San Pancho, About

San Pancho Beach

The San Pancho Beach

MODERN DAY SAN PANCHO

San Francisco, affectionately known to the locals as San Pancho, is still a relatively undiscovered piece of paradise, hidden along the largely unspoiled coast of the state of Nayarit, Mexico, also known as Riviera Nayarit. This quaint little fishing village has become increasingly popular with visitors from all over the world who come here to enjoy our peaceful setting, sparkling sea and incredible sunsets. Some of us were so taken with the tranquility; we just gave up our visitor status and stayed! We now live in Casa Obelisco, at the north end of San Pancho’s pristine beach.

San Pancho is surrounded by a lush palm rain forest, the Sierra Madre mountain range, and the Pacific Ocean giving us a warm, tropical climate. From the end of October through May, San Pancho enjoys warm days, but somewhat cooler evenings – and almost no rainfall. June is a little hotter, July, hotter still – August, September – REALLY HOT!! From the end of July through early October our little town is scrubbed clean, almost nightly, by raucous rain storms. During this time we are often treated to spectacular lightening shows. But the next day brings plenty of sunshine.

San Pancho has a wonderful blend of unique characters (both locals and ex-pat’s) and this also accounts for part of San Pancho’s charm. We have great restaurants and here you can enjoy everything from simple (but delicious) taco cuisine to sophisticated European dining experiences.

Our proximity to Puerto Vallarta (25 miles) allows us to enjoy the amenities of one of Mexico’s most popular tourist resort towns, but the ability to scurry back here at the day’s end to the tranquility that defines San Pancho.

In 1974 there were probably no more than 100 people, representing four different families, living here. In 1975, when San Pancho was “born”, the population grew to about 250 people. No one seems to know exactly how many people live here today, but the number is somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 (and 80% of them are likely to be related to those original four families).

There are approximately 200 North Americans who have built homes here and spend 5 to 6 months here each winter. These new homes provide income opportunities for the growing number of local Mexicans. Not only did the locals build them, they now have on-going employment as house-keepers, gardeners, pool maintenance, house painters, plumbers, cooks, etc. A typical unskilled or domestic worker in San Pancho earns an average of $10-$12 a day and works six days a week.

Over the past 10 years people from all over the world (including Canada, United States, France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, etc) have been moving here and weaving themselves into the tapestry of San Pancho – giving us a rich and diverse culture.

SAN PANCHO, BRIEF HISTORY

Luis Echeverria, Mexico’s President from 1970 until 1976, is recognized as the founding father and architect of the charming pueblo of San Pancho. During his presidency, Echeverria discovered, and fell in love with, the dramatic peninsula outcropping between the fishing villages of Sayulita and San Pancho. However, San Pancho was his favorite. During this time it is believed that there were only four extended families living here – making up approximately 100 people. The president so loved it here that he invented reasons to spend time here – landing his presidential helicopter on the beach at least once a week to pass time sipping coffee and visiting with the few locals (fishermen, farmers, and their families). With his presidency ending in a year, he decided to exercise his privilege and authority and claimed the entire area of San Pancho as his own.

Echeverria set out to shape San Pancho into a model of self-sufficiency that third- world countries everywhere could emulate – and he hoped his efforts would earn him a prestigious position with the United Nations or the World Bank. He never realized that dream though – instead he ended up fleeing Mexico to avoid prosecution. (See information on Echeverria later in this book to find out why he left the town he so loved).

The “houses” that existed in San Pancho before 1975 were either simple grass huts or roughly constructed cement block houses –without electricity or running water. Echeverria described his plans to the locals (who had come to admire and trust him) to enroll them in helping him to realize his dream. He convinced them to bring friends and families from other towns to help with the labor – and in return, these workers were each given a nice plot of land and a house.

The newly recruited workers labored day and night over the next year to lay the streets, including plumbing and electricity, and built 20-30 modest homes (most of which are still standing today). All of these houses were in the area from the beach to the church and a little east to the hospital.

The houses, typical in the Mexican culture, were built very close to the sidewalk – but they had large parcels of land behind them that was part of their land grant. As you walk the streets of San Pancho, you can peek between the houses and see there are extended families now living in tiny houses –little family compounds. As children grew and married, they tended to construct their homes in the back yard of their parents house. Often there are 4 or 5 families with houses behind the home of the parents. They share cooking, chores, child-care, expenses and lots of family time together.

