San Pancho
Sayulita's quieter neighbour: a village of about 1,400 people with a wild surf beach, a turtle camp and a strong community streak.
San Pancho is the everyday name of San Francisco, Nayarit, a village on Highway 200 about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta's airport and a few minutes past Sayulita. It has a long, open beach with powerful surf, a sea-turtle camp that has run since 1991, and a set of community projects — a recycling and education centre, a children's circus — that give it a different feel from its busier neighbour. Most visitors come for a day, often combined with Sayulita; others stay a week in its small hotels and rentals.
At a glance
| Where | Riviera Nayarit, municipality of Bahía de Banderas; about 5 km north of Sayulita |
|---|---|
| From the airport | About 45 km, roughly an hour by road |
| Population | 1,431 at the 2020 census |
| Time zone | The same as Puerto Vallarta: Bahía de Banderas keeps central time by law |
| The beach | Open Pacific surf, strong currents; calmer at the north end |
| Water quality | Rated fit by COFEPRIS in every round we checked, 2024–2026 |
A village with an unusual history
The land became an ejido, a communal farm, in 1931. In the 1970s President Luis Echeverría made San Pancho his family retreat and tried to turn it into a model "self-sufficient Third World village": federal money built a hospital, a hotel school, a marine-technology centre, an agro-industrial plant and a "University of the Third World". Most of it was dismantled by the late 1980s; the regional hospital remained. The main street, Avenida Tercer Mundo, still carries the name.
The beach
The beach runs for a long stretch between headlands, open to the Pacific. Several guides warn that the waves break heavily on the shore and the currents are strong, which makes much of it poor for swimming; the north end is described as calmer. We found no confirmation that lifeguards are posted, although there is a watchtower on the sand. Swim only in calm conditions, stay within your depth and keep children close. For gentler water, the beaches inside Banderas Bay, such as Bucerías, are more sheltered.
Surfing. The break is a left-hand point at the southern end, over reef, plus a wedge by the river mouth: fast, hollow waves, strong rips and sharp coral that bites at low tide. It's for competent surfers; beginners do better at La Lancha or Sayulita. Seasons and other spots are in surfing near Puerto Vallarta.
Water quality. COFEPRIS tests Playa San Francisco before each holiday season. It was rated fit at Easter 2024 (10 enterococci per 100 ml), Easter 2025 (13) and summer 2026 (11), against a limit of 200. How the tests work: beaches.
Sea turtles
The Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, known as Project Tortuga, began in 1991, when nearly all of the local nests were being poached. It patrols the beach, moves eggs to its nursery and releases more than 100,000 hatchlings a year. The nesting season runs from May to mid-December. The turtle camp is open to visitors daily from June to December, best between 5 and 6 p.m., and from July to December the public can join the sunset releases on the beach. Since 2021 the group has released hatchlings the evening they emerge, rather than holding daytime hatchlings back for an audience. How to watch a release without harming the turtles: sea-turtle releases.
Things to do
- Entreamigos — a non-profit community centre founded in 2006, in a former warehouse the state government handed over in 2009: a library, workshops, a gallery of upcycled crafts, a second-hand shop and the village recycling centre. Entry is free and self-guided visits are welcome; check its current opening hours before you go.
- Polo — the La Patrona polo club, now part of Tierra Tropical, offers lessons, rides and matches that visitors can watch or join. The season has traditionally run from October to May.
- The children's circus — the Circo de los Niños, founded in 2011 by Cirque du Soleil co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix, trains local children aged 5 to 19. Its annual fundraising show is in late March; the 2026 show, Esperanza, ran from 25 to 28 March.
- Birdwatching — the San Pancho Bird Observatory has signposted four birding routes, including the estuary.
- The Tuesday market — an artisan market in Plaza del Sol on Tuesday mornings in the high season, roughly November to April.
- The San Pancho Music Festival — free, in Plaza del Sol, at the end of February; the 2026 edition ran from 20 to 22 February.
How to get there
By bus from Puerto Vallarta. The green-and-white Compostela buses heading north stop on the highway opposite the Walmart and Sam's Club near the airport, and under the footbridge across from the airport itself. They run about hourly; the ride takes around 1 hour 30 and recent fares have been MXN 50–70. Not every Compostela bus stops at San Pancho, so ask the driver before boarding. The big buses leave you at the village entrance on the highway, by the OXXO. For how buses work here, see buses.
From Sayulita. Local buses leave Sayulita's terminal on Avenida Revolución every 15–20 minutes, a 15–20 minute ride, for around MXN 22–30. A taxi between the two costs about MXN 150–200; in San Pancho, taxis wait by the Parque de la Hermandad.
By taxi or car. A taxi from the airport has been quoted at MXN 1,000 or more; a pre-booked transfer or a rental car is often simpler, and lets you combine San Pancho with Sayulita and Punta de Mita.
What's changing
Like the rest of this coast, San Pancho is under pressure from development, and residents have protested against luxury condominium projects. In May 2025 the federal environmental agency, PROFEPA, fined a beachfront owner for restricting public access to the beach. In early October 2026 storm swell struck the Punta Paraíso complex on the seafront, and civil protection moved guests away from the sea-facing units; days later a federal court upheld PROFEPA's order to demolish two of its towers and restore 1,466 m² of land reclaimed from the sea. Beaches in Mexico are public: you may walk along the sand in front of any property.
Practical tips
- Bring cash. Cash machines are few, their fees are high and they sometimes fail; Sayulita and Bucerías have more.
- Staying. Accommodation is mostly small hotels, guesthouses and holiday rentals rather than large resorts.
- Combining. Sayulita is ten minutes away; a day that takes in both is easy by bus or taxi. Our Sayulita day trip guide covers the other half.
Frequently asked
Where is San Pancho?
San Pancho, officially San Francisco, is a village on Highway 200 in Nayarit, about 5 km north of Sayulita and roughly an hour by road from Puerto Vallarta's airport. It belongs to the municipality of Bahía de Banderas and keeps Puerto Vallarta's time.
Is San Pancho beach good for swimming?
Often not. The waves break heavily and the currents are strong; the north end is calmer. We found no confirmation of lifeguards, so swim only in calm conditions. Its water-quality ratings, on the other hand, have been good.
How do you get to San Pancho from Puerto Vallarta?
Take a northbound Compostela bus from opposite the Walmart near the airport, about 1 hour 30, and ask the driver whether it stops at San Pancho. Or go via Sayulita, from where local buses run every 15 to 20 minutes.
Can you see a turtle release in San Pancho?
Yes, in season. Project Tortuga's camp is open to visitors daily from June to December, best from 5 to 6 p.m., and the public can join its sunset releases from July to December.
San Pancho or Sayulita?
Sayulita has more restaurants, nightlife and gentler surf for beginners; San Pancho is smaller and quieter, with a wilder beach. They are ten minutes apart, so many visitors see both in a day.
Latest articles
Christmas and New Year in Puerto Vallarta
Processions, posadas, a giant tree on the pier and fireworks over the Malecón — what the holidays look like…
Read →
Puerto Vallarta vs Cancún
A Pacific town between mountains and sea, or a Caribbean resort strip near the Mayan world? An honest…
Read →
Shopping in Puerto Vallarta
The river market, the weekly markets and the malls — and how to tell real silver, Huichol art, Talavera and…
Read →