More Things To Do In San Pancho....
Restaurants, bars and nightlife......
Restaurants:
Restaurants in San Pancho are very good, and all are safe to eat at. There is a variety, from authentic Mexican to Italian, BBQ, cajun, steak, pizza and more. Here are a few suggestions:
La Ola Rica - on the main street about a block from the beach, this is one of San Pancho's best local restaurants. They also have an upstairs bar/restaurant, La Cresta de la Ola Rica. Off the street and more peaceful, but with a view of the activity below, they have a different menu and serve tapas and lighter fare.
Maria's - also on the main street, 3 blocks from the beach. Great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Offers live music.
La Taza de Cafe - great breakfast place a block from the beach.
Dolce Jardin - offers pasta and Italian fare, the world's best lasagna, large salads, and a large brownie or sweet crepes for dessert.
La Chalupa - not far from the beach, under the shade of a large palapa, this is very authentic Mexican food, open year-round.
Bistro Organico - a courtyard restaurant in a trendy little boutique hotel in the downtown area, Cielo Rojo, they offer organic and healthy dishes - open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekends. Offers live music.
Zeniza's: formerly Mr. Ribs, carnivores will love this place. Though they also offer other fare, ribs, chicken and steak are their specialty. Outdoor grill aloows you to watch your dinner being cooked and live musivc Wednesday nights.
Los Arbolitos - inexpensive but very tasty taco restaurant. Owner Pedro serves good local Mexican food.
Eva’s Tacos - authentic Mexican food - great chile rellenos, tacos, many different salsas. For dessert try the Pie de Limon. Eva offers Mexican cooking classes as well for those of you interested in learning how to prepare authentic local cuisine.
Victor's: good authentic Mexican food, including a good chile relleno.
The Corner - great burgers and tacos, very inexpensive but great flavors and great sauces.
Cafe Paraiso - local coffee shop, has espresso and specialty coffees, baked goods, ice cream and wonderful cakes and desserts.
** There are several great little authentic Mexican restaurants along the main street, offering tacos, tostadas, burritos, etc. - all very tasty and inexpensive. And for many more options Sayulita is just 3 miles down the road and has much to offer, though be warned, it has become crazy-busy.
Other bars/restaurants:
Beach bars - there are just 3 beach bars on the beach at San Pancho - each has their own style and flavor, but all are perfect spots to enjoy a margarita and take in the incredible sunsets:
- just at the end of the main street, by the malecon, are the three bars:
- La Perla - under a palapa roof or out on the beach - great beach atmosphere!
- Las Palmas - the largest of the three, also a perfect spot!
- La Tarraya - another great spot - owned by young Mexican entrepreneurs, it is a great spot for a margarita at sunset.
You can't go wrong at any of these bars, and we recommend trying all three.
Tours:
For a list of tours available in the area go to sanpancholife.com - you will find many options for tours of all kinds. Here are some examples of what you will find:
- Santa Madre Adventures - from surfing lessons to whale-watching to boat trips, Santa Madre offers many services.
- Lo de Perla Jungle Tour & Orchid Farm. A must-see - a beautiful guided walk through a pristine jungle habitat. You will discover bromeliads and many other species of plants found in the jungles of Nayarit. And when the orchids are in bloom it's truly a magnificent experience.
- Diva Tours - the local tour company, they can arrange any kind of adventure, including jungle tours and whale-watching. They also run a taxi service to and from Puerto Vallarta airport.
- Adventures Vallarta - jungle adventure tours, including river boats, zip-lines, and hiking.
- San Pancho Birding Tours - one of the special features of San Pancho is the existence of a river-estuary which creates a lagoon just behind the beach. At any time you can see hundreds of exotic birds, including great-necked herons, egrets, and many other species.
- Fishing Boats - there are numerous boats available for day-trips, and you'll never come back empty-handed. Dorado, mahi-mahi, marlin, and other local fish are plentiful.
Local Events/Organizations:
- Entre Amigos - one of the reasons we chose San Pancho to live is this local community center. Entre Amigos (literally means 'between friends') integrates the local Mexican and ex-pat communities, offering spanish lessons for the gringos, english classes for the Mexicans, a library, computer center, thrift store, recycling center, local events and much more. We highly recommend a visit during your stay.
- Baby Turtle Releases - During the winter months a local conservation group releases dozens of baby turtles on the beach, and you can get up-close-and-personal as they crawl toward the ocean. Look for the dune-buggy toward sunset, and you can get close-up photos of this magical spectacle.
- La Patrona Polo Club - for an unexpected and unique experience, San Pancho has a polo club, with matches on Sundays and a brunch - definitely a must-see, it’s one of the special spectacles in San Pancho.
- the local soccer field offers matches weekly and is always worth a stop.
- San Pancho Days - normally held the last week of September, full of local color.
- San Pancho Music Festival - usually the last weekend in February, this a reason to visit San Pancho at this time, with both local and foreign groups.
- San Pancho Art Festival - a showcase for local artists, the Art Festival is held each year on the last week in December.
- Circo de los Ninos - one of the special events in San Pancho every year, a kids' circus. The youngsters rehearse for months under the tutelage of Gilles St. Croix, one of the founders of Cirque de Soleil. It is definitely a must-see!
Restaurants:
Restaurants in San Pancho are very good, and all are safe to eat at. There is a variety, from authentic Mexican to Italian, BBQ, cajun, steak, pizza and more. Here are a few suggestions:
La Ola Rica - on the main street about a block from the beach, this is one of San Pancho's best local restaurants. They also have an upstairs bar/restaurant, La Cresta de la Ola Rica. Off the street and more peaceful, but with a view of the activity below, they have a different menu and serve tapas and lighter fare.
