Reviews

Pancho Villa II Experience – VRBO

Greg G.

We stayed at Pancho Villa II for six days. We would, without hesitation, stay there again! It is very clean and private. The driver Fidel who they recommended, was awesome and was waiting for us at the airport. He pointed out places to eat in San Pancho and saw to it that we were settled in. Joel checked in on us regularly to make sure all was going well.

The actual villa has amazing views! We enjoyed our coffee and breakfast from the upstairs balcony every morning. The pool was private and had awesome views of the ocean. The beds are king sized and comfortable. While we only used one bedroom, two couples could stay there very easily. There is a wall of jasmine between the two villas, so the air is perfumed and lovely. The villa is further away from the town, and there are sections of the road that do not have lights, so walking it at night can feel a bit dodgy.

We rented a golf cart as a work around , and it was a blast! Don’t expect to have wifi all the time. This is a small town and that is the norm (embrace it!) At the base of the drive is the restaurant Mar Plata which we also highly recommend. The food is incredible! Beneath it is a little bakery where you can get piping hot croissants (reg or chocolate) in the morning. The people of San Pancho are extremely friendly and genuine. We loved eating also at Maria’s in town. The staff is so warm, and the food excellent. Dinner with live music there is a must.

If you are interested in the town’s history and the local bird life, we recommend booking a bird tour with Luis Morales who is the local marine biologist and bird expert. On our day to depart, there was a terrible accident on the hwy and Fidel was running late to pick us up. We contacted Allison who sent a taxi right away to get us, and he drove us to meet Fidel. It was a great fix and everything worked out perfectly. We had one of the greatest vacations of our lives in this little town, and our stay in the Pancho Villa II was excellent! We had our own secluded paradise home. We couldn’t recommend it any higher. Our only concern is the development of the town seems to be increasing, and we worry the views from the villa will one day be obstructed by some monstrosity. Hopefully that never happens.

Great Place – we would definitely book again!” The Pancho Villa I

 We have been to Mexico more than 20 times between us, along both coasts and inland. San Pancho is not only a perfect little village but this casa is the ideal place to stay in San Pancho. It is just the right distance from town, about a 10 minute walk along the beach or 15 minutes along the cobblestone road. A lot of people think that staying right on the beach is ideal, but they forget that the beach is public property and you constantly have people walking through what is more or less your front yard. This house is up on the hill above the beach and has a clear view of the ocean. It is beautifully decorated in authentic Mexican style and has the nicest terrace from which you can watch the sun go down. We walked and walked along the beach every day and really enjoyed the town. Tried out all the different restaurants and shops but the high point of every day was coming home to our little hideaway. I should also mention that the town is very safe and you would never feel uncomfortable walking along the beach in the dark, as we did every night. My only hesitation in recommending the place is that it will be booked solid the next time we try to go, so yes, please check it out but maybe go in the middle of July or August? Yeah that would be perfect!

I should also mention that the owner seems to be a very nice guy. I happened to leave my wallet in the safe with a lot of money in it and he tracked me down and mailed it back to me in Canada. Everyone is so friendly in this town that I have the feeling that that would be pretty much standard behaviour. We look forward to going back.

“The Little Paradise one dreams of.” The Pancho Villa I

Reviewed October 31, 2018

The San Pancho rental team, especially Brittney were all fantastic…attentive, a wonderful source of information, very helpful regardless of the day we asked questions or how many questions we asked. When we arrived the San Pancho Manager was kindly on site waiting for us. The car access to the property is a bit of an exciting moment but once accomplished it is just fun.
Lucky for my wife and I we had the special opportunity to meet the new owners. Alan and Leia are exceptional wonderful people. They could not have been more gracious, inviting and open. We both felt blessed to have made new long-term friends.

