San Pancho
Village in Banderas Bay on the Pacific Ocean
A small town on the open Pacific coast of Nayarit, north of Sayulita and outside Banderas Bay. Yachts reach it on longer coastal trips from the north-shore marinas, roughly 22 nautical miles by sea from La Cruz.
Near San Pancho
- Snorkeling
- Scuba diving
- Surfing
- Fishing
- and 1 more: Whale watching
Sayulita
A surf and fishing town on the Nayarit coast just north of Banderas Bay, and a long day out by boat from the bay's marinas.
- Fishing
Lo de Marcos
A quiet beach-town stop for a long day out by yacht from La Cruz, away from the crowds of Sayulita and Puerto Vallarta.
- Swimming
Litibú Beach
A Pacific-facing beach on the north shore of the Punta de Mita peninsula, reached by boat around the point from the Banderas Bay marinas.
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle
A fishing village on the northern shore of Banderas Bay, in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, about 25 km from Puerto Vallarta.
Bucerías
A beach town of about 16,000 people on the north shore of Banderas Bay, in Nayarit. Yacht days along its shore start from Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz, about 2.3 nautical miles away.
- Surfing
- Fishing
Punta de Mita
The headland that closes Banderas Bay to the north, in the Mexican state of Nayarit.
- Swimming
- Whale watching
Rincón de Guayabitos
Rincón de Guayabitos is a beach resort village on Jaltemba Bay, on Nayarit's Pacific coast. Visitors come for its gentle waves and swimming, and for baby turtle releases and whale watching boat tours.
Wild Dolphins of Banderas Bay
Wild dolphins share Banderas Bay with the boats that cross it, and a morning spent looking for them is one of the quieter ways to see the bay. It is a search on open water, so a sighting is never certain.
Maps © OpenStreetMap
About San Pancho
A town past the mouth of the bay
San Pancho is the name nearly everyone uses for San Francisco, a small town in the state of Nayarit on Mexico's central Pacific coast. It lies north of Puerto Vallarta along the coast highway, beyond Punta de Mita and a short way up the shore from Sayulita, which is about 2.5 nautical miles to the south. Unlike the towns of the north shore, it faces the open ocean rather than the sheltered water of Banderas Bay, and wooded hills rise behind it toward the Sierra de Vallejo.
Getting there by yacht
None of the harbours we board from is in San Pancho, so a visit by sea starts in the bay. The closest is Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz. In a straight line the town is about 9.4 nautical miles from La Cruz, but land is in the way: a boat has to run west along the north shore, round Punta de Mita and then head north up the coast, which we estimate at roughly 22 nautical miles. From Marina Vallarta the same trip is roughly 30 nautical miles. At 20 knots that is a little over an hour from La Cruz and about an hour and a half from Marina Vallarta; a sailing yacht making 8 knots needs close to three hours from La Cruz.
Where it fits in a trip
Because of that distance, San Pancho suits a longer coastal voyage better than a half day on the bay. Multi-night trips that work their way up the Nayarit coast call here, with guests going ashore for an evening meal in town before the yacht carries on north.
What to know
This stretch of coast takes the Pacific swell directly, so the sea outside the bay is often livelier than inside it, and whether a tender can land guests on the beach depends on the conditions on the day. We'll confirm the route, the landing plan and the time on the water with the captain when you book.