Saint Francis of Assisi or San Pancho
The village among the selva
Baby Turtle (by Joslin Carson)
San Francisco, or better known as San Pancho, is a quaint Mexican seaside pueblo. Surrounded by selva covered mountains on three sides and the ocean, it has a very unique vibe. From local Mexican people, to northern retirees and families looking for a better place to live, to tourists and travelers from around the globe, San Pancho attracts them all. With the Puerto Vallarta International airport only a 45 minute ride away it is an easily accessible vacation destination. Originally a sleepy fishing village with a bit of fruit processing now a bustling village with many shops & restaurants.
San Pancho is known for its turtle beach, turtle mamas have come to these shores for eons and still do so. The local San Pancho Turtle and Nature conservation group works hard to deter poachers and to ensure that as many baby turtles as possible will go out to sea on to their life time adventure.
Check out San Pancho Activities & Events and the Art & Restaurant scene below.
San Pancho Activities
San Pancho's mile-long beach
Karate training
Spectacular bird watching
Epic sunsets
The San Pancho beach is about a mile long, with at the south end the local fishing fleet and the lagoon or estuary – good for bird watching early in the morning. For the price of a drink and something to eat you can observe the beach world from a comfy lounger at one of the beach restaurants at the end of Tercer Mundo (the main street). And further to the north is a much quieter scene, where at times you can be the only person on the beach.
Our beaches are frequented by friendly merchants, musicians and artists. A small tip goes a long way for the artists. Most silver merchants and the local jewelry artist tend to speak English and have beautiful wares. However if you don’t feel like buying anything just say “No gracias” and they will move on.
On calm days you may see whales and on other days many surfers. There are a variety of surf schools/surfboard rental companies in town. The local waves can be big and can tumble you when you try to get in and out of the water – be careful and have fun!
If you like to be physically active there is something in town for everyone from yoga and Pilates to horseback riding, golf and karate. There are dance classes (hot hot hot Salsa or belly dancing) and even Clown’s classes by trainers from Cirque du Soleil.
We can assist you with booking organized tours in the surrounding area such as, bird watching, jungle hikes, whale watching, petroglyphs tour, zip-lining, ATV tours, fishing, or sailing.
In need of a relaxing massage? There is a qualified massage studio within walking distance from Casa Belenos and we can book an appointment for you.
San Pancho Art Scene
Whale by Dakota Bellicci
Surf 'n Sun by Jane Cooper Miller
Belenos, a Celtic Sungod, in San Pancho by Craig Downs
San Pancho is home to painters, musicians, circus performers, fire dancers, sculptors, jewelry makers, weavers and lots of festivals and parades. There is the Tuesday morning San Pancho Mercado (Market) at Plaza del Sol, the December San Pancho Art Collective Festival, the February San Pancho three-day music festival, March’s Circo de los Niños, the Reggae festival, The San Pancho Festival, the Primavera parade and and and…… You get our drift.
Most restaurants have live music one or more nights per week and the free Three-day Music Festival is just full of great local, national and international musicians.
Circo de los Niños, created by Cirque du Soleil founder Giles St.Croix, is a 5 day fundraiser. Local kids train with professionals all year long and become incredible performers. Acrobatics, Trapeze, Clowns, etc etc. The fundraiser is the final performance after a year of training, a real show, a spectacle, entertainment of the highest calibre, not to be missed if you are in town the 3rd week of March!
There are parades for many occasions with dressed up people, dancing horses, Batala and Mexican music. The Mexicans know how to celebrate their festivals!
Casa Belenos has art by a variety of local artists such at Dakota Bellicci, Craig Downs, Jane Cooper Miller, Lisa Godfrey and hopefully more to come. We can show you where their art is for sale. While walking around town you will find many murals that make our town colorful!
Come and Enjoy our local Art Scene!
San Pancho Restaurants
Each of the suites at Casa Belenos has a fully equipped kitchenette, but there are days when you just don’t feel like cooking or eating in.
Within walking distance from Casa Belenos you will find restaurants serving from “street tacos”, via Italian food and BBQ ribs, to high-end Mexican cuisine, and from burgers, via tapas, to vegetarian food. You will find fresh fish and seafood in most restaurants, and cold artisanal beer and the best fries at the cervecería (micro brew pub) . From breakfast chilaquiles to fresh French croissants…
There are too many great restaurants in San Pancho to name them all, so check with us and we can guide you to the one that is right for you!