TOP 10 REASONS WE MOVED TO SAYULITA, NAYARIT, MEXICO!

#1 Question We've Been Asked: "Why Sayulita?"

Endless Variations of Sunsets to Watch in Sayulita

     Jon and I have spent years traveling in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Ecuador, searching for the town we would retire in. In the last few years, we narrowed our search to Mexico. But we love so much about this beautiful country, how would we decide where our retirement home would be?

     Then, two years ago we decided to become full-time RVers, living and traveling in our motorhome, exploring coastal towns and mountain cities in Mexico. We finally decided it was time to purchase a "brick and mortar home". We began evaluating our nine favorite cities in Mexico and, of those, narrowed it down to our two favorites, Mazatlán and Sayulita. Mazatlán and Sayulita are so different, yet we love both. How were we going to decide between them?

     After visiting many times over the years, we knew we were in love with Sayulita and decided to move to this small pueblo. There are so many reasons, but they all revolve around the basic premise of healthy living. When someone asks me “Why Sayulita?”, I laughingly respond, “Because there are so many great restaurants in Sayulita!” While this is true, it is simply my short answer, because to list all of the benefits of living in Sayulita would take hours.
     I hope to give a good summary here, but this is barely a hint of the treasures and surprises to be discovered in this magical town. To understand this completely, you really must experience it, preferably for more than a couple of weeks. To see a sample of a treat we experienced last week while having dinner on the beach, watch the video below.

Top 10 reasons we decided to retire in Sayulita:

1.  Sayulita is a small town where we could walk to dinner, to shop, and for exercise, but one that is large enough to have almost everything we need. Daily walks to town along cobblestone roads are peaceful yet interesting, with unique sights and experiences each time--never a dull moment when walking through Sayulita! In addition, we find we walk so much more when we live in Sayulita, a healthy way of life.

He Stopped in at Venezia Pizza to See What was Going On!

2.  Sayulita is a fun surfing town on the Pacific Ocean. It is a great place to boogie-board and do Stand Up Paddleboard, our two favorite water sports. The water temperature is perfect year around, warm enough to be comfortable without a wetsuit in the winter and like a heated swimming pool in the summer. The clean, sandy beach is an enjoyable place to go for a two-mile walk with our dog, watching the pelicans soar by and listening to the breaking waves.

Stand Up Paddleboarder in Sayulita

3.  The sunny, warm weather in Sayulita is pleasant and mood-lifting. With 345 days of sunshine per year, life happens outdoors. When it does rain, it’s usually during the night, leaving the morning sky a clear, bright blue, the air fresh and clean, and the tropical plants washed, watered, turning even greener overnight. 

Sayulita's Royal Blue Sky Above the Emerald Green Jungle

4. With over 100 restaurants in Sayulita, it is convenient to dine out often at eateries serving healthy food prepared from fresh ingredients. Every one of these restaurants is within walking distance of our home, an important criterion for us!

Restaurante Yeikame, A Favorite in Sayulita

5.  It is inexpensive to live in Sayulita! After we paid cash for a casita (small house), our monthly expenses are only $2000 for the two of us! That includes dining out frequently, entertainment, travel, health insurance, weekly maid service, occasional landscape maintenance, laundry service, and treats like pedicures and massages. Our lifestyle is better than it was in the United States, on less than half the amount. (More about that later.)

Major Tree Topping & Debris Haul-Away Cost: $60 US

6.  Sayulita is an environmentally conscious town. Many groups in town work to protect Sayulita’s environment, focusing on clean water, clean beaches, clean river, and clean town. ProSayulita, Sayulimpia, and JXMP (Together For Our Town) are groups of Mexicans and expats working together to keep Sayulita clean and to set a good example for residents and visitors. Many people use electric golf carts and bicycles rather than cars and trucks to get around, or simply walk around town, helping to improve the air quality.

Town Meeting in the Plaza: Water & Sewer Education

7.  There are many exercise class options in Sayulita, plenty to help keep us healthy. Yoga and Zumba are our favorite classes; Pilates, Power Ropes, and Salsa dancing classes are also available. El Club, Estudio El Jardin, and MexiFit are a few of the fitness centers we have visited and enjoyed. For additional information on Yoga, exercise, and fitness opportunities in Sayulita, see http://www.sayulitalife.com/sayulita-yoga-fitness .

Zumba & Yoga Classes are Plentiful  in Sayulita

8. Sayulita is a large enough pueblo (village) that it has most of the services and fun activities that we need.

• Shopping for groceries in Sayulita is fun and convenient, Mexican-style. Fresh produce, fresh fish and other seafood, meat and poultry, specialty deli foods, home-made soups to-go, pastries, whole-grain bread, quiche, empanadas, a variety of imported cheeses, just to name a few of our favorite foods that we can find in various places in town, in tiendas (little stores), from the produce truck that stops at our house, or at the Friday Market.
• There are lavanderías (places that do our laundry),  ferreterías (hardware stores), veterinarians, pharmacies, doctors, dentists, Spanish classes, and just about anything else we need.
• There are so many fun outings and tours available in Sayulita, great fun when family comes to visit. For more information, see http://www.sayulitalife.com/.
• Bus service is available from Sayulita south to Puerto Vallarta and north to Lo de Marcos, important to us since we sold our cars before moving to Mexico. 

Shopping at the Produce Truck is Convenient & Inexpensive

9.  Puerto Vallarta is only 40 to 50 minute away, depending on traffic, for:

•  Supermarkets and big box stores for supplies we can’t find in Sayulita.
• The international airport is 24 miles away, about a 50-minute taxi ride.
• A fun weekend in the big city.

Impressive Muelle (Pier) de Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta

10.  Sayulita has a reputation of being a safe place to live and to visit. 

• Residents and tourists walk around town in the evening, just having fun. In fact, this village comes alive after sunset! Many festivals, parades, parties, music groups playing, and events don’t get going until after 9:00PM, and that’s when families come downtown for the fun!
• Health care services, a fire department, ambulance services, and a 24/7 police department give us a sense of security.
• Gun control is in effect in Mexico. Gun possession is only legal for the police, the military, and by special permit. Random shootings are rare in Mexico, something that has become a worry in the United States.

Festivals After Sunset Make Sayulita Lively at Night

     Our decision was made—we moved to Sayulita and were very happy that we did. It has been a year now since we made an offer to purchase our casita, and eight months since we moved into it. We have been thankful every day for this healthy life change.
     Take at my books in the "Healthy Living in Mexico" series, available worldwide on Amazon by clicking HERE . Read more about our decision to move to Mexico in my eBook Retirement Before the Age of 59.

Retirement Before the Age of 59: 

Healthy Living in Mexico Book #2

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Terry L Turrell, Author