Casa Pacifica, San Pancho, Mexico

San Pancho photos: Downtown area was in process of upgrading when we were there. Note the beautiful murals on the wall near the town plaza and that the ocean was viewable from many locations in this quaint town.

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Vendors were not a common sight in San Pancho when we were there. However, there were a few vendors/artists in the town plaza who were selling unique handcrafted items.

Below: The main street was "under construction" during our visit and very primitive. They were hand-laying actual clay bricks on the entire street.

We can't wait to go back and see the finished product.

This dog was sleeping in the middle of the street...not a care in the world. He accurately reflected our impression of this wonderful vacation getaway.

Casa Pacifica: San Pancho, Mexico. Also known as San Francisco Beach. My husband and I loved this place. I hate to share this location because we would rather keep it to ourselves. However, this town depends upon tourists. There are great restaurants, a 3-mile secluded beach and small local markets. If you want an authentic "Mexico" experience...try San Pancho.

We are not comfortable renting cars in Mexico so our group (3 couples) used a shuttle service. Round trip from Puerto Vallarta airport around $150 for all. San Pancho is approximately 45 minutes from the airport. The shuttle service was kind enough to stop at a large Mega Super Store en route so we could stock up on groceries. Great idea since this is such a small town. We only had to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables the rest of the week. For us...this was a vacation dream!

Favorite 2009 VRBO Vacation: San Pancho, Mexico

More pictures from our stay in San Pancho. Left: The sunsets were spectacular every single night. Below: The one large hotel/resort in town, Costa Azul was located "right on the beach" and just a short walk from our casa. It had a refreshing pool and outdoor restaurant where we enjoyed two memorable meals. Memorable because we were served by Julio who spoke excellent English. The first night, all of our food came exactly as ordered. After such a great first experience, we decided to dine there a second time. As we ordered, Julio reported, with great sadness, "oh, no more guacamole....oh no more salsa...oh, no more peppers." It was rather humorous to us and we took this in stride (we were informed it was a Mexican holiday and all suppliers were closed)...after all, we were in Mexico...right on the beach...and so....no problem.

One lazy day in San Pancho, we decided on a re-commended small adventure.....a walk through the jungle to a very private beach. We carried Corona's in a back pack, trudging on the jungle road to reach this secluded area. We were surprised to find a partial shelter from dried palms waiting to shade us from the sun. The guys set up "Jimmie and John's Cabana Bar." All were welcome, but were encouraged to arrive early before the beer ran out!

One of our favorite "in-town" restaurants was La Ola Rica. This is located on the main street and operated by Gloria and Trina. Gloria is actually from our hometown, Silverton, Oregon. She has lived in San Pancho for about 10 years. We dined here twice, the food was awesome both times...and they didn't run out of anything!

Right: Our courtyard near sunset.

Below: We walked San Pancho beach daily and enjoyed the waves hitting the rocks right in front of our casa. The hut above was actually an "on-the-beach" restaurant. We enjoyed a relaxing lunch, drinks, and the spectacular ocean views several times during our week.

Favorite 2009 VRBO vacation: San Pancho, Mexico

Our VRBO was located in a sleepy little town north of Puerto Vallarta. Casa Pacifica has 4 bedrooms and the most magnificient courtyard and view of the ocean. It was a an extremely peaceful and relaxing time with friends. We would go back in a heartbeat! We felt extremely safe and locals say that tourists are very well taken care of...we found that to be true. We found only hospitality and kindness in this community. Check VRBO #48609