After a seven-day "work-from-away" trip to the small coastal town of Sayulita, Mexico, I have had my fill of micheladas, stunning views, and fresh ceviche, usually all at once, toes in sand.
Mexico is known to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, so these indulgent daytime experiences were unsurprising. I was not expecting to find a bustling nightlife or a safe haven for the LGBTQ community — but I did.
Getting to Sayulita
Having flown into Puerto Vallarta from evergreen Seattle, the first noticeable feature was the climate. From the plane, the landscape looked dry, arid, and dusty. But the cacophony of tropical birdsongs, flowering foliage, and eager sunshine put me at ease. Isn't every paradise hot and dusty?
Thanks to the multilingual info center inside the airport, my group of seven twentysomethings secured transit recommendations, a map, and directions to aid us on the next leg of our journey: the hourlong drive to Sayulita.
Being such a large party, we opted to travel by bus. Other options included Ubers and taxis, which the info desk worker warned commonly overcharge new arrivals, and more expensive rental cars. As seven recent college graduates, we went for the affordable option. Bus tickets cost 50-100 pesos, or $2-5.
After a couple of Coronas with lime at a swordfish-themed spot across the highway from the airport, we crammed ourselves onto a bus with our luggage both in our laps and all around us.
This is also when I realized that vacations aren't to be taken lightly, and it was time to switch out the lime-colored glasses I had on with the ultra-UV-protective kind. The bus was hot, and dehydration was setting in after a long day of travel.
It is good to note for Seattleites that no matter where you go along the Bahía de Banderas (meaning Bay of Flags, named for historical pirate activity in the region), you will be buying water. Bottled water, jugged water, and ice in plastic bags. My group quickly learned the art of the 10-gallon jug, spending 40 pesos ($2) on each one and learning to refrigerate our nalgenes overnight.
After our bus ride through the jungle that weaves the state of Nayarit together, we familiarized ourselves with the heat of early May and walked to our Airbnb. The real trip was finally beginning.
Street life
Once you've settled in, it's time to take a stroll through the colorful pueblo mágico ("magical town"). Mexico has a total of 132 of these pueblos mágicos, whose historical and cultural importance is symbolic to the nation and engages visitors in tradition.
Rainbows of papel picado, perforated paper folk art, form a canopy of vivid color over the streets near the main plaza and the beach. Underneath them, yellow churro stands, family-style restaurant seating, and sky-blue surf shops await.
After the dreary Seattle winter, it felt as though my eyes were adjusting to the saturation of it all until the moment I left. Even the public recycling bins are colorful and shaped like animals, the sun, or other regional icons. Many symbols, like these animals, I would learn, are actually religious.
Indigenous Huichol iconography exists throughout town and along beach trails, even while the influence of expat families rises to prominence.
Streetside, locals sell tacos in open-air buffets outside of their kitchens, or in portable ones. Meanwhile, across the street, a tanned, blonde Australian can call you "darling" and whip up the frothiest "chakra-healing" smoothie you could ask for.
For travelers weary of exiting their comfort zones, this juxtaposition of cultures makes tourism and exploration of the area quite comfy. As the sole Spanish speaker in my group, I got to know some locals and receive more intimate recommendations during our stay, but everyone else did pretty well, too. (A "swing bar" recommendation turned out not to be a swingers' bar or a swing-dancing bar but a bar with all swinging seats along its edges.)
Posters across town advertised nightlife, from live music and DJs on rooftop bars to a weekly "Drag and Disco Night." Though I was working 9-to-5, my partner and I found time to meander into town at night, while our sun-tuckered friends finally reappeared at the Airbnb. Most nights, the people and scenes of Sayulita after dark reinvigorated me. Tequila and dancing are two peas in a pod for those who wish to indulge, but honestly, the anonymity of the traveler's nighttime served the same purpose as libations.
Aprender, comer, y ver
Drag night was followed by "Country Redneck Night" at the Garden Selinas, a restaurant attached to a resort-style hotel a block up from the beach. Surprising or not, this town of just over 2,000 locals and expats sure knows how to have a proper good time, inclusive of all who wanted to join.
A glimmer of celebration shined upon an all-women wedding party, who proudly proclaimed an entire dance floor to be a Lesbian bar. Nobody stopped them. I found out later that the Chicana brides were on a day trip from the next town up, San Pancho. They said there actually is a Lesbian bar there, and a whole gayborhood in Puerto Vallarta: "La Zona Romántica."
For the LGBTQ community, Sayulita is a common destination for vacations, events, and even weddings. "LGBTQ couples and people of all types are welcomed warmly and happily into Sayulita's eclectic community of writers, artists, surfers, and CEOs. We all live here because we wanted something different and have liberal views on the idea of traditional," reads a wedding blog post on SayulitaLife.com.
Beyond work, my week in Sayulita consisted of three things: seeing, learning, and eating. I had the best vegetarian tacos of my life (and I am a prideful home cook) and the funnest surf lesson through Patricia's surf shop, and I tried to take in the sights of traditional art and serene sunsets as much as possible.
Discover Sayulita's LGBTQ-friendly hotel options for your next vacation on Sayulita Life's informational page https://www.sayulitalife.com/sayulita-lgbtq.