Lazy morning taking our time getting ready for a day filled with exploring; we slept in to 8:30 then made breakfast – however we realized that the tortillas we purchases two days prior were already moldy – which means they are truly homemade and 100% natural. Crazy how tortillas back home last MONTHS! No worries I headed to the store and purchased another batch that was still warm from being made, cheese, and more chips. 50 pesos later (around $2.50) and a conversation with the store owner about The Bodyguard (which he was watching on TV in Spanish and asked the actors names) I was back to the home and breakfast was saved. Faster, cheaper and more fun than Amazon Prime.
Originally we were going to take the bus up to San Francisco, however the road is being worked on and the bus stop is much further than we thought – so we settled on a taxi. Ended up being 150 Pesos for a taxi but the bus would have been 120 – so in the end this was a great deal! When we arrived I had my very first real coconut water in a coconut
The history of San Francisco or what the locals call San Pancho – is counted on the walls of a property near the beach, with images painted in acrylic, carried out by colorful characters, by the landscape of this destination considered as the “capital Cultural “of the state of Nayarit thanks to the various initiatives to promote the culture and education that are carried out.
The first inhabitants of this zone, where the Sierra Madre del Sur is born, were indigenous people who belonged to the Tatuan de Nayares group.
In 1524 Don Francisco Cortés de Buenaventura names the area as Azapan and the Spaniards baptize the town with the name of San Francisco de Azapan, which would be part of the Hacienda de Jaltemba , where coconut oil was produced.
In 1936 the Sayulita ejido , to which San Pancho belongs, was formed and, in a certain way, marked the spirit of community that characterizes this destiny. And it is precisely the social action of the settlers, their joint work in educational projects, care for the environment and promotion of art, that San Pancho has had a positive growth and development.
Beach San Pancho, intense light, receives both those who want to rest and relax oceanfront sunbathing and reading, and those of adventurous spirit that defy the Pacific waves on their boards mounted surf .
In its streets, whose names transported as far away as Kenya, Pakistan, India and Egypt will find everything from cultural centers, galleries , small restaurants , bakeries and cafes to soccer fields and golf.
Another interesting thing about San Pancho is the Huichola community, which has a strong presence, lives here, shares daily life,” adds Kohl.
Also known as the Bridge of Contemporary Art, the Haus der Kunst has found in San Pancho an interesting market of art collectors, “we have internationalized more than ever”, Helmut finishes, from the tranquility of his new residence.
With the reach history of San Francisco and the culture and art Derek and I loved wondering the streets. Also, the beach was perfect! MUCH less crowded and it was mostly locals and the visitors/tourists were not as obvious and drinking a ton.
The only thing negative is there is no way you can swim in the water there – much too rough. With San Francisco having more culture and art, a more laid back feeling, a better beach, not as much partying and spring breakers, and with more locals – this was definitely a great find! We hung out on the beach for hours – much less vendors however I did give in to a mom and daughter massage team and got a 30 min foot massage. The daughter was only 15 but she had the strongest hands I have ever had on my feet! Well worth the $10 I paid – plus the $10 tip.
The only thing negative is there is no way you can swim in the water there – much too rough. With San Francisco having more culture and art, a more laid back feeling, a better beach, not as much partying and spring breakers, and with more locals – this was definitely a great find! We hung out on the beach for hours – much less vendors however I did give in to a mom and daughter massage team and got a 30 min foot massage. The daughter was only 15 but she had the strongest hands I have ever had on my feet! Well worth the $10 I paid – plus the $10 tip.
Next time we even talked about staying in San Francisco instead. It is almost the further you go up the beach, the time moves back 10 years from the town prior. For example, many said San Francisco was a lot like what Sayulita was ten years ago and the town up from San Francisco will be like San Francisco in 10 years. I hope San Francisco does not become more like Sayaulita but it could – so we enjoyed it today.
After a beautiful sunset and trying to match Mina’s brilliant sunset yoga pose – we headed back to Sayaulita. After looking every day and coming up short we FINALLY FOUND Tacos el Ivan.
It was just as good as anticipated. The pork has pineapple on top and the toppings were perfecto….well worth the wait. Next, the long awaited and recommended Churros across the street. The name of the stand – just Churros. All in all for 6 tacos, 2 Churros and then some ice-cream for a late night snack – we were at around 200 Pesos – so $10 J not bad!
It was just as good as anticipated. The pork has pineapple on top and the toppings were perfecto….well worth the wait. Next, the long awaited and recommended Churros across the street. The name of the stand – just Churros. All in all for 6 tacos, 2 Churros and then some ice-cream for a late night snack – we were at around 200 Pesos – so $10 J not bad!
Postcards to Iowa 