Beach· Sayulita & San Pancho· Mexico
Playa San Pancho (San Francisco)
20° 54.3′ N · 105° 24.9′ W
A wide, long sand beach in front of the low-key jungle village of San Pancho, 50 km north of Puerto Vallarta, with a good beach-break surf and a quieter, artsier feel than Sayulita.
Practical
Coordinate is the OSM beach polygon 'Playa San Francisco (San Pancho)'. Wikivoyage: umbrellas and loungers about MXN 200 a day (no year stated; verify locally); often good surf but waves can be too strong for casual swimmers. Exposed open-Pacific beach outside Banderas Bay: not a yacht anchorage, so visit by bus or taxi from La Cruz or Punta de Mita. Buses from Puerto Vallarta (Las Glorias, Walmart/Sam's) via Bucerías and Sayulita stop at the highway stop (Wikivoyage 20.89456, -105.40747), then walk Av. Tercer Mundo to the beach; fare about MXN 50 to 60 (November 2021). The town (population 1,431 in 2020) borders the Sierra de Vallejo biosphere reserve.
Best for
Quiet surf-town day trip by bus
Season
Surf best in winter NW and summer S swells; dangerous shore break in big swell