WHAT TO EXPECT:
CASA MADRE + SAN PANCHO
Welcome to San Pancho! We are delighted to host you. Below is a collection of notes and details about town to make your trip smoother and hopefully make you feel right at home.
After you have familiarized yourself with this information please request the guest questionnaire so we can have all the info about your arrival and help you have the best stay.
xx Lydia y los McGrath Boys
ABOUT SAN PANCHO
We are excited to have you visit and explore San Pancho. This page was created as a bit of a brief for ‘what to expect’ when visiting our small town. This is a mix of what to anticipate upon arrival at the airport all the way to a bit of a curation of a few things for you to explore once you get to town. These are just suggestions but a great place to start as you plan your days.
We say that this is real Mexico. This is not manicured resort living or even city living. You can forget about many of the conveniences of the states but welcome the slower pace of an occasional dropped call, cash only economy and lots of human interaction. Get your ‘holas’ ready.
The first thing to note as you prepare for your trip is that San Pancho is a rural-ish small beach town. Complete with dirt roads, cobblestones, crowing roosters, many dogs, town celebrations that can go into the morning, and occasional breakdowns in services. This is rural life, with all of its charms and sense of going back in time when storms could knock out power.
Nothing in town is farther than a mile apart. The main road, Tercer Mundo, is paved but most side streets are cobblestone. There is much to explore in San Pancho: dirt roads leading into the jungle, shops, restaurants and of course the beaches. We hope this is a relaxing vacation where you can slow down and leisurely stroll through town taking in local life.
Our house is on a modest cobblestone (bumpy) street with a mix of cement shoe boxes and family homes with flowering bougainvillea. There are always roosters running across the street and neighbor dogs kicking up dust. We are located on the first street in town, Nueva Galicia, behind a black iron gate.
ARRIVAL & BEYOND
You will be flying into Puerto Vallarta International airport PVR. Our town is affectionately and locally referred to as San Pancho. But on a map it is San Francisco, just north of Sayulita. It is an 25 mile drive but can take anywhere from 40 minutes to one hour depending on traffic. The airport is a madhouse after you exit customs so read below to choose your preferred option for arriving to town:
We can reserve a driver from the airport who will be waiting for you with your party's name outside of the airport. This costs roughly $150 USD for round trip. So they will collect your return flight info and retrieve you from Casa Madre on the day of your departure. The driver is typically in a suburban or similar car. He has drinks and AC waiting for you in the car and makes a stop at La Comer, the best grocery store, on the way into town if you need or want to collect anything.
The second option is a local taxi. These are about $60USD one waey to get to San Pancho and anywhere from a compact car size to a minivan. To organize a taxi you will exit the double doors after customs and speak to any of the folks offering a ride. When they ask you where you are going, tell them San Pancho & get their price quote. It should be $1100 to $1200 pesos. Once they ask for a specific direction give them our address: Calle Nueva Galicia #15 San Pancho, Nayarit.
Perhaps you are planning day trips to explore surf spots & some of the other local towns: Punta Mita, La Cruz, day trips into Puerto Vallarta, etc. Car rental can be secured through any of the sites you would typically use when you book your tickets. We have street parking available on our street.
CASA MADRE
Our property is called Casa Madre and is located at Calle Nueva Galicia #15. The first road in town after the bridge. You take a right and go down about 100 meters. Our house is on the left with a black gate.
If you are staying in Casa Momo, our street-front casita, some of our guests recommend a white noise app on your phone.
Casa Felix and Casa Padre are off the street and in earshot of our fountain which drowns out most noise and is a soothing feature.
WATER & TOILETS
Each casita is equipped with clean water in large garrafones for drinking. We do not drink the water from the faucets.
Please do not flush your toilet paper down the drains, the plumbing in town cannot support paper waste. We have trash bins next to the toilets for your TP. Apologies for the inconvenience.
TIME ZONE
We are right on the edge of time zones down here. We follow Puerto Vallarta which is Central Standard Time. Every town between us and Puerto Vallarta is in the same time zone. One hour behind the East Coast and two hours ahead of the West Coast. Your phone will likely bounce between the two time zones once you get close to San Pancho. You can go into your phone’s settings to set the timezone manually so your phone does not confuse you. I suggest doing so at the PVR airport while you wait in line for customs.
CASH
If you have the chance to exchange money before arriving in Mexico we suggest doing so. This can make the start of your trip all the more smooth. Your exchange rate in the states will be slightly better than doing so here as the ATMs have transaction fees, etc.
Our town is 90% cash only. Our most frequented ATM in town is located on Calle Africa right next to the hospital. There are a few others that we can point out to you. If you are in a lurch you can ask for one ¿hay cajero cerca? Meaning: “where is the closest ATM?”
WIFI
Our house just upgraded to fiber optic in December but there are some intermittent lapses in service every couple weeks or so. We have been really happy with service this year and so far we are still in business. WIFI passwords are in each casita.
BEACH & POOL
The main entrance to the beach is at the end of Tercer Mundo. A more quiet entrance is just down Calle Cuba to the right and if you walk down the mural path across from the Plaza you get a bit more of a locals entrance to the beach. Versus the bars and restaurants at the main entrance.
The pool at Casa Madre is not heated. This does not stop us or most guests from enjoying the water year round. Temperatures are cooler in the winter months of January and February when the air temperature during the day hits 78 or so.
SURF
San Pancho is a small fishing and surf town. The beach is not the calmest for a casual dip in the ocean, keep an eye on your kids, but is great for surfing. It is much less of a beginners beach but all depends on the surf report. Beginners can definitely dip their toe in but Sayulita or Lo De Marcos, the towns on either side of San Pancho are much better places to start out if you are new to surfing. Some other great surf destinations nearby are Punta Mita, Burros, La Lancha & Punta Monterrey.
Surfboards can be rented and surf lessons are available at nearly every beach. Both usually for hourly rates. Nativa surf shop in town offers shuttles and is a great way to explore some of the other breaks.
TAXIS
Taxis in town are very affordable and a good bet for traveling between San Pancho and Sayulita or even out to Punta de Mita or Puerto Vallarta. A cab from San Pancho to Sayulita is about $10 USD. Please note that the highway is extremely dangerous so do not walk on it as you might see some tourists do.
If you need a cab while you are here text Govani on whatsapp +52 1 322 102 6451
GOLF CARTS
We don’t think carritos are really necessary but they are definitely fun to have and make going back and forth between town easier if you plan many trips in the day. You can rent a cart from CARNAL for about $200 a week. They come in 4 and 6 passenger sizes and we recommend the electric ones. You can contact CARNAL via whatsapp +33 7 73 07 45 42.
Download whatsapp if you don’t already have it. It will make a lot of things easier. Everything from scheduling a massage, having fresh bottled water and fresh tortillas delivered or requesting taxis is best done via text on whatsapp.
GENERAL SAFETY
San Pancho is a small and tight knit community. We feel completely safe here and especially on our property. Because of this we keep our doors and windows open most nights and occasionally leave the front gate ajar if we are expecting guests. We encourage you to be smart and be aware of your surroundings as much as you would anywhere else.
COVID PROTOCOLS
Lastly, as you plan your trip you are probably wondering ‘what is covid like down there?’ Part of our move down to Mexico was to take advantage of outdoor living. Everything is open air with outdoor seating by nature and nearly all of the service or hospitality workers are wearing masks to cook you meal, take your order or help you in their shops.
Bring your masks and your hand sanitizer and just see what your comfort level is when you get here. It should not play a major role in your trip.
Covid testing is no longer required to return to the states!
OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
Terraya the newest restaurant on the beach is just to your left after you hit the big tree where Tercer Mundo dead ends into the beachfront. Fish tacos, fish sandwiches, salads, french fries & drinks. Great spot to have dinner and watch the sunset. *closed on wednesdays
Arigato craft beer, hand rolls and Argentine sandwiches (the owner is from Argentina) the Japanese guacamole is super rica!!!
Los Arbolitos on calle Latino America is our most frequented taco spot
Yasmin’s Place on Tercer Mundo has a lot of vegetarian options, a bit more of a ‘wellness’ approach to Mexican food. A unique experience located in a lovely patio setting
Lobito De Mar on Tercer Mundo is known for fresh oysters & their upstairs patio has live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Plus a little playzone for toddlers upstairs so kids can play while you eat or drink
Limbo towards the beach on Tercer Mundo is supposed to be fantastic but we have not been yet
Pezcatarian on Tercer Mundo is the newest spot in town. You can tell by the decor. Craft cocktails and fish focused menu
Cafe Floresta on calle Pakistan for breakfast or lunch has traditional Mexican food done by chefs with local fresh ingredients in a more gourmet or upscale style
Dolce Jardin on calle Latino America Italian food- pizzas, pastas, appetizers etc.
Skate Park Tacos our 7 year old Mario loves this stand that is set up right next to the skatepark on the street. He recommends their al pastor and chicken 15 peso tacos
ORGANI-K (pronounced organi-ka) beach front smoothies, acai bowls, avo toast & more California surf inspired bites
Su Pancho Madre on Calle Latino America, yellow bus food truck crafting gourmet sopes, very good!
Pizza Al Punto next door to Yasmin’s place, our favorite pizza in town. A family from Italy relocated and opened this shop five years ago. Focaccia style large rectangle pizza slices, will likely order this on Pizza nite :)
Cerveceria Artesanal on calle Latino America local craft beer, burgers, charcuterie and the best french fries! Live music most nights
El Gallo restaurant and bar that has live music nearly every night. Located on Tercer Mundo across from soccer field
Dough Joe Classic ‘American breakfast’ with vegetarian and vegan options. Best hash browns south of Texas! Homemade buttery biscuits and of course fancy donuts and fresh made juices and great coffee
La Patrona Beach Club high end restaurant, spa, pool and bar under a giant palapa towards the north end of town. $25 cover to enter but worth it
Miscelenea minimally designed interiors, lotsa plants & great tropical cafe menu for breakfast or lunch. Really fantastic coffee menu. Located on Tercer Mundo right before you hit Calle Cuba
HOW TO PLAN YOUR DAYS
Arrival Day
Arrival to San Pancho & Casa Madre check into casita & explore the property
Dip into the pool
Dinner on the beach at Terraya for sunset
ADDITIONAL DAYS
Breakfast options: Cafe Floresta for Mexican breakfast with jungle & town views or Dough Joe for donuts, pancakes, hash browns and biscuits followed by a cruise down Tercer Mundo to explore town.
Tuesdays are market days, the Plaza del Sol on calle Cuba has a farmers market with delicious food vendors, local crafts and live music.
Definitely plan for a beach day. Chairs and umbrellas are available for rent once you make it over to the beach, or you can set up at one of the restaurants with lounge chairs and waiters that will take your food and drink orders. In general the waves are pretty big so be safe!
Sayulita day to explore this much busier town
A North end beach day over by Maraica and La Patrona Beach Club for a relaxing beach day with lunch at either Maraica or La Patrona.
A jungle road hike (or walk) over by the Patrona Polo fields or beyond into the jungle.
If you are here over the weekend we recommend brunch at La Patrona where you can enjoy a meal and watch a polo match. A really unique experience and like nothing else in town!
Rustica Mita is a favorite destination of ours for dinner and the pebbled beach out front is one of Mike’s favorite places to surf. I much prefer the fried olives, calamari and a glass of wine. Mario likes the pizza and Felix is just happy to be there.
Punta Negra is another destination. Great for a mid day trip to lounge and enjoy calm and beautiful water. Great for kids & a lovely little restaurant set up with yummy food.
BOUTIQUE HOTELS TO CHECK OUT
Maraica our good friend Fernanda opened this hotel almost 7 years ago in the north end of town. It is an eco hotel with a great restaurant and even better roof patio great for a big meal or enjoying sunset and whale watching.
Palmar located on one of our favorite streets in town Palmar is a tropical hotel with contemporary Mexican design, a great option.
Marii a very cute and insta friendly hotel with just 6 rooms, great location close to center of town but slightly removed up a hill
Hotel Cielo Rojo people rave about this hotel, their restaurant and their house bottled tequila.