Yoga at Hotelito Los Suenos (Rooftop Palapas of Hotelito Los Suenos)

Address: Calle Rosalio Tapia No. 10, Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico

Of all the places in Sayulita, Hotelito Los Suenos would be considered the town’s yoga resort. The grounds of the Hotelito was breathtaking and I could not wait to take a class under its rooftop palapa. 

The hotel itself is a sprawling Spanish style stucco structure with 3 levels and wide, winding stairs.  It houses two seperate dipping pools and like much of Sayulita, is laden with lush tropical gardens and open air courtyards that give it a refreshing and almost romantic feel.  

Classes could be purchased at reception with a discount offered for those paying in pesos, and like the Rose Room could be purchased by single drop in (~$10 usd cash, ~$12 credit card), as well as 5, 10 and 20 packs, as well as weekly and monthly unlimited passes and the occasional yoga retreat. 

The hotel also offered 50% discounts on classes for guest of the hotel, as well as a free class for guests staying 5 nights or more. 

Another perk was adding on their buffet breakfast for another 100 pesos (~$5 usd). 

The breakfast was delicious and well-known in Sayulita so I was excited to be able to saunter over after my sweaty class and take in the stunning surroundings of the hotel and enjoy my tasty meal from their rooftop dining area just across the walkway from their yoga palapas.  

Several classes were taught every weekday and limited classes on the weekends.  Like Rose Room, their evening classes were restorative while the morning and afternoon classses tended to be Vinyasa and Hatha styles with a few morning meditations mixed in.  MyYin class taught by Enrique (Henry on the schedule-@Ohmhenryoga on Instagram) in their larger palapa. 

I found myself at a huge rooftop space with a high thatched roof and long white decorative curtains. 

Enrique, accompanied by his three lovely pups (cleary staples at these classes as regulars seemed well acquainted with these cuties!) had stations set up along the wall complete with mats, straps, bolsters, blanket and blocks for students as we would be doing mostly restorative utilizing the wall for hip opening. 

He had his spot staked out with his collection of incense, stones and statues and I was very excited to have him instruct as I could tell he would teach with heart and from a fountain of experience.  Despite the intense hip opening, the class was soothing and I was thankful for such a beautiful space to practice in and I slept deeply that night. 

Although our class that evening was fewer than 10 students, the space was so large that it could have easily entertained 30 or 40 students comfortably and based on some Instagram posts it seems it can get pretty packed during some classes.  

A few days later, I came for a morning class and I had not realized there was more than one yoga space.  Although I was disappointed not be practicing in the larger space as I had wanted to see the view of the ocean from the mat if there was one, I quite enjoyed the smaller palapa despite its much lower roof. 

As the original teacher had called out sick, Enrique was standing in and I got to experience the vinyasa side of him and was impressed at the challenging and sweaty flow he produced.  

Alchemize House 

Address: C. Miramar 13, Plaza Nawalli, Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico

Alchemize House is a small Community Wellness Club specializing in contrast therapy.   They offer a cold plunge, normal temp pool, a sauna, a small lounge/work space and a rooftop area for yoga and pilates. 

The price of each class includes 30 minutes of use of the contrast therapy elements after the class (~$13 usd), but hour passes or day passes can also be purchased separately. 

The space for yoga was more snug than the other locations I had visited, and even with fewer than 10 students we were having to stagger on our mats as not to touch our neighbors too intimately.  Like the other locations I visited, mats, straps and blocks were provided.

Unlike The Rose Room and Hotelito Los Suenos which were on side streets, Alchemize house was an a bit of a busier street so there was a bit more noise even on the rooftop.

 

After changing into my swim suit I took a quick cleansing shower in the outdoor shower and made my way into the sauna. 

The sauna had two tiers and could comfortably accommodate 10 and basically all of us from the yoga class were crammed in there. 

The heat felt good as it was unseasonably cold for Sayulita that day. Although I had envisioned a day spent doing the hot/cold sessions for hours on end, I realized its just not my thing.  The  pool was a cool 45-50 ℉, and I watched in awe as other guests managed to stay submerged for 2 minutes, the minimum amount of time for the cold plunge to have its positive effects on the nervous system. 

Final Thoughts

For such a small town, Sayulita’s yoga offerings are quite impressive. For anyone looking for an opportunity to squeeze in some yoga classes during a sunny stay, Sayulita is a fantastic option.

While it was not a Sayulita yoga retreat per se, with enough dedication it is completely possible to create your own version of a yoga-intensive by cobbling together a full schedule of classes from the various yoga studios in town.

The safety, walkability and charm of this surf town make Sayulita a perfect yoga destination for the avid Yogi or just someone that likes to dabble once in a while.