Sayulita is located in the State of Nayarit, 25 miles north of Puerto Vallarta. By car, it is about 35 minutes from the airport, or an hour from Puerto Vallarta.

Taxis
The easiest way to get to the house is to have a car pick you up at the airport. To pre-arrange a ride contact: Giovanni at “aventer_24@hotmail.com”. The price is $130 US round trip or $140 if you want to stop at a large grocery store on the way to Sayultia, it’s another $10. His site is: http://www.sayulitalife.com/viptransportation. You will be met as you exit customs with a large sign with your name on it. . They are happy to take USD if you want to save your Pesos.

If you choose to take a taxi, fares from the airport are quoted as you come out of customs (“quoted” really means that about 20 people start yelling “taxi” at you). The price depends on the size of the vehicle and number of people, by season and what they can get from you. We suggest that you barter (after getting a price from the taxi stand in the airport), as the price can usually be improved.

The alternative to going by airport taxi is by taking your luggage out to the main road and taking the overpass across the freeway and hailing a non-airport cab, that will be cheaper, or getting on a bus. Negotiate a price before getting into the taxi while the buses charge a flat fee.

Driving
If you rent a car and drive, getting on the road to Sayulita is a little confusing as you exit the airport going the wrong way. So what you need to do make a left turn under the freeway as soon as you see a sign that says Bucerias, Tepic or Compostelo. You will be on a divided highway until you pass Bucerias and then the road becomes two-lane. Sayulita is about 20 minutes further on and you will turn left on to the town road. A word of caution here regarding the art of “turning left” in Mexico. A “left” turn signal from the car in front of you can mean one of two things; that the car really is turning left, OR that you can pass as the road is clear a head.

So, for the tourist driver who wants to turn left, it’s best to pull over to the right, off the road, and then cross the road when there is no traffic. If there is no oncoming traffic or following traffic, you can turn left as you would in the USA, using hand signals for safety. Be sure that no one is looking to pass you as you make the turn. While driving in Puerto Vallarta, many traffic signals have a special lane on the RIGHT SIDE for those cars turning left at the intersection. Keep an eye out for these situations, as it isn’t always easy to get to the left turning lane if you wait too long before moving right.

Getting to the Hillside Beach Houses (Cielo)
Once you reach the town of Sayulita, Cielo is a short distance to the left of the village on a hill overlooking the ocean. If your cab driver is unfamiliar with Sayulita, there is a map following.

As you enter the center of town, the main plaza will be on your left. Continue straight, one block beyond the plaza and take the angle right road at the construction supply store. The road dips, then goes up a hill (about two blocks) to a large rock where you turn right and follow the road to the top of the hill, roughly another two blocks. At the top there are a number of gates on this “Sayulita cul-de sac”. Cielo is on the left and you will see a ceramic name place on the left gate column and a list of the houses in the compound (Mariposa, Jardin, Carlos and Carlitos) on the right column.

Inside the gate is a garage and steps that lead to the houses. Casa Jardin is a yellow house and the first you will see. Casa Mariposa is to the left at the top of the garden. The houses have name plaques. If you drive a car, please unload then you can safely park outside the gates.

Returning to the Airport or going to Puerto Vallarta
To go back to the airport, or into Puerto Vallarta, you can either take a cab or the bus. The maids can arrange for a village cab to pick you up. Transportes Pacifico, a regional bus line, provides round-trip bus service from Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta, leaving at 6 am, 7 am, 12 noon, 2 pm and 5 pm, plus other unscheduled times. Please check the schedule at Choco Banana, in the plaza, as the times change periodically. It’s best to arrive 15 minutes early. To catch the bus from PV back to Sayulita, go to the Transportes Pacifico bus station on the south side of town.

Local Time
Sayulita is on the same time as Puerto Vallarta. Though you don’t have to reconfirm your flight if you’re on a US carrier, it’s recommended on Mexican airlines. Reconfirm 24 hours in advance by phone, in person at the airport or airline office in Puerto Vallarta. You may want to reconfirm your flight upon arrival.