Casitas Tortugas

I stayed for a week, splitting my time between the Jungle Penthouse and the 2.5 bedroom suite. The location is great, close to both the town square and the beach, and the owner was really friendly and helpful. It’s very affordable, with wifi, boogie boards to borrow, and some very cute turtles in the pond.

We loved the central location and the peaceful, quiet atmosphere. Marcelo, the owner, was very kind and friendly, and the decor was tasteful. We loved our stay.

We had booked a beautiful beachfront unit and paid in full after receiving confirmation. Three months later, June Heart, a representative of "Sayulita Life," told us she had accidentally double-booked it because she’d had a bad week due to a family issue. For someone entrusted with 10000$ of another person’s money, that was unacceptable. She moved us to casa tortougas for the second half of our vacation. The worst part only became clear the day before we arrived in Mexico, when an email said the casa we’d booked 8 months earlier had recently changed its name. That was a bold-faced lie. We booked casa estrella and were placed in casa milu, a much worse unit in the same complex. The towels were embroidered with "milu" and a rusty metal sign on the wall said "casa milu," so there couldn’t have been a name change. Don’t trust "Sayulita Life" or June Heart with your booking or vacation plans. They can ruin your trip by rebooking your confirmed unit to someone else for a higher price closer to move-in. Find another company or book it yourself. I’ve travelled to every continent except Antarctica, including some sketchy countries, and I’ve never felt so cheated.

The open casita layout and attention to detail are lovely, and Marcelo has made a beautiful sanctuary amid Sayulita’s hustle and bustle. We come to Sayulita every year, stay at Casitas Tortugas, and are here right now. We love the gracious hospitality. We stay in the penthouse, which feels like a tree house in the jungle, surrounded by bamboo and reached by a romantic spiral staircase. For many, it’s a perfect escape and a little slice of paradise. If rustic charm and the occasional insect aren’t for you, there are luxury villas in Puerto Vallarta. Sayulita isn’t for everyone, but if you want an affordable jungle suite near the heart of town, you can’t go wrong with Casitas Tortugas :)