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Clifftop villas at the north end of San Pancho https://sayulitabeach.com/site/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery/vendors/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/san-pancho-echeverria.jpg&w=600&h=337&q=100&a=t
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San Pancho’s bright, sunny beach is often deserted https://sayulitabeach.com/site/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery/vendors/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/sanpancho-1_mini.jpg&w=600&h=337&q=100&a=t
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You can dine on the sands in San Pancho https://sayulitabeach.com/site/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery/vendors/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/sanpancho-2_mini.jpg&w=600&h=337&q=100&a=t
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Colorful murals decorate the plaza in San Pancho https://sayulitabeach.com/site/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery/vendors/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/sanpancho-3_mini.jpg&w=600&h=337&q=100&a=t
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The Nayarit Coast, seen from the sky https://sayulitabeach.com/site/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery/vendors/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/san-pancho-hills.jpg&w=600&h=337&q=100&a=t
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A plane's eye view of the south end of San Pancho https://sayulitabeach.com/site/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery/vendors/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/sanpancho-ultralight.jpg&w=600&h=337&q=100&a=t
Dine at one of several world class restaurants or, down the price scale, at one of many great little taco stands, pizza joints, and chicken take out grills. San Pancho is quieter and more dignified than Sayulita, but it displays its own exotic mix of locals and ex-pats. The beach here is wider and less busy, but beware of the sea: good fast surfing waves by the river mouth are one thing, but powerful undertows and shorebreak are another. Don’t miss the trash recycled into glassware, furniture, artworks, and other cool stuff for sale at Entreamigos, San Pancho’s lively community and recycling center, library, and performance space.
An hour’s hike along a ruggedly enchanting beach and jungle trail—or a five minute drive up Highway 200—gets you from Sayulita to San Pancho, Sayulita’s sweet little neighbor to the north. Formally called San Francisco, San Pancho shares Sayulita’s small scale and beachfront locale, but it’s a far different place. For one, they play serious polo in San Pancho, at La Patrona Polo Club, where you can watch the ponies and riders at play, or even take a lesson. You’ll also see many, many birds if you rise early and go out with one of the local expert guides, for San Pancho’s estuary is one of the great birding sites in Nayarit. Birds aren’t your thing? Play a round of golf on the lush, gorgeous, and only recently made public La Huerta 9-hole course, up on the hill on the north side of town, with spectacular views from every tee.
Related article: The Waterfalls of San Pancho