We rented the Pancho Villa I. It was perfect for the two of us. It is a well decorated one-room casita with ample outdoor living space both in front and to the side. The shining star is the front deck. One can sit overlooking the beach below and the ocean as far as the eye can see. We thrived on fresh papaya, mango, guava, limes, for breakfast sitting on the deck while watching the birds and fishing boats etc. We basically lived on the front porch when we weren’t out and about enjoying the uncrowded, amazingly beautiful beach or walking thru the jungle enjoying the flora and fauna. Not to be lost in the scenery is the fact that this little Villa is a bird watchers dream. One is surrounded by Chachalaca’s, Parrots, yellow winged Orioles, Black-Throated Magpies, Caciques and the effortless aerobatics of the brown Pelicans, Frigates, Hawks.

The layout of Pancho Villa 1 is spacious. There is a good-sized adequately equipped kitchen, (which we used for most of our meals). a nice sized dining table/ living room area and a lovely little bathroom. What was very important to the two of us was the sleeping quarters/ the bed. We have been places which were astonishingly beautiful only to have our vacation ruined by substandard bedding. The bedding at Villa 1 was wonderful/ excellent. For the first time, in more years than we could count, we slept until 8:00-8:30 am every morning. The house itself is nicely decorated in a charming folkloric Mexican style, with hand wrought furniture and lovely equipale table and chairs.
The town of San Pancho is a small slow-moving quaint village within easy walking distance of Pancho Villa I with restaurants, unique gift shops and two small grocery stores. One can also buy fresh veggies and fruit from several vendors. Mega is a wonderful grocery store just 15 mins from San Pancho equipped much like Smiths, Publix, Walmart. Local vendors drive through Villa 1 neighborhood selling fresh veggies, fruit, shrimp and other seafood. I found their catch to be fresh. We rented a car and ventured several hours north and south of San Pancho/ Puerto Vallarta exploring the other beaches nestled in smaller towns up and down the coast… a must for everyone.

There is no doubt that we will be returning to Villa I and San Pancho Villa 1. Of course, one needs to plan well ahead as we are not the only ones who have found this little corner of paradise.
Thank you, Alan, Leia, Brittney and the entire San Pancho team for making our trip a memory to treasure. Marc and Maureen.
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Date of stay: October 2018
Thanks Marc M

“Beautiful private Villa Rental” The Pancho Villa II

June 18th – 27th. The villa had an amazing hill side view of the ocean. Clean, affordable, spacious and private. There isn’t a lot of people and San Pancho is in walking distance filled with everything you could want from a Mexican town (food, surf, night life). This is definitely the place to stay if you’re planning a trip to Mexico.

“Relaxing stay at The Pancho Villa II

 Reviewed November 7, 2018 for a stay in October 2018

My wife and I had a lovely stay in Pancho Villa II recently. Here’s the scoop:

San Pancho is a small town about 10 minutes from Sayulita. It also is about 10 years or so removed from there too, in that it hasn’t been completely overrun with drunk gringo tourists, wedding parties, and loudness. Although San Pancho is undergoing a brush-up and a little more gentrification, it’s size and layout make too much development slower and more problematical.

Alan and Leah’s villas are even more removed from this small town, down some cobblestone roads into a dead end that makes thru traffic minimal. So they are pretty quiet, and fairly private. We walked along the beach into town, and saw perhaps 2-5 people each day in a mile-long stretch.

The Villas are nicely appointed. Very homey decoration. Don’t think you’re coming here for the Ritz Carlton treatment. This is the real Mexico, with some insects, geckos, tons of birds and butterflies. So that means the occasional bite or itch. You’re not going to be in a completely air-conditioned wonderland like a Cancun hotel. If you’re the type of person who can abide with a bit of nature and a bit of funkiness in your vacation, this is a great place for you.
We met and hung out with the fun people who had rented the other villa, which made the visit even more special.
It would be wise to have a rental car, both for things to do / shopping and just the general remoteness of the Villas. Many excellent stores nearby for provisions.
I’ve traveled to many places around the world, but the view of the ocean and sunsets here are first-class.

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?   Yes.

“A Delightful Gem for a Relaxing Vacation” The Pancho Villa I

Reviewed for a stay in January 2018- Trip Advisor

We have vacationed in San Pancho for almost 20 years and with each visit comes the desire to stay a bit longer than the last. This spot is a wonderful place to have a relaxing, quiet, and enjoyable vacation.

Until this year our experience has been to rent Villa II that is comprised of two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. Both bedrooