San Francisco (Mexico)
San Francisco (also called San Pancho) is a seaside village in Nayarit, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. It is a very tranquil place with no big businesses. Referred to as a "surfer beach", San Pancho is very welcoming to anyone looking for a quiet beach well away from the crowds of mega-resort areas just a short distance south.
Get in
By bus
From the airport of Puerto Vallarta: Go to the highway, cross the bridge and take a direct bus for around M$50-60 (Nov 2021). The buses to San Pancho are green on the bottom and frequent. Some have air-conditioning.
You can also join these buses in Puerto Vallarta in Las Glorias and at Walmart/Sams as well as in Bucerias and Sayulita.
You will be dropped off at the highway of San Pancho, there is no terminal. So take care to not miss the 🌍 bus stop.
Get around
Everything in town is within easy walking distance. Walking is better than using a bike because the streets are cobblestone. Nothing is more than about a kilometer or two away.
The main street (Av. Tercer Mundo) goes from the highway to the beach. Mini-buses (colectivos) pass by on the highway and can be used to visit neighboring beach towns or to go to Puerto Vallarta.
Do
- 🌍 La Patrona Polo Club, Africa s/n, ☏ +52 322 146 7714. Tu-Su 09:00 - 20:00. Polo matches are played November - May on Sunday afternoons and November - July on Saturday evenings. The club also offers upscale dining in their on-site restaurant, equestrian lessons, and lessons to would-be polo players.
- 🌍 Playa San Pancho. Beautiful wide, long sandy beaches ideal for sunbathing or swimming. Umbrellas and lounge chairs can be rented for about M$200 per day. There are often good waves here and surfers find plenty of waves to keep themselves occupied. At times the waves can be rather overwhelming for casual swimmers.
Buy
In the intersection of the roads Africa/China is a Banorte ATM. Along the main street are Multiva ATMs.
At the highway is an Oxxo and in the center a Super Kiosko.
Eat
On the Av. Tercer Mundo you can find street-food. Stalls are open at different daytimes.
- 🌍 Su Pancha Madre, Argelia #28 (corner of C.Mexico), ☏ +52 333 570 7759. Daily 08:00 - 22:00 (closes 14:00-15:00). Outdoor patio restaurant famous for its sopes. Order a couple different flavors and wash it down with a cold Pacifico beer for a quintessential Pacific beach experience.
- 🌍 Maria Bonita, Tercer Mundo 14, ☏ +52 311 129 3349. Th-Tu 16:00 - 23:00 (closed W). Traditional Mexican restaurant with regional and nouveau Mexican dishes. Family friendly with high chairs and changing tables available. Food is very well prepared and elegantly presented. Full bar.
- 🌍 Heaven's Kitchen, Tercer Mundo 458 (at intersection with main highway). Vegetarian-friendly indian restaurant right at the entrance to town.
- 🌍 San Pancho Marino, Tercer Mundo 12, ☏ +523221901730. Daily 11:00 - 23:00. Traditional restaurant with an eclectic menu that combines seafood, Mexican, Indonesian, and vegetarian dishes. M$200.
Drink
- 🌍 El Gallo, Tercer Mundo 38, ☏ +52 444 411 2707, elgallosanpancho@gmail.com. Tu-Su 09:00 - 01:00, closed M. Lively bar draws a young crowd. DJs most nights, live music on weekends, occasional open mike night. Full food menu available.
- 🌍 Cerveceria Artesanal San Pancho, Calle América Latina #80, ☏ +52 322 193 2924. Daily 17:00 - 00:00. Craft beer bar with several beers brewed in house including an IPA and a stout. Full bar with a good range of artesanal mezcals and some creative mezcal cocktails to go with it, like the Spicy Mezcal Margarita. They claim to have the best burgers in town and locals don't seem to find room to quibbel with the claim. The portabello burger is a winner. M$200.
Sleep
- 🌍 Maraica, Las Palmas 28, ☏ +52 311 258 4574. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Rustic tropical eco-hotel with palapa-style buildings. Quiet location on the edge of town next to the beach. M$4000.
- 🌍 Hotel Cielo Rojo, Asia 6, ☏ +52 311 258 4155. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Upscale boutique hotel with friendly service and immaculate, spacious rooms with plush towels, bed linens etc. The on-site restaurant serves regional dishes made with locally sourced organic ingredients. 1 block walk to beach. No on-site parking, but street parking is ample. M$1800.
- 🌍 Hotel Casa San Pancho, Pakistan 156, ☏ +52 311 258 5022. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Cozy small hotel (10 rooms) 4 blocks from the beach. Spacious, clean, well equipped rooms with modern fixtures. Swimming pool. On-site restaurant serves a traditional Mexican breakfast made to order (not buffet). M$2400.
- 🌍 Agua de Luna, Egipto 8 (Corner of Asia and Egipto), ☏ +52 311 690 3008. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Modern upscale boutique hotel with immaculate housekeeping, new fixtures, cable TV, air conditioning. Rooftop has two large jacuzzi tubs. On-site cafe. M$4000.
- 🌍 Hostal San Pancho, Tercer Mundo 12, ☏ +52 311 258 4161. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Hostel with dorms and private rooms about 1.5 km walk to beach. M$500.
Camping
- 🌍 Camping San Pancho, La Criba 3, ☏ +52 331 574 5161. Pitch a tent at one of several sites near the river. Shared community kitchen is available. M$400.
Go next
You can find hostels and private rooms in:
- Sayulita – 7 km in the south-west. You can do hiking into the jungle. The water at the beach is shallow.
- Bucerias – 25 km in the south-east. A coastal village with a long uninterrupted white sand beach
- Punta Mita – 25 km in the south-west.
- Tepic – 125 km in the north-east. It's the capital of Nayarit
- Puerto Vallarta
- Guadalajara – 290 km in the east. Mexico's second largest city and the capital of Jalisco and near the town of Tequila
- Mazatlán – It is recommended to take a flight to and out of the city.