San Francisco, Nayarit

San Francisco, or San Pancho[1], as it is affectionately known to locals, is a village in the Mexican state of Nayarit.[2] It has a population of about 2,000 full-time residents, and the community swells

San Pancho Beach

by about 800 people in winter (high season). Most are American and Canadian snowbirds looking for something more rustic than the resorts and high-rises found in Puerto Vallarta. San Pancho has a pristine white-sand beach that stretches for a kilometer, bordered at both ends by rocky points. While it is a popular surf spot, the waves are substantial and therefore it is not the ideal swimming beach for those that aren't comfortable in the surf.

Entreamigos 10th Anniversary Celebration

Known as the cultural center of the Riviera Nayarit, San Pancho is more than just a beach town, but a vibrant community that features a Community Center, Entreamigos,[3] that offers activities of all kinds for locals and tourists, young and old; a circus program for the local kids, Circo de los Niños,[4] where the kids are trained and then put on local performances for the community; a theater company that performs local productions; a major-league polo club;[5] an annual Music Festival,[6] featuring musicians from all over North America, and occasionally Europe; a world-class Turtle Project[7] that has incubated, raised and released over a million baby turtles; and a conservation organization, Observatorio de Aves de San Pancho,[8] specializing in bird life, that also offers bird-watching tours. A short-term or seasonal visitor can do as much or as little as they wish, as there are numerous projects and organizations that encourage volunteers.

Hotels are not common in San Pancho, though there are a few cozy boutique hotels. Most vacation rentals,[9] however, consist of single-family homes, apartments, or rooms available for rent by the night, week, or longer-term. As San Pancho gets better-known and busier, long-term rentals are more scarce. For those who want to rent in high season it's best to plan far in advance.

References

  1. ↑ "Welcome to San Pancho - the cultural heart of the Riviera Nayarit!". sanpancholife.com. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  2. ↑ Clark, Jayner (7 March 2008). "Riviera Nayarit is Mexico's Next Great Place". USA Today. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "EntreAmigos - Non profit organization for children in San Pancho Nayarit Mexico". www.entreamigos.org.mx. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  4. ↑ "Circo de los Ninos San Pancho". Circo de los Ninos San Pancho. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  5. ↑ "La Patrona Polo & Equestrian Club". www.lapatronapoloclub.com. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  6. ↑ "San Pancho Music Festival". San Pancho Music Festival. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  7. ↑ "Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C.". project-tortuga.org. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  8. ↑ "Birding San Pancho Network". Birding San Pancho Network. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  9. ↑ "Welcome to San Pancho - the cultural heart of the Riviera Nayarit!". sanpancholife.com. Retrieved 2016-09-17.

Coordinates: 20°53′46″N 105°24′32″E / 20.896°N 105.409°E / 20.896; 105.409

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