SAN PANCHO, MX
San Pancho, also known as San Francisco, is the cooler little brother of Sayulita to the near distant south. I will preface this with the fact that I didn't spend very much time here. I went for a number of day trips over here but never stayed. I was working in Sayulita the entire time. I quickly learned that San Pancho, however, is the place to be in the area. San Pancho has been, up until now, sheltered from much of the American and Canadian tourism that has impacted Sayulita so heavily. That's not to say that there hasn't been an effect; there certainly has been. But it's significantly less noticeable. I would say that most of the vacationers who descend annually on Sayulita are generally unaware of the existence of San Pancho. That's how the people who have called this place home for a long time would like it to stay. But as is the case with these burgeoning towns, it will likely change. San Pancho though, is a beautiful little town nestled in-between the jungle and the ocean. The charming small town lets out to a beautiful white sand beach with a nice short board wave out front. It's the only shortboard-only wave in the area actually, if you ask me. There are small shops selling locally designed crafts and clothing, cute little restaurants, a few bars, and some health food places. There are a lot of traveler types that live here. It's a bit more "hippie" if you will, than Sayulita. My experience was meeting a lot of Argentinians and Uruguayans who were down here in vans after trimming up north in California. They are an awesome bunch. The pace of life is slower; things are chiller. For a wild night out, head down to Sayulita. For a chill and lovely place with great people, come to Sayulita. If I were to do it all over again, I would have spent my time here.
San Pancho is located on the central coast of Mexico, just north of Puerto Vallarta (45 mins or so by car). It's also about 10 minutes north of Sayulita. Maybe less.
Flying into Puerto Vallarta (PVR) would be your best bet if coming by plane. I heard that it's actually the cheapest flight to any other country in the world from Canada so get ready to be around a lot of Canadians escaping the cold.
Otherwise, there are buses that will get you to Sayulita from really anywhere in Mexico. It, or Sayulita at least, is a popular stop along the backpacking trail, so you shouldn't have a hard time finding a shuttle or a bus to there from anywhere. If you are coming from Sayulita, the bus to San Pancho is extremely simple. Make your way out to the main road and the local collectivo buses are passing throughout the day to take you up and back. A lot of people do this: spend their nights in Sayulita but go up to San Pancho fort the evening. Hitchhiking up is another great option. A popular one at that.
San Pancho sits on the ocean, with mountainous jungle to your back that leads almost all the way up to the sea. The Nayarit coastline is really a beautiful part of the world.
HOSTELS, CAMPING, AND HOTELS (IF ANY)
The San Pancho hostel was where most of the people that I talked to had stayed when they spent time here in San Pancho. It's a relatively nice place; I walked in one time. The only knock here for me was the location. It's not near the beach, and kind of a far walk to get to the shops and restaurants. But it's a nice place, and if you are looking for the hostel and socialization that they bring, this is probably your best bet.
As I mentioned, I actually never stayed in San Pancho, but I can share what I saw and what I heard was good. The hostel scene here is a little bit bleak. And it's surprising to me really considering how many travelers do call this place home. Outside of the few hostels here, there are certainly options from an Airbnb perspective, as well as hotels. Probably some nice expensive boutique ones. There will be some cheap hotel accommodation that could suit you well if you are traveling with a few people and don't want to deal with the relatively lackluster selection of hostels in town.
This place is new since I was there. I think it opened at the end of 2022. But it looks like it has arrived on par with other hostels in town. It's a (s)mall spot; only about 20 beds, but that's kind of great as well. The benefit of this place is that it is located much closer to the ocean and town than Hostal San Pancho is. The price point isn't too bad either, at just around $20. This place also has wifi, and a kitchen, and all that.
If you are traveling with a rig, or want to camp, there is free beach camping right on San Pancho beach. It's safe, free, and you'll likely have some cool camping neighbors as well. San Pancho is a big hotspot for Argentinians and Uruguayans; many of them making a long stop here after spending the season trimming up north in California. They are some great people.
EATS
I have limited advice on where to eat in San Pancho. I wish I had more, but I spent most of my time in Sayulita. There will be great food options here though. A lot of really good international food that will be pricey, and a lot of health-oriented food such as smoothies, salads, bowls etc.; just given the type of people who live here and have decided to make San Pancho their home. A few recs I have are below.
Restaurants
Some really nice tacos in town. Their specialty is birria and they do it really well. They are located at the entrance of town so a ways from the beach. But near to San Pancho Hostel if you are staying there.
If you are in the mood for something different with a great vibe, you can come here. It's an indian restaurant that typically has live music and is an all around nice environment.
This is a nice little spot in town that has really good breakfast, and a bunch of baked goods like donuts and stuff. Nice place to sit and have a coffee.
and many more...
Go explore. There are restaurants all over the place. I'm sure many new ones have opened up since I was there. Eating your way through a city can be one of the best places to figure it out anyways. It's a walking town; walk around, and find something new.
