San Pancho
Surf spot · Mexico
Is it worth the trip?
38Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: too small (2 ft swell at 14 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 166kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft16 shollow
- Energy
- 156kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 196kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 144kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 70kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 252, fair
- Tue 339, too small
- Wed 437, too small
- Thu 546, fair
- Fri 640, too small
- Sat 734, too small
- Sun 823, too small
- Mon 932, too small
- Tue 1027, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Jan, Sep–Oct2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
San Pancho does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 52, fair | 3 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 225kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 39, too small | 3 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 166kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 37, too small | 2 ft16 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 156kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 46, fair | 2 ft14 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 196kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 40, too small | 2 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 144kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 34, too small | 2 ft11 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 23, too small | 1 ft14 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 70kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 54kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 28°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:44 +0.3 mLow 11:15 +0.0 mHigh 16:29 +0.3 mLow 23:23 −0.4 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:11 +0.4 mLow 12:10 −0.2 mHigh 17:49 +0.4 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:09 −0.4 mHigh 06:37 +0.5 mLow 12:50 −0.3 mHigh 18:46 +0.4 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jan, Sep–Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
San Pancho on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Sayulita 5.3 km away
- Veneros 16.2 km away
- Pools 17.6 km away
- La lancha 17.7 km away
- Punta Burros 17.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About San Pancho
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (307°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (127°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 5). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 24°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 31°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, September and October, with about 2 good days in 7; in March, April and May, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Francisco Nayarit, 0.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$817–US$1,490 each
about US$817–US$1,490 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to PVR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$523 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$154 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$181–US$295 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$201–US$375 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$817–US$1,490 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 5 min by car · 56 places to stay
about US$67/nightcountry average
About San Francisco Nayarit its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Sayulita on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 191 places to stay
- Beds in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 48 places to stay
About US$67 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 8h 55m
About 8h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → PVR, direct, then 50 min by road
Flights ORD → PVR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.