Playa San Pancho.. what day trip dreams are made of!
When visiting Puerto Vallarta, we were pretty unsure how we’d feel in the city for six weeks. We really aren’t big city people, so honestly, we thought we’d stay in the heart of Puerto Vallarta for a week, and then get out of town. However, we fell in love with the city, all the tacos, and the local charm found surrounding the city center.
With that said, we also enjoyed time outside the city and found a few perfect places for day trips from Puerto Vallarta. We debated going to Sayulita, a surfer town just north of Puerto Vallarta. However, after talking to a couple of different locals about Sayulita, they recommended San Pancho instead. And you better believe we were going to go with the local recommendations over things we found on Pinterest!
**Yes, I see the irony here. We’re writing about a place as travel bloggers and photographers, telling you all about it and why you should visit, while we just said we listened to locals over the internet. But hey, it’s a place we loved, so we have to share! Let’s dive in.
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What is Playa San Pancho?
Playa is the word for beach in Spanish, and San Pancho is the name of the beach itself.. hello, Playa San Pancho.
While it’s normally referred to as San Pancho by locals, the public transportation here, and travelers that have truly gone to visit this place, the town is actually San Francisco, Mexico.
It’s about five minutes north from the ever-popular surf town of Sayulita, and still holds a bit of that local Mexico charm… which is why people visit San Pancho Mexico in the first place.
In our experience, San Pancho Beach a much nicer beach in Riviera Nayarit than the beaches right in Puerto Vallarta.
Why We Visited San Pancho, MX
After having 11 days at a resort in Riviera Nayarit with our family, we decided to hang out in Bucerias for a handful of days getting work done and exploring the coast north of Puerto Vallarta. We went back and forth between visiting Sayulita or San Pancho, but in the end, reverted back to why we travel.
Wanting to visit a place the locals told us about instead of going somewhere just for work… best decision ever!
We were told that the San Pancho community is what Sayulita used to be. While it’s becoming more and more popular to tourists and ex-pats, and the closer you get to the beach the more catered it is to tourists, it still holds some Mexican charm. It’s a relaxed beach town with great waves for surfing and just an all-around chill atmosphere.
Not to mention, it’s said that there aren’t as many Gringos in San Pancho as Sayulita, so yes, we were sold even more!
The Bus to Playa San Pancho
The couple of days leading up to visiting San Pancho, we were talking about how much we missed bus travel as we traveled in South America. So when we were hopping on the local bus to visit a place 21 km north of where we were staying we got giddy. Yeah, we know, 21km isn’t that far on a bus… but we were still just so excited.
We left our accommodation in the early afternoon, and jumped on the first bus we saw to San Pancho. The whole ride we were in awe of the views. The drive was twisting and turning through the mountains with jungle views on both sides. There were multiple fruit stands and little roadside shacks selling things from fresh produce to bags of salt, and even copper bathtubs!
The randomness of the shacks left permanent smiles on our faces the entire drive, and I think helped me, Heather, not get car sick for the ride.
First Things First.. Food in San Pancho
Arriving in San Pancho right around lunchtime, we were starving. As we hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. We decided to skip out on the first taco stand next to the bus stop, as we figured right on the highway won’t be as much of a relaxed lunchtime. Instead, we walked down the main street and were immediately drawn to a mariscos shop.. a seafood restaurant.
It’s safe to say, Mariscos Doña Tere did not disappoint. We indulged in three fish tacos each along with three different kinds of ceviche tostadas. Holy smoke, my mouth is watering just writing about this!! We sat and enjoyed our meal for over an hour, talking with the waiter and just taking in the relaxed atmosphere of San Pancho we were already experiencing just minutes after getting off the bus.
Finding Shade At Playa San Pancho
Feeling high on life after a wonderful lunch experience, we made our way down to the beach. It was very clear to see the closer we were to the beach, the more touristy the place felt.
Was this place too good to be true?
Nah.. we embraced the tourism side of it, enjoying shooting all the little photogenic bits and bobs, and then walked straight through the crowds, down the beach, in search of some shade.
It took all but two minutes to realize there was no shade to be found close to the water, so we went all in and rented the first palapas of our entire trip.
Traveler’s Tip… at Playa San Pancho, you’ll be greeted immediately by people offering chairs and umbrellas to rent. They’re even priced differently for the different rows of palapa stands. While the cushioned beds look amazing, resist the urge to snag these, and head up or down the beach to find cheaper chairs in quieter areas.
It was a hard pass to the inviting palapas with beds due to the sheer amount of people in that area and all the loud music and noise. Instead, we traveled up the beach and found some random guy with a zone for his own chairs and umbrellas. He was so sweet and the price was much lower (200 pesos a day or 10 USD) compared to upwards of 400 pesos!
Enjoying Playa San Pancho
Beautiful sand, clear water, and shade, what more could we ask for!? We were in heaven just sitting watching the waves crash in… something we have come to realize is not our style for every day, but is absolutely lovely every now and then.
We played in the massive waves, just floating over them rolling in, enjoyed some great people watching, including surfers down the beach in the distance, and just took in the feel of everyone being so relaxed and carefree spending a day on the beach.
It truly was the perfect day trip for us out of the city, and just when we thought it couldn’t get better, it did.
Bolivian Empanadas
If you’ve read and of our Puerto Vallarta posts so far, or follow us on social media, you know we were eating tacos literally every chance we got. But shoot, we were also dying to find empanadas like we had in Bolivia. Each time we had empanadas in Mexico, they were sweet, and honestly, we were craving some savory ones.. legitimately talking about making a trip to South America just for them!
Right as I’m taking my first swig of Pacifico (our favorite beer in Mexico), a lady comes up and offers us empanadas de Bolivia. I about spit out my beer. Oh my gosh.. how was this real life?
We talked with her a bit, finding out she was from Bolivia but living there in San Pancho, and learned she sells empanadas at sunset every night except for Mondays.
Thank God it was Tuesday!
Taking a bite of the empanada watching the sun go down in front of us, I teared up, just so grateful for this life we get to live. It was one of those pinch-me moments that I truly couldn’t believe was real.
After enjoying both empanadas we dug in our bag to see if we had enough pesos for another round, keeping in mind we still needed some for the ride back to Bucerias. Luckily, we had just enough. I chased the woman down, grabbed two more bags of empanadas, and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
Heading to Puerto Vallarta?
If you’re reading this post and heading to Puerto Vallarta, keep reading to see how to get from PV to San Pancho. You may also enjoy taking a look at some more of our Puerto Vallarta content below…
Finding the Best Taco in Puerto Vallarta
Scam, Scam, Scam.. Don’t Fall For These Puerto Vallarta Scams
If you’re reading this just to read about our latest adventure. Thanks for being here. We love having the space to share photos, stories, and travel inspiration with you!
What to Pack For a Trip to Playa San Pancho
Cash
Cash as in pesos. Most places in San Pancho don’t take cards, and you’ll definitely need some cash at sunset for those bomb empanadas!
Sunscreen
Sunscreen!! Don’t forget to pack sunscreen. While we had just normal sunscreen we found at the pharmacy, if you can get a sunscreen like this that’s good for the environment, do so!
Beach Towel
If you plan on being in Puerto Vallarta for a long time, it’s well worth it to pack a towel with you for the beach. We kept using hand towels from our accommodation, and while they worked fine, more often than not, we wished we brought packable beach towels. This towel looks like a great option for travel and taking to the beach!
Sun Glasses
Sunglasses are a must for any beach vacation. These ones come in a pack of two, and are relatively cheap, considering they’re polarized. We definitely don’t recommend packing expensive glasses with you to the beach. Our buddy lost his in the water, and that’s always a downer on a perfect beach day!
Getting From Puerto Vallarta to San Pancho
Depending on traffic it’s either an hour or 1.5 hours from Puerto Vallarta. As a heads up, there’s currently a lot of road construction, so be prepared for delays.
If public transportation isn’t your thing, you can take an Uber or Taxi. However, those will cost upwards of 30 USD, while buses cost right around 5 USD one way.
There are loads of buses heading to Sayulita from Puerto Vallarta, and they will all say Sayulita on them. Hop on any bus with “Sayulita” on the window, then grab a second bus to San Pancho from Sayulita. Alternatively, test your Spanish, talk to people at the bus stop (literally any place along Highway 200 – the main road heading north in Puerto Vallarta), and ask them which bus to San Pancho.
If you’re downtown by the Malecon, grab a bus to Las Glorias first. It will cost 10 pesos (0.50 USD). The locals on the bus can help tell you where to get off. At the Las Glorias stop, you’ll find loads of buses to Sayulita / San Pancho.
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