Maria's - also on the main street, 3 blocks from the beach. Great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Offers live music.
La Taza de Cafe - great breakfast place a block from the beach.
Dolce Jardin - offers pasta and Italian fare, the world's best lasagna, large salads, and a large brownie or sweet crepes for dessert.
La Chalupa - not far from the beach, under the shade of a large palapa, this is very authentic Mexican food, open year-round.
Bistro Organico - a courtyard restaurant in a trendy little boutique hotel in the downtown area, Cielo Rojo, they offer organic and healthy dishes - open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekends. Offers live music.
Zeniza's: formerly Mr. Ribs, carnivores will love this place. Though they also offer other fare, ribs, chicken and steak are their specialty. Outdoor grill aloows you to watch your dinner being cooked and live musivc Wednesday nights.
Los Arbolitos - inexpensive but very tasty taco restaurant. Owner Pedro serves good local Mexican food.
Eva’s Tacos - authentic Mexican food - great chile rellenos, tacos, many different salsas. For dessert try the Pie de Limon. Eva offers Mexican cooking classes as well for those of you interested in learning how to prepare authentic local cuisine.
Victor's: good authentic Mexican food, including a good chile relleno.
The Corner - great burgers and tacos, very inexpensive but great flavors and great sauces.
Cafe Paraiso - local coffee shop, has espresso and specialty coffees, baked goods, ice cream and wonderful cakes and desserts.
** There are several great little authentic Mexican restaurants along the main street, offering tacos, tostadas, burritos, etc. - all very tasty and inexpensive. And for many more options Sayulita is just 3 miles down the road and has much to offer, though be warned, it has become crazy-busy.
Other bars/restaurants:
Beach bars - there are just 3 beach bars on the beach at San Pancho - each has their own style and flavor, but all are perfect spots to enjoy a margarita and take in the incredible sunsets:
- just at the end of the main street, by the malecon, are the three bars:
- La Perla - under a palapa roof or out on the beach - great beach atmosphere!
- Las Palmas - the largest of the three, also a perfect spot!
- La Tarraya - another great spot - owned by young Mexican entrepreneurs, it is a great spot for a margarita at sunset.
You can't go wrong at any of these bars, and we recommend trying all three.
Tours:
For a list of tours available in the area go to sanpancholife.com - you will find many options for tours of all kinds. Here are some examples of what you will find:
- Santa Madre Adventures - from surfing lessons to whale-watching to boat trips, Santa Madre offers many services.
- Lo de Perla Jungle Tour & Orchid Farm. A must-see - a beautiful guided walk through a pristine jungle habitat. You will discover bromeliads and many other species of plants found in the jungles of Nayarit. And when the orchids are in bloom it's truly a magnificent experience.
- Diva Tours - the local tour company, they can arrange any kind of adventure, including jungle tours and whale-watching. They also run a taxi service to and from Puerto Vallarta airport.
- Adventures Vallarta - jungle adventure tours, including river boats, zip-lines, and hiking.
- San Pancho Birding Tours - one of the special features of San Pancho is the existence of a river-estuary which creates a lagoon just behind the beach. At any time you can see hundreds of exotic birds, including great-necked herons, egrets, and many other species.
- Fishing Boats - there are numerous boats available for day-trips, and you'll never come back empty-handed. Dorado, mahi-mahi, marlin, and other local fish are plentiful.
Local Events/Organizations:
- Entre Amigos - one of the reasons we chose San Pancho to live is this local community center. Entre Amigos (literally means 'between friends') integrates the local Mexican and ex-pat communities, offering spanish lessons for the gringos, english classes for the Mexicans, a library, computer center, thrift store, recycling center, local events and much more. We highly recommend a visit during your stay.
- Baby Turtle Releases - During the winter months a local conservation group releases dozens of baby turtles on the beach, and you can get up-close-and-personal as they crawl toward the ocean. Look for the dune-buggy toward sunset, and you can get close-up photos of this magical spectacle.
- La Patrona Polo Club - for an unexpected and unique experience, San Pancho has a polo club, with matches on Sundays and a brunch - definitely a must-see, it’s one of the special spectacles in San Pancho.
- the local soccer field offers matches weekly and is always worth a stop.
- San Pancho Days - normally held the last week of September, full of local color.
- San Pancho Music Festival - usually the last weekend in February, this a reason to visit San Pancho at this time, with both local and foreign groups.
- San Pancho Art Festival - a showcase for local artists, the Art Festival is held each year on the last week in December.
- Circo de los Ninos - one of the special events in San Pancho every year, a kids' circus. The youngsters rehearse for months under the tutelage of Gilles St. Croix, one of the founders of Cirque de Soleil. It is definitely a must-see!
Resources:
Here are some sites where you can go to get more information on San Pancho:
Art Colectivo http://sanpancholife.com/community/colectivo
Entre Amigos Community Center http://entreamigos.org.mx/
The lifeblood of San Pancho - the source of the community and many of its activities.....
San Pancho Life http://sanpancholife.com/
This is the website for the town of San Pancho. Lots of useful information.....
San Pancho Weather http://www.sanpanchoweather.com/
Local weather
Top 15 Reasons to Visit San Pancho http://www.sanpancholife.com/san-pancho-15
Art Colectivo http://sanpancholife.com/community/colectivo
Entre Amigos Community Center http://entreamigos.org.mx/
The lifeblood of San Pancho - the source of the community and many of its activities.....
San Pancho Life http://sanpancholife.com/
This is the website for the town of San Pancho. Lots of useful information.....
San Pancho Weather http://www.sanpanchoweather.com/
Local weather
Top 15 Reasons to Visit San Pancho http://www.sanpancholife.com/san-pancho-15