Within a couple of hours of touching down at the Puerto Vallarta airport, we were in a cab speeding through jungle roads to Sayulita. I wasn't sure what to expect when we landed but I remembered that we had to walk out of the airport, make a left and cross the street bridge to get to the taxi line. It ended up being that easy. The cab ride to Sayulita was about 500 pesos or $40 dollars and took about 35-40 minutes.
Eventually, the road opened up and to our left was a road leading to a stone entryway arch that announced Sayulita in a can't-miss-it kind of way. Once we passed underneath it, the driver asked us for the address of the hotel and after we told him, he still had to stop and ask for directions. It ended up that all he had to do was continue straight through on Revolucion, past the town center and down the cobblestone road to the bright red and blue building on the left.
Petit Hotel Hafa was our home sweet home for the first half of our week in Sayulita and we stayed in the largest room, Room 1 for $85/night (price goes up to $105 if you stay less than 3 nights). This room is known for the walkway of hearts leading to its door. The first thing I noticed about the room was that it was a little darker than I expected, in comparison to the bright sunny day outside. But as the week went on, I realized that the limited exposure to natural light made for a cool escape from the Mexican heat.
As for the room itself, it can sleep up to 3 people and the king size bed was two (very firm) single beds pushed together. It has a mini fridge (which proved helpful for beer and water storage) and a fan that provided all the breeze we needed, though you can purchase AC for an additional $5/night. We slept well after we got adjusted to the firmness of the mattress, but beware of the Zeta gas truck that comes around at the crack of dawn each morning to sell fuel to the townspeople. It blasts a ridiculously loud and catchy song as it loops the streets and from bed it sounds like it's happening right next to your face for about 5-10 minutes each morning.
The bathroom in this room is pretty unique in that it's kind of like a cave: just one stone room with a palapa roof, a toilet, shower head, sink and mirror, separated from the bedroom by a flimsy, almost sheer linen curtain. It wasn't a problem for us, but if you're staying with friends or family, I hope you're very comfortable with showering and going to the bathroom around them. One thing that also surprised us was the inability to flush toilet paper: all tp has to be thrown out separately in the trash bin next to the toilet. This proved to be a theme throughout Sayulita.
Our colorful Fresco towels were right at home here!
Between the boutique decor, the rooftop deck with complimentary tequila, the price and the prime location, Petit Hotel Hafa is one of the best and most loved places to stay in town when in Sayulita. It's incredibly safe and only steps to nightlife and the town center or an easy 10 minute walk to the beach. But make sure that you reserve your room in advance: with only 5 rooms, they fill up pretty quickly!
