Last week I said goodbye to Sayulita, wrapping up 7 months in Mexico. I’ve said all I have to say on the subject for right now and it’s on to new adventures, but not before we wrap up our enormous Mexican honeymoon:
Total Time: 209 Days or about 7 months.
Days that it Didn’t Rain: I estimate it probably rained a grand total of maybe 14 times during our entire stay. From the first week of January until the day we left it didn’t rain once. Amazing right?
Favorite Place: Sayulita, of course. We didn’t travel much once we got settled, and part of that was because of how comfortable we felt there.
Least Favorite Place: Might have been the heat, or the gritty-city feel, but Guadalajara didn’t do much for me. The Pinterest-famous Playa del Amor was also a disappointment.
Favorite Food: So many things! Tacos of course, in all their variety, but I also developed a penchant for chilaquiles (fried tortillas in tomato sauce) that I will have to learn to re-create. Pozole, sopes and tortas ahogadas are all a close second.
Most Memorable Moments: Releasing baby turtles on the beach at sunset, celebrating the Day of the Dead with the locals and eating my way through Puerto Vallarta’s food scene.
Biggest Annoyance: Mexico is SO LOUD. Sometimes I loved it, like when the crazy trucks would go by broadcasting their wares. Sometimes I hated it, mostly when I was trying to sleep and someone was blasting mariachi music late into the night.
Scariest Wildlife Encounter: In April our bathroom was invaded by an enormous wolf spider- I mean, huge. Mike and I were both too chicken to kill him so we named him Wolfie and tried to co-exist. Eventually (like two weeks later) he crawled out the window on his own.
Coolest Souvenir: Before we departed I loaded up on beaded bracelets, cute t-shirts and Mexican vanilla.
Biggest Regret: Not making it to Mexico City, Puebla or Oaxaca. It wasn’t really in the budget this time around but it’s a great reason to return!
Biggest Misconception: Obviously that Mexico is a dangerous war-zone. While some parts I definitely wouldn’t visit, we never felt safer than in our little town by the beach.
Best Advice: When it comes to food, be willing to push past your comfort zone. Sure you could come to Mexico and stick to restaurant-made quesadillas and enchiladas, but what is the fun in that? The street stands are where all the real Mexico action is.
Also, if you’re planning to rent an apartment in Sayulita like we did, get there well before the start of high season.
Would I Go Back? In a heartbeat! There is so much more of Mexico I need to see. Plus, I know we’ll be back in Sayulita someday in the future, although the place is changing so rapidly we may not recognize it anymore.
All Mexico Posts:
The Horror of Apartment Hunting in Sayulita
Inside Our New Sayulita Apartment
Sugar and Skulls: Mexico’s Day of the Dead
Celebrating the Mexican Revolution with some Serious Cuteness
The Surprising World of Mexican Food
Confessions of a City Girl in a Small Town
The Fruits and Vegetables of Mexico
Let’s Talk About Safety in Mexico
Playa del Amore Doesn’t Live Up to the Hype
Diving Deep into Mexican Food with Vallarta Eats
Things I Don’t Understand About This Insane Mexican Carnival
A Beginner Guide to Mexican Tacos
Visiting the Guachimontones Pyramids
The Crazy and Wonderful Trucks of Sayulita
Where to Eat in Sayulita Part One: Mexican Food
Hell yes. Chilaquiles are the most underrated yet most awesome Mexican dish that I’d never heard of before moving to Mexico!!!
(and really easy to make well)
Just came across this post looking for places to eat in Sayulita. Based on the few I’ve tried, I’d say we are in very close agreement. Interestingly, though, we’re in complete disagreement over Sayulita and Guadalajara… Absolutely love Guadalajara, and I cannot wait to leave Saluyita and have this thumping bass from the all-day, all-night nightclubs fade from my overstressed system. I will never return, which is good for some stranger; as it is physically impossible to cram another human being into this congested town, my departure will create the space necessary to admit one soul into this nightmare existence. May they have the good fortune to have not prepaid their entire stay…
Yeah December/January are definitely the loudest, most crowded months in Sayulita. If you ever do come back aim for March or April. It’s much lovelier then!
Wonderful vast Mexico… too bad that this drug war thing is going on. It surely scares many curious visitors away.
I hear so much from bloggers about this place it must be good. Those baby turtles would of been really cool
Amazing post!! I plan on doing a 3 month backpacking trip thru Mexico in a year from now, so it was great hearing insight from you!
Let me know if you find yourself in Korea anytime soon! It’s amazing here!
Im glad you say it wasn’t a war zone. I was in several parts and found it to be very safe. In Cancun they said Merida was dangerous, in Merida they said Mexico City was dangerous, in Mexico they said the north was dangerous. I didn’t find any of that to be the case.
Fantastic! I’ve loved following along on your Mexico adventures. How wonderful that it rained so little (she said from rainy NY)! And I love that you are helping dispel those Mexico-is-so-dangerous myths! 🙂
This is a good list! You have given me an overview of what to expect in the area.