San Pancho Francisco
San Francisco, A Town Where Nature and Culture Intertwine
Lodging – Restaurants – Transportation – Activities
San Pancho, known as San Francisco on the map, is a little town along HWY 200 in Mexico north of Puerto Vallarta.
San Francisco,
also lovingly nicknamed as San Pancho, is a charming, non-commercialized town in Riviera Nayarit. This tropical town is a one-hour drive from Puerto Vallarta airport and sits near the mountainous Sierra Madre Occidental. San Francisco has beautiful, clear beaches and is covered with lush jungles teeming with jaguar, reptiles, bird species, and some exotic animals.
Brief History
Indigenous tribes were said to be the first inhabitants of San Francisco. The Spanish soon arrived in Mexico, and in 1524, the Spanish called the town San Francisco de Azapan. People began trooping to San Francisco until its population grew. Yet, it maintained its quaintness and charm as a small, rural town.
The locals lived as fishermen and crop growers, following a rather traditional townsfolk lifestyle. Apparently, San Franciso lacked the grandiose of urban living, a testament to that is the locals’ humble palapa homes, which neither had electricity nor water.
But in 1970s, President Luis Echeverria took note of San Francisco. In fact, he built his vacation mansion in the town, along with a hospital and a few schools. With this, he intended to make San Francisco a self-sufficient town and a Third World village model. His plans, however, ended as his term ended. But the town continued to benefit from his efforts. And it gradually became the town that it is today.or water. This statue of Saint Francis can be found on the beach square.
The Culture Hub of Riviera Nayarit
San Francisco is touted as the cultural capital in Nayarit. This doesn’t come as a surprise, since San Francisco has maintained most, if not all, of 
the Mexican traditions. Aside from cowboys passing through the streets and history-rich pueblos that line the town, different art museums, galleries, restaurants, and tourist centers resound with Mexican culture and traditions. Wall art is beautiful and tells the story of San Pancho. This wall was made with bottle caps. Although new hotels are coming to the area, along with the new location and upscaled Polo Club, the modernity of the times seems to skip San Francisco, as it sits still with its culture and history intact.
Art appreciation activities are also held in the town on a regular basis, in part to give honor to artists and in part to maintain the artistic sensibilities of the residents. Art expositions and exhibits, for instance, are staged in different galleries in San Francisco. The town also celebrates an annual music festival.
The presence of the Huichol Indians in San Francisco also makes the town all the more charming. Their culture, community, artistry, and art crafts and handicrafts give another dimension to the innate splendor of San Francisco.
San Francisco holds an interesting mix of cultures. The culture of the locals plus the cultures of the foreigners living permanently in the town make San Francisco a very culturally diverse community.
The Nature to Behold
As much as it is culturally engaging, San Francisco is a beautiful gift of nature. The wonderful beaches that are a favorite among surfers, the diversified population of animals, and the mountain ranges and jungles to explore are the gems that locals, expats, and visitors hold dear
to their hearts. San Pancho Turtles have been rescuing turtle nests from poachers for many years and have turtle releases. You can find them on their FB page.
Although it doesn’t adopt the modernity of the times as much as other Mexican towns have, San Francisco remains a wonderful place to stay in. Its tranquility is incomparable, and its loveliness is like no other.
San Pancho is a magical dream town that I was fortunate to discover some 20 years ago. It is a must see / must stay destination if you are going to be in the area. Consider a stay at the beachfront Costa Azul Adventure resort where you can learn to surf, ride horses on the beach, snorkel, or just lounge around the pool sipping coconuts. If you are concerned about safety you can get the facts on their homepage: costaazul.com This is a very peaceful place to live and vacation.
The best thing about San Pancho is that the beach is never crowded except during Easter week and at Christmas. The rest of the year you can walk the mile long sandy beach and hardly pass a soul. The ocean is rough and only safe at the south end, but it is unmatched for its beauty.
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