Last updated on January 11, 2024
Important note: We were in San Pancho in 2012 and I have heard that nowadays it’s a lot busier and more expensive. I’m also afraid I can’t help you with finding an apartment there. We found this place while simply walking around the town. Seeing as it’s so much busier now, I’m not sure it would be so easy to find a bargain, especially in the high season. Sorry not to be more useful!
Welcome to our new home in San Pancho, Mexico. You already know that we’ve fallen head over heels for the town with its enchanting mix of beach, jungle, cobbled stone streets and splendid people, so we thought it was about time we introduced you to our charming little home where we plan to stay until April. It’s the longest we’ve stayed anyone on our trip but, like I said, we’re in love with San Pancho and living in Mexico!
Our apartment costs $500 a month and includes hot water, internet and a weekly clean including fresh towels (we didn’t realise this until the first time it happened and were blown away by the luxury of it!). We found it through one of our friends in town who lives on the same road. There was no advertisement or sign, which is the case for most of the long-term rentals in town. To find somewhere, you simply have to walk around and ask. There’s a big divide between holiday rental prices and places, like ours, that rent by the month – some of the cheaper holiday places are $500 a week, and the expensive ones cost that a day! This is why you need to be in town to find a bargain.
Our house is just one small block from the main street on a pretty, plant-lined, cobbled stone street. Our landlord, a friendly Mexican lady named Angela, lives downstairs, and we have the top floor, which is like a mini house in itself.
It’s accessed via its own stairway so we have plenty of privacy.
The tiled steps are particularly pretty.
Inside, there is a little living room/office. Steve has now put a desk in here, which is where he does his editing.
Behind that is the bedroom, complete with a dressing table, open wardrobe and en-suite bathroom.
A balcony runs along the whole side of the house…
…with a view that reaches across the town to the jungled mountains yonder.
My office is outside on the rooftop. This is also my ‘playpen’ where I practice yoga and hula-hooping.
The door behind leads to the kitchen, which is open-air on one side.
We were delighted when we saw that the kitchen had a blender, perfect for making smoothies. The only downfall is a lack of oven (which is the case for most rental places in South and Central America), but we’ve been amazed at what our little toaster oven can do. We also love the breakfast bar.
One of our favourite things is the amount of plants that grow on on terrace – from roses, to aloe vera, to herbs. The terrace also extends to the back, where Angela hangs her washing.
All this is made extra wonderful by the fact the beach is only a few minutes walk away. We can hear the waves from our terrace, and love to walk down there each day for sunset. My yoga class, our friends, and tons of excellent restaurants are also just minutes away, and every day, different trucks drive by selling their wares – from watermelons, to mattresses to gas. We’ve never lived somewhere so convenient!
So there you have our house. Remember mi casa es su casa, so let us know if you’re passing through San Pancho. We’d love to see you!
A note for those looking for houses in San Pancho
Since writing this post, I’ve had a lot of emails asking for advice on how to find a place in San Pancho. I’m afraid all I can say is go there and ask around. That’s what we did and I don’t have any experience trying anything else. The only places I know of to look online are Air BnB and the website San Pancho Life. I know that San Pancho Life tends to list vacation rentals so the prices are pretty high. Sorry not to be of more help!