How to Find an Apartment in Sayulita, Mexico

Nobody told me it was going to be difficult to find an apartment in Sayulita, Mexico because of high season. We thought that we could just walk into town and find an apartment in Sayulita pretty easily. There doesn’t seem to be any article or information out there explaining the difficulties of finding an apartment in Sayulita for and during high and peak season. Seeing as today is the start of the high season here, I wanted to write this article to help others come to this beautiful town and be prepared.

It’s now November and if you were planning to come to Sayulita for the holidays in December, you may a need a backup plan. Most of the apartments by now are taken. In fact, most have been taken for weeks. If you plan to visit Sayulita during the high and peak season, you have to come a bit more prepared or with a big budget.

All rates listed below are in USD.

Rates triple or more during peak season

An apartment in Sayulita that goes for $500 a month can go up to $1500 or more during the month of December. It’s a huge jump but because of the limited availability in this small town, people are going to pay it. Bargaining is pretty difficult to do during peak season and a bit easier for high season depending on how long you plan to stay. Either way, you should always bargain.

This is a rough estimate of the seasons

Low Season: May 1st to November 1st. Usually very hot and unpleasant. Many of the stores are not open although by mid-October it starts to cool down and stores begin to open again. During this time of year, it becomes a quite typical Mexican town.

High Season: November 1st to May 1st. All the stores are open and Sayulita comes to life.

Peak Season: December 15th to January 15th as well as the Easter holidays. I have not experienced Sayulita during peak season yet but from what I’m told, it gets loud and packed.

Stay longer if you want a cheaper rate

The problem is that most people just stay during the peak season and then leave. Landlords are looking to fill the space for the months before and after the peak season and especially during the low season. If you plan to stay for many months, you have a higher chance of securing an apartment for peak season because you’d be staying for the months before and/or after. You have a much better chance at bargaining as well for a cheaper rate. December will still be more expensive but perhaps not as expensive if you stayed just for a few weeks.

Go early

If you’re planning to stay in Sayulita for awhile, I recommend going during the low season before high season kicks in. By November, almost everything is taken for the holidays. The only exception is the enormous houses that go for several thousand a week which sell out fast but not as fast as the cheaper apartments. September is a good time to start looking and make a deposit for an apartment in Sayulita.

Just come here and ask

If you have time and you’re flexible, the best way to find an apartment in Sayulita is to just come here and ask the locals. It’s how we found our current apartment. If you don’t speak Spanish, that’s not an issue at all since nearly everyone here speaks a bit of English. We asked restaurants, food stands, and local shops. Everyone knows someone that can help you and many are willing to go out of their way to help you. They’re extremely friendly here and want you to stay and have a good time.

There are several hotels and hostels you can stay at while you do your apartment hunting.

Online research

There’s several websites that have information on apartments in Sayulita. The costs are a bit higher online than if you were to show up but not by much. Usually, the more expensive houses will be listed online and the local smaller places can be found only by just showing up. I have no affiliation with them but you can try SayulitaLife, Craigslist, Avalos Real State Sayulita, and SayulitaBeach. I’ve had the most success using Craigslist but it’s definitely a pain.

Beyond Sayulita

If all else fails, the closest town to Sayulita that’s similar to Sayulita is San Pancho. Unfortunately, they are more limited in availability and have rates that are similar to Sayulita.

Beyond the immediate area, you also have Bucerias which is about 30-45 minutes by bus from Sayulita. You will always find an apartment or a house there. The holidays don’t seem to effect the rates there much. It’s definitely more local and in some areas might require a vehicle to get around. Personally, I don’t think it’s as nice but it’s way cheaper. You can get a huge beautiful house in Bucerias for the same price you’d be getting an apartment in Sayulita. Even further of course you have Puerto Vallarta.

How much apartments cost

Our current apartment in Sayulita is a one bedroom near the center of town and four blocks from the beach. We have a beautiful large balcony, kitchen, and a maid that comes in twice a week. The only issue is that it does not have an air conditioner but the winter months are much cooler and the two large fans we have make it unnecessary to have an air conditioner anyway. We’re paying $650USD a month and staying for roughly 6-months. After seeing more than a dozen apartments, this seems to be a typical rate for what we’re getting in the center of town during the high season.

We’ve seen studios go for around $500 a month. If you’re looking for something more upscale, the sky is the limit. There are mansions up a hill that go for a thousand a night. As the town becomes more popular year after year, expect that any of these rates might be higher. It’s developing fast here.

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