Spend the Day in Sayulita for a Different Shopping Experience
 Molly Glentzer - Houston Chronicle
Sayulita, Mexico — If you have a shopping jones and don't want to leave Punta Mita, prepare to spend big bucks.
There are upscale shops for clothing, gifts, jewelry and art at the Four Seasons Resort. But for something a little earthier, take a day or half-day trip to Sayulita, a small village about 30 minutes to the north.
Here, white linen resort wear gives way to the black cotton and tattoos of a global surf crowd and leathery ex-pats. Many of these folks migrate to other climates in the summer, when it gets hot and humid. One jewelry store clerk told me she spends her summers in Thailand. Tough life.
Among the cool shops to check out: Pancha Mama is a beautifully styled shop for hip clothes, jewelry and nice stoneware. At Galería la Hamaca and Cólores, indigenous arts and crafts are the draw, and a portion of sales benefits community projects. Try Rústica and Joyería Sol for locally designed jewelry.
Colorfully garbed Huichol Indians set up shop around the small zócalo for the tourist trade, proffering pottery pieces adorned with intricate beadwork. Other locals drive through the streets, selling fresh shrimp and seafood from the backs of pickups.
Along the back streets at the far end of the beach, you'll find entrepreneurial artisans who make fine jewelry and other goods.
Surfboards are lined up along the beach, a happening spot for 20-somethings.
There are casual restaurants here, too, with tables in the sand. You won't find a Starbucks in Sayulita — yet — but you can satisfy that frappuccino craving with a serious shake from Choco Banana, beside the zócalo.
molly.glentzer@chron.com |
Vallarta Weddings
Vallarta Living | April 2007 
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us