Only 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta's airport, San Pancho (also referred to as San Francisco) seems miles away from the nightlife of PV. There is no bus line that goes directly into town, which made it all the better. San Pancho has a small population, yet it's culture is relatively diverse. We encountered a number of ex-patriots from Canada and the U.S, even Europe and parts of South America. However, the town still remained true to Mexico, with 'loud-speaker' fruit trucks being driven through the streets, roosters milling about, and family run taco stands on every corner. I was so glad that to have decided to stay three more nights and enjoy the beach-filled bliss of the Mexican Riviera.
On the first day there I learned that San Francisco was a favorite spot for Mexican President Luis Echeverría, who made the sleepy fishing village the destination of his family's vacation home in the 1970's. Through the President's direction, San Francisco received special funding from the government, as he had high hopes of making the town a thriving village. Unfortunately, the flow of funding ended with his term in 1976, but the town still benefited from the development of a hospital and cobblestone streets, adding to its charm of today.
I absolutely loved Hotel Cielo Rojo, which was a wonderful boutique hotel complete with a superb organic restaurant and a very accommodating staff. Each morning I was served French press coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice along with housemade yogurt and granola. The best!
And just for fun...
