Getting there & around

Getting there

The nearest airport is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), and San Pancho sits north of it on the Riviera Nayarit. Driving takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half depending on traffic through Bucerías and Mezcales, which can clog. These times are approximate.

• Private transfer or taxi from PVR. The simplest door-to-door option, roughly an hour or so on a clear run. Agree the price before you get in.
• Rental car. Practical if you want to explore the coast and day-trip. The drive is straightforward highway most of the way, then a turn-off into town.
• Bus. The cheapest route: from Puerto Vallarta you take a Compostela or local-line bus up Highway 200 and get off at the San Pancho turn-off. Budget-friendly but slower with stops, and you finish with a short walk or cab into town. Times are approximate and vary by line.

Getting around

Once you are in San Pancho you do not need a car. The whole town is walkable in ten to fifteen minutes end to end, main street down to the beach. Wear real shoes: cobblestones, potholes and dark side streets at night.

• On foot covers essentially everything.
• Taxis and golf carts exist for hauling luggage or the walk back uphill after dinner.
• Sayulita is only about ten minutes away by car or cab, easy for a day trip or a night out.

Honest note: if you fly in and plan to stay put in San Pancho, skip the rental car and just book a transfer. If you want to roam the coast, the car earns its keep.