NIGHTLIFE
Bars and Clubs
There is going to be some nightlife here. But it will usually end pretty early. The late night stuff happens in Sayulita. It's a quieter town here and as such, it gets quiet and kind of 'turns off'; if you will, earlier.
There's lots of great places to get drinks and start your night, but if you are looking to go after it all night you are in the wrong town. Just take a cab or a bus a few minutes to Sayulita and you'll have everything you want and more. There are a few day beach clubs here that can be fun to go to. The beach club scene isn't really what I am about, but there are a few of them here that are nice.
This is one of the 'go-tos' for nightlife in San Pancho. It's a local craft brewery with a few tables out on the cobblestone street, and a bar inside. It's a nice spot, and a great place to go and drink some good beer.
This is an extremely nice beach club slightly north of the town of San Pancho right on the water. There is an infinity pool that looks right out over the ocean, and it's what vacation Instagram photos are made of. It's very expensive though, but also pretty amazing.
This place is pretty cool. It's a mezcal bar located about 1km to the north of the main strip in San Pancho. They are serving up different types of mezcal, and are open till 12 here. One of only 2 places in the town that are open until 12. They also occasionally throw big parties here, so keep your ears open for that.
SIGHTS
Well, you're in San Pancho; the obvious thing is to go to the beach here. It's a nice beach. It can get crowded right out front, but if you walk for to the right or far to the left you can escape the crowds, and it's a nice beach. There's hardly any shade, and it's certainly hot enough to warrant some shade in the Riviera of Nayarit. So maybe bring some, or it could be a hot day.
The area surroundings San Pancho is beautiful. There are loads of things to see — from beaches, to jungle. Being 45 minutes from Puerto Vallarta there is also a lot of resort activity in the area. To find some beautiful, undiscovered places in these areas can be a little tough especially considering the resorts have, and continue to disrupt the natural beauty of the area. Especially in places like Punta Mita, which is home to one of the best surf spots in the area that just happens to be located on private four seasons land. A real shame.
Considering the proximity to Sayulita, a lot of the things to see in and around San Pancho will be the same. So there will be a lot of overlap in this section, but that is okay. There also won't be much more to add here compared to there. But below are the things to see, all beaches, in and around San Pancho.
This is practically the same thing as Playa San Pancho, although entirely different if you ask me. It is at the southern edge of the bay. It's the only place where you will find some shade, and was my favorite place to hang out on the beach here. There will be people, but not an overwhelming amount. Just walk about 5 minutes south of town, cross the little river, and get to the point that you pretty much can't walk anymore and you are there. Little beach San Pancho.
Lo De Marco isn't exactly as much a thing to see as it is a place. It's another town; smaller even than San Pancho, about 20 minutes to the north. It's a nice thing to do for the day. It's a VERY quiet place. Nothing going on at night or anything, but it's relaxing and chill. Nice thing to do for an afternoon or if you want to stay in a very mellow place.
La Lancha is not close. It's actually all the way out past Punta Mita so you will need to take a car, a bus, or hitchhike to get there. This is also a very popular surf spot, and will be mentioned again in that section.
It's a beautiful white sand beach that you arrive at after walking for about 10 minutes through the jungle, over wood boards that flank swampy parts of the wooded path. But the walk is worth it when it opens up to the ocean and that white sand and blue water.
SURFING
The surfing recommendation that I have for San Pancho is identical to that of Sayulita. The only thing I would say differently is if you are in San Pancho, you are lucky because you are already right where the best short boarding wave in the area is. If you are a short boarder that is. If you are learning, San Pancho is not the place for you. In my opinion. Below is a copy of the Sayulita surfing guide if you haven't been there yet.
Surfing in Sayulita. It is famous. The local long boarders are some of the most impressive long boarders that I have seen anywhere in my life. They are stylish, smooth, dancing on water, and they all seem to have been doing it since they walked from the womb. It is a beautiful sight to see. I was unfortunately not there for it, but if I could go back to Sayulita at any point it would be for the annual Mexilog fest that's held frequently in Sayulita. However, not every year. It's a congregation of the world's best long boarders, for a week of competition and fun. One of those rare moments where Sayulita is full of the best type of tourist.
From my perspective, the Sayulita area wasn't my favorite place to surf. The surf is usually small. Its crowded almost always and the locals were some of the only people I saw getting any good waves in the sea of beginners and lessons at the crowded spots. But there are some short board spots, and if you love to longboard, or are trying to improve your surfing, Sayulita could be the perfect destination.
There are a bunch of really great, always manageable and small surf spots that lend themselves very well for just starting to surf, or trying to get up to that next level. So if that's what you're looking for, Sayulita could be a perfect spot. If you are looking for more technical surfing, barrels, big drops, big waves, steep turns and the likes, I would recommend you look in other places. Mexico has much better to offer in those categories.
A few of the well known surf spots that I enjoyed are below. As always, nothing off the beaten path, or considered secret in any way will be featured on this website.
