T_R_Oglodyte
TUG Lifetime Member
I think we've had it with Sayulita.
We've been visiting Sayulita regularly for about eight years now - almost every year. We've watched it steadily being overrun by tourists, and losing almost all of it's Mexican charm. Our visit last month was the end of the line.
Two things. First, the town has simply been overwhelmed with tourists. Given the size of the town, it is more densely touristed than is Puerto Vallarta. Having grown as a surf/beach town, it's a different type of tourism - new age and aging hippie vibe - than the Puerto Vallarta scene. But I don't have to go to Mexico if I want to experience a California beach town. There really isn't much left of the town that is Mexican. Except in one respect - I have yet to visit a California beach town that has a cock-fighting arena on the main drag into town.
I was chatting with some locals; they were interested in knowing what we had been doing. When I mentioned Sayulita their eyes rolled a little bit, then we got into a conversation of how it had been completely taken over by the new age tourism.
Second, the place is a cesspool. Almost literally. Here is a picture of the outfall from the sewage treatment plant, taken from the beach area about fifty yards downstream from the outfall. (Note: not my pictures.)
As nearly as I can tell, this is pretty basic sewage treatment, providing what is called "primary treatment". Which means the influent goes into a tank, things that settle and float get removed, the rest gets discharged.
And the plant was built long before the town experienced it's tourism boom. Meaning the plant is grossly undersized and doesn't even do primary treatment very well.
When we were there a couple of weeks ago the stench of untreated sewage permeated the whole downtown and the entire south half of the beach. Almost all of the flow in the stream was the effluent from the treatment plant. Scavenging birds were flocking into the river downstream of the outfall - none upstream, no food there.
And the waves are full of surfers, who are literally surfing in less than half-treated sewage mixed with seawater.
******
If you want a beach town that retains at least some Mexican flavor, Bucerias wins hands down. Plus the Bucerias beach beats Sayulita in every way possible (except for not having the long wave break that surfers like - but the surf height is actually bigger at Bucerias, from what I've seen when we've been there). Or, if you want something more like what Sayulita used to be, take the bus to San Pancho (San Francisco), the next beach north of Sayulita.
We've been visiting Sayulita regularly for about eight years now - almost every year. We've watched it steadily being overrun by tourists, and losing almost all of it's Mexican charm. Our visit last month was the end of the line.
Two things. First, the town has simply been overwhelmed with tourists. Given the size of the town, it is more densely touristed than is Puerto Vallarta. Having grown as a surf/beach town, it's a different type of tourism - new age and aging hippie vibe - than the Puerto Vallarta scene. But I don't have to go to Mexico if I want to experience a California beach town. There really isn't much left of the town that is Mexican. Except in one respect - I have yet to visit a California beach town that has a cock-fighting arena on the main drag into town.
I was chatting with some locals; they were interested in knowing what we had been doing. When I mentioned Sayulita their eyes rolled a little bit, then we got into a conversation of how it had been completely taken over by the new age tourism.
Second, the place is a cesspool. Almost literally. Here is a picture of the outfall from the sewage treatment plant, taken from the beach area about fifty yards downstream from the outfall. (Note: not my pictures.)
As nearly as I can tell, this is pretty basic sewage treatment, providing what is called "primary treatment". Which means the influent goes into a tank, things that settle and float get removed, the rest gets discharged.
And the plant was built long before the town experienced it's tourism boom. Meaning the plant is grossly undersized and doesn't even do primary treatment very well.
When we were there a couple of weeks ago the stench of untreated sewage permeated the whole downtown and the entire south half of the beach. Almost all of the flow in the stream was the effluent from the treatment plant. Scavenging birds were flocking into the river downstream of the outfall - none upstream, no food there.
And the waves are full of surfers, who are literally surfing in less than half-treated sewage mixed with seawater.
******
If you want a beach town that retains at least some Mexican flavor, Bucerias wins hands down. Plus the Bucerias beach beats Sayulita in every way possible (except for not having the long wave break that surfers like - but the surf height is actually bigger at Bucerias, from what I've seen when we've been there). Or, if you want something more like what Sayulita used to be, take the bus to San Pancho (San Francisco), the next beach north of Sayulita.
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