Important Information For Your Trip:
Arranging a taxi in advance: There is a taxi service
based in Sayulita with whom you can arrange both your pick up and
return to the airport for a flat fee of $130US. This is a little less
than what it would cost to do each way separately, and included in
the fee, they will also take you to a supermarket near the airport
before taking you to Sayulita so you can stock up on provisions. Their
company name is Tours Bahia de Sayulita, and you can arrange this
via email at: marijoseramos@yahoo.com.mx
(they speak English).
Directions to Casa Higuera:
Sayulita is about 35KM north of the Puerto Vallarta airport, right off
the main highway. Fly into the Puerto Vallarta airport, and then take
a taxi (approx. $60, or arrange in advance) or rent a car to get to
Sayulita. The taxis will know how to get there – although you
may need to instruct them on how to get to Casa Higuera/Casa Sofia once
you enter Sayulita, so you should print out these directions and take
them with you. Make sure the price is agreed upon in advance. It doesn’t
matter what time you arrive, there are always taxis there to meet you.
It is also possible to rent a car at the airport through all the major
car rental agencies.
As you leave the airport, turn left (north) on the main highway.
You will pass through the town of Bucerias, and then past several
small villages as you drive through the mountains. Keep going until
you see a sign that says Sayulita. Turn left off the main highway
and keep going until you reach a fork in the road. Go right. You will
soon come upon a baseball diamond on the right and a bridge on the
left. Cross the bridge and continue to the town square. Continue past
the town square and go one short block. Take the first right, you
will dip down a bit, stay to the left as the road then goes up the
hill. On the right you will come to a road with a big rock in the
middle of it, turn right there and continue up that short, paved road
until you see a road on the right that says "Casa Higuera."
Turn right onto that road (Calle Manuel Navarette), drive till you
reach the top, and you are at Casa Higuera/Casa Sofia (on your left).
As you enter the property, Casa Higuera is straight
ahead through a door, Casitas #1, #3, #5 and #6 are
along the path to your right, and Casitas #2 and #4
are down the path to your left. For Casa Sofia, enter
the main entrance, take the path to the right, and as you walk down
the path it is the house to your right. There is an entrance to the
top level of the house and a bottom entrance for those of you staying
on the bottom level. If you are staying at Casita #6,
continue to walk down a little further and it is below Casa Sofia;
enter through the wood doors on the right as you walk down the path.
What to do when you arrive:
When you arrive, there is digital lock on the entrance door to our property. The code for the door is in the confirmation email we sent to you. You will need to know this number when you arrive to enter the property. This is the same code you will use to re-enter the beach door entrance at the bottom of the property.
After you enter the front gate, just walk to your house or casita. The door will be unlocked, and your keys are in a ceramic container in the casita. Marta, our housekeeper, will have been there in the morning to prepare the accommodations for your visit.
PLEASE NOTE:
You will need to know your casita number when you arrive
– please make sure you have made a note of it.
Check-in/Check-out times:
Check-in is 12 noon, and check-out is 11a.m.
Staff:
Marta and Martin are our housekeepers and on-site managers. Their office
and laundry-room is on the north side of the property. They are there
from 8:30am – 1pm, Monday through Saturday.
What to bring:
Beach towels: We provide you with bath towels, but you will want to bring towels for the beach. A flashlight: While not necessary, it is helpful to have a flashlight for walking around Sayulita at night, as the public street lamps are inconsistent. If you come during the months of November though February, bring a light sweater or jacket for the evenings. While the days are pitch-perfect, it can get a little cool in the evening. You may wish to bring an iPod doc for your music if you are bringing an iPod. If you are staying in Casa Higuera or Casa Sofia, bring DVDs you wish to enjoy while you are there (the casitas do not have TVs).
Groceries:
There are lots of small grocery stores in Sayulita and they all have
different things. If one store is out of bread, try another one. You
will easily find fruits, vegetables, dairy, sodas, juice, cereal,
canned foods, eggs and bread. We provide bottled water – when
you run out, Marta will replenish it. Through the fish store near
the bridge you can often buy fresh shrimp and fish. You can also buy
fresh fish from the fishermen on the beach. Red Snapper is ‘Huachinango’
and Mahi Mahi is called ‘Dorado,’ and Sierra is just that.
There is also a good grocery store called ‘Mi Tiendita’
on the corner just across from the square.
Just outside the town of Bucerias (approx.15-20 minutes from Sayulita), there is large grocery store called MEGA. That is the closest place to go for big grocery shopping. In Sayulita there are liquor stores, gift shops, a pharmacy, a film/sundries store, beach supply stores, etc.
Water:
We provide bottled purified water. You should use this for drinking,
cooking and making ice, and it will be replenished throughout your
stay with us. It is fine to use the tap water for washing dishes,
showering, washing your hands, and brushing your teeth. All of the
restaurants in town use purified water in their food and their ice.
At the grocery store ‘Mi Tiendita’ you can by a little
bottle of ‘Microdyne,’ which you use (a couple of drops)
to soak your veggies and lettuce in for about 10-15 minutes. This
is necessary if you are if you are making salad or eating fruit and
vegetables raw.
Telephone:
Sayulita now has several public phones and you can purchase phone
cards to use them in many of the grocery stores in Sayulita. Your
cell phone from the US may work in Sayulita, depending upon your service.
To call the US from Sayulita, dial 001+area code+number. You should
check with your cellular provider before going to Mexico, sometimes
there are special codes or numbers to call while you are here.
Internet Access:
All accommodations have access to wi-fi without change. In addition, there are several internet cafes in Sayulita to check your email.
During the day, most people use the one next to Choco Banana in Garcia
Realty, and during the evening, most use the one that is in the back
of the bar across from the plaza. The internet cafe scene changes
frequently in Sayulita, so word of mouth may be the best bet if either
of these are not open.
Hospital:
In the Marina district of Puerto Vallarta, just south of the airport,
is a new medical facility called "Ameri-Med." They offer 24
hour emergency services and they honor most health insurance. In addition,
there is a doctor in Sayulita who is very nice and speaks some English.
His is office at the pharmacy called Farmacia Guadalupe, located just
before the bridge.
Laundry:
Sayulita has a laundromat where you can drop off your clothes in the
morning and pick them up the following day. It is located on the main
road going out of town, about a block or so after the bridge. There
is also a new self-serve place on your way out of town before the bridge
with coin-operated machines.
Buses and Taxis:
There is good bus service to and from Puerto Vallarta several times
daily. The bus leaves from the stop that is just past the bridge in
front of Raintree Cafe. Check the bus schedule at Choco Bananas. You
can also find a taxi to take you to Puerto Vallarta in the town square.
This is a good way to get from Sayulita back to the airport for your
trip home if you have not made arrangements in advance.
Money:
There are no banks in Sayulita. You are better off changing dollars
in the airport in Puerto Vallarta when you arrive, or at the Lloyd's
or HSBC in the shopping center adjacent to the airport (your taxi
will take you there if you request it). There is one money exchange
place in Sayulita, but it doesn’t have a great rate. Also, almost
everything in Sayulita can be purchased in dollars, but you may not
get a very good rate either. Only a handful of places accept credit
cards.
Parking:
You don't need to rent a car for your stay with us as you can easily walk to everything in Sayulita from Casa Higura/Casa Sofia. If you do bring a car, you can drive to our front entrance to unload, but please leave your car further down the road so that other cars can easily come and go and do not block entrace to other homes at the top of the hill.
Hiring a cook:
People occasionally ask us if they can find a cook for their stay
with us. We tell people that there are many restaurants in Sayulita,
and several of them are not much more than someone’s kitchen
turned into a restaurant, with dishes costing only a few dollars.
As we are so close to town, and because any cook you would hire would
make virtually the same food, we suggest simply going to these restaurants.
Swimming:
Aaron’s parents settled in Sayulita over 35 years ago, and they
were thus able to buy some of the best beachfront land in Sayulita.
The beach in front of the house is perfect for swimming and sunbathing
and the view from the property is of the beach, the bay and the town.
If you like to surf, the surf break is about a two minute walk down
the beach.
Our Contact Information:
Should you have any concerns while you are there (and we are not staying
at the house), the best way to reach us, Aaron and Marya Schock, is
by e-mail: casahiguera@earthlink.net.
You can also call us in New York at: (718) 446-1234. We check our
e-mail several times a day.
Emergency contact number:
If you wish to give someone an emergency contact number, please give
them our New York number: 718-446-1234. We will give their message to
Marta who will in turn give it to you. We check our messages several
times during the day and would be able to get a message to you within
hours (or less). There are also several internet cafes in town, so you
may wish to stay in contact with people back home via email.
If you arrive and experience a problem, and Marta and Martin are not on the property, you can reach them at home at: 29-13335 (from a cel phone you may need to dial 013292913335) or Martin's cel at: 322-889-7551.