The San Pancho project also included the building of schools. We have a kindergarten, primary and secondary school. The families that choose to send their children to high school (sadly, not all of them) send them by bus to either La Cruz, La Penita or Bucerias.

The creation of San Pancho also included the construction of a (then) state-of-the-art teaching hospital (which is still serving San Pancho and the surrounding villages).

The land was fertile and vast, so they planted acres of fruit orchards in the unused land behind the new village and then they built huge factories to process all that fruit – providing yet another source of income for the new residents. Those factories still stand at the entrance to San Pancho, but are no longer used for their original purpose. Many of the trees from those orchards are still here and still bear fruit.

Because fishing was (and still is) the passion of the inhabitants, Echeverria erected a modern fish-processing center (still standing, but unused). It is located just behind the town plaza and this is where the fisherman brought their day’s catch to clean and sell. Today, restaurant owners from Puerto Vallarta and other village still flock to San Pancho daily to buy our fish because of its freshness and abundance – but now they go directly to the fisherman’s homes to make their purchases.

In Mexico, the church is the heart of any community. So, these early comers to San Pancho built themselves a small church and a large town plaza so they would have a place to congregate and to celebrate the many events of their lives. During your vacation you may see festivals in progress in the church plaza – feel free to join in! The plaza is used for birthdays, weddings, Saturday night discos, and special events.

The town plans included an agricultural university, but it was never finished. The town was nearly complete when Echeverria’s 6 year term ended – and he was forced to flee the country. San Pancho was left to survive and thrive on its own – and it did!

Echeverria had planned to live out his life looking down upon his creation. So, he had staked out the most beautiful plot of land – the beachfront peninsula that separates Sayulita and San Pancho and built an 87,836 square foot palace with nearly a mile of beachfront. After Echeverria left, this prime property, called President’s point by the locals, sat deserted for 20 years until an American real estate developer, purchased and refurbished it a few years ago.

A few North Americans wandered into San Pancho in the early to mid 80’s, but the real procession started around 1995. When we purchased the land that Casa Obelisco is built on there was only one house between Costa Azul and the jungle (the house now called Casa Pacifica). Over the next 5 years all the houses built between Hotel Costa Azul and all the way out to the end of the jungle were built. The property values, both out here on the beachfront and in the pueblo, have steadily doubled, tripled and quadrupled – but the North Americans, Canadians and Europeans just keep coming.

THE PLIGHT OF LUIS ECHEVERRIA

Luis Echeverria’s Presidency is seen as one of the worst of the Mexican government’s past abuses for many Mexicans. The Mexican’s call this period of time “The Six Lost Year”. But, it wasn’t all bad news -- Echeverria was known for Mexico’s participation in Third World policies against imperialism and foreign economic control. As president, he introduced agricultural technical assistance programs, promoted public works, and furthered Mexican control of industries by placing limits on foreign investment.

His presidency was wrought with nepotism and corruption. During his term, 40% of the population was without work, there was 25% illiteracy and widespread malnutrition. The national debt was up 6 times over the past administration and inflation rocketed to 20%. The Peso was devalued from 12 to 22 pesos to the dollar.

While all these things were bad for the country – his real crime cost lives. Before becoming president, he held Mexico’s 2nd highest position - Secretary of the Interior (1964 - 1969). During the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Echeverria is believed to have ordered police and soldiers to open fire on the anti-government demonstrators at Tlateloco Plaza, killing 300 people.

Then, on June 10, 1971, while he was President, he ordered government security forces to open fire on a group of student demonstrators. This time they killed 30 people. As his presidency was coming to an end, rumors abounded that Mexico was going to break with their long history of protecting their political leaders. His role in the above mentioned murders were now cause for arrest – so he fled the country.

In July 2004, the Mexican government charged Luis Echeverria with genocide. That arrest marked the first time a Mexican President ever faced the possibility of criminal charges. In 2005, the Supreme Court of Justice decided, four to one, that the statute of limitations (30 years) had expired. While the case is still technically open in court it will be difficult to obtain a conviction

(information provided by Casa Obelisco in San Pancho)