six-hour, non-stop bus ride through gorgeous countryside with a gentle rise to almost 7,000 feet, we began a descent to our destination. The lush mountains crowded with banana trees and palms, each trying to elbow the other out, demanded our attention … and got it. This was the rainforest. The bus dropped us off at the crucero (crossroads) on the main highway, and we trekked into Sayulita, about half a mile away. There are taxis in town you can call to meet you, but we thought the short walk would be a good intro to the town.

Once we got to the center of town, we had to blink twice to be certain where we were. Was this Santa Cruz, California? (My last home town.) Manhattan Beach? Ventura Rincon? It was definitely “surf central,” with the average age being somewhere between just-out-of-diapers and just-able-to-vote. Lots of blonde, lots of tan, lots of dreads and most everyone with a surfboard under their arm.

We had arranged to stay at a hostel with a private room, two beds and bath for $45 US a night. The Amistad is run by Connie LaCroix, a local mover and shaker. It’s a delightfully friendly place, with other guests in and out of the outdoor kitchen, a strange bird that acted as our alarm clock every morning and a few dogs and cats roaming the courtyard to make one feel at home, as well as surfboards that are free to use.

Sayulita is a bustling little town with a very healthy economy: filled streets, busy shops, a plaza with colorfully dressed vendors, African drummers and strangely enough, many, many dogs wandering freely all over town. Despite all these wandering dogs and people everywhere, garbage seemed to be non-existent; Sayulita is a very clean town with a strong recycling program. There are lots of internet cafes, a few ATMs, small but complete pharmacies and enough great restaurants to keep you happy during your visit. The Cafe Espesso, right across from the town plaza, is an especially delightful place to see and be seen while fueling up for the day’s adventure.

At dinner, Linda and I played a game called “spot the old person,” and believe me, it was a challenge. Very seldom was I able to say “gray alert over your right shoulder.” Sayulita seems to really have a market on youth; fresh, healthy, tanned, California-style youth. The ride of choice on the cobblestone streets was a big-tired, golf cart type vehicle.

Sayulita was holding its first Annual Stand-Up Paddleboard & Surf Classic while we were there, and the beach was crowded to within an inch of visible sand. All the beachside cantinas were doing a brisk business, and the smell of suntan oil was pervasive. We made the mistake of ordering a large pina colada and strawberry margarita and they were the biggest drinks I’ve ever seen; each glass was the size of a dinner plate!

We spent three days hopping on local buses to visit other small riviera towns; San Francisco, Lo De Marco, Bucerias and La Cruz. This has become a very pricey area with houses ranging in the $300,000-$700,000 bracket, but still with a population hovering around 4,000.

In conclusion, Sayulita is a great little getaway: good restaurants (many specializing in unbelievable fish tacos), a Eurostyle bakery, good coffee, many internet cafes, food carts with fresh bargain meals and perfect for people-watching.