The Town.
The TOWN WITH GOOD JUJU.
While a destination unto itself, it is important that Escucha be not “an isolated island”, but connected to a Mexican town & Mexican culture.
Escucha resides down a perfectly winding jungle road just 3 miles from the center of San Francisco. San Pancho, as it is affectionately known, is a vibrantly small town on the Riviera Nayarit - 33 miles north of Puerto Vallarta & 10 minutes from Sayulita - with its feet firmly in its history & its future.
San Pancho’s main beach, a kilometer in length, boasts big waves & pristine white sand framed by lush jungle, an estuary teeming with tropical birds & book-ended by picturesque rocky points.
Ambling down the main street, Tercer Mundo (Third World) to the beach is a joy in itself, introducing you to cool shops, people having a drink or dinner & musicians playing at the numerous street-side restaurants & cafes. You’ll find everything from tacos, grilled chicken, cacao & more-upscale dining offerings, to ferreteria’s selling screwdrivers, street vendors hawking handmade crafts & hip boutiques with artisan clothing, jewelry & decorative wares on offer.
The hallmark of a San Pancho evening is the Puesta del Sol (sunset) with everything arranged before or after. Locals and travelers gather to watch it from the sand & join in for a sweet round of applause when day officially becomes night.
And then, there’s
The music scene!
A scale-tipping factor in choosing San Pancho: it definitely attracts its fair share of great musicians.
The post-sunset stroll will invariably lead you past numerous music moments in restaurants & on the essentially-pedestrian streets, playing everything from Cuban Son & Cumbia to Parisian Hot House - even Rock-n-Roll! Or drop into outdoor bars like El Gallo or Junglar for something a bit more upbeat.
As one friend & neighbor who plays fiddle for the California band The Brothers Comatose put it, “These are my people!”
San Pancho: small town, huge heart.
The town-defining community center, Entre Amigos, offers weekly classes & activities for young and old, administers the recycling program as well as a college scholarship fund for local kids. Circo de los Ninos, started by the founder of Cirque du Soleil, just celebrated its 10th year teaching acrobatics, costume making & clowning around plus imparting important life lessons along the way.
Lest we forget, there’s the gorgeous beach club and, yes, world-class polo club with local matches, international tournaments, riding lessons and the best darned brunch you can imagine.
And, if that’s not quite enough, there are waterfalls, petroglyphs, a number of other small towns, beaches and surf spots to get to know.
WITHIN AN HOUR’S DRIVE.
All this in a humble town of fewer than 3,000 full-time residents.
Escucha - listen with all your senses.
San Pancho, Mexico