Puerto Vallarta Side Trips: Discover San Pancho, Nayarit

June 11, 2022

Up the coast north of Puerto Vallarta, just a hop and a skip from Sayulita is the small town of San Francisco, affectionately referred to as San Pancho. We have watched the growth of this village over the years from when an excursion to San Pancho almost guaranteed to be the only gringos in town.

Homeownership by foreigners in the area has made a big difference in everything from the number of bars to the conditions of roads (though the latter tends to get less attention than the former.)

Accommodations are plenty, contrary to years past when finding a place to stay could be frustrating, in both low and high seasons. These days there are hotels ranging in price from $200+ to as little as $60 per night. Airbnb and their competitors have become increasingly popular and easy to book, most kid-friendly and many accepting pets. Hostel San Pancho costs as little as $37 US a night.

San Pancho is appealing to the well-traveled tourist, as well as newcomers to the beach/jungle scene. Airport transportation is easy.

At one time there was a small university in this village; The University of the Third World was the endeavor of Mexican President Luis Echeverria, who built a vacation home in San Pancho in the 1970s and had his own personal vision of the future of San Pancho. With the new airport in Puerto Vallarta in the ’70s, holidays from Mexico City could be pulled off with ease and comfort.

Centro Comunitario Entreamigos may have been what President Echeverria was dreaming of decades ago. In 2006, an American woman, Nicole Swedlow began this non-profit learning center, which eventually gained support from the state government, rebuilding its site in an abandoned warehouse in town.

With over 700 classes offered and a library that boasts thousands of Spanish and English books, there’s little that can’t be learned by children and adults alike in fields as diverse as technology, sports, art, and circus skills. The circus school, Circo de los Niños, founded in 2011 by the directors of Cirque du Soleil, was once housed at Entreamigos, but it soon outgrew the space so, in the summer of 2014, the project solicited permission from the Nayarit Government to use another one of the town’s previously abandoned warehouses near Entreamigos.

La Patrona Polo and Equestrian Club draws people to San Pancho and maintains the goal of training polo players, supported by the Mexican Polo Federation, with an accent on women’s polo. This polo club presents a competitive learning environment in a world-class facility.

Once the simple residence of a handful of Franciscan priests and a small population of landowners of immense agricultural estates, San Pancho is no longer a sleepy little village north of Puerto Vallarta. It continues to grow as a developing community with rich educational values and a varied, enthusiastic population. https://banderasnews.com/

Come…relax and experience the charm and culture of Puerto Vallarta Mexico with quaint cobblestone streets, the fragrant scent of Bougainvillea, beautiful beaches, Mexican cuisine, outstanding golf courses, and a host of activities for everyone to enjoy!

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Our concierge services will personally contact you with information on activities, tours, or spa services in the privacy of your villa rental, to the best restaurants for dining out in Puerto Vallarta. We have the most current information to guide you for your holiday in Puerto Vallarta from our daily weather report to maps and directions.

For more information about renting a villa in Puerto Vallarta visit our website at https://www.casabayvillas.com/ or email Jennifer at info@casabayvillas.com or call us at 203.386.8022.

We hope you will visit one of our luxury vacation rental villas soon and experience the magic of Puerto Vallarta!

Our mission at Casa Bay Villas is to exceed your expectations, listen to your needs, and assist you in selecting the best villa rental for your vacation in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.

Who says Five Star Services along with great value can’t go hand in hand? Let Casa Bay Villas help you find that special vacation villa rental that is just perfect for you!

Our private vacation rentals offer a full range of services during your stay from full staff services including a chef who will prepare two meals a day.

We hope you will visit one of our luxury vacation rental villas soon and experience the magic of Puerto Vallarta!

Our mission at Casa Bay Villas is to exceed your expectations, listen to your needs, and assist you in selecting the best villa rental for your vacation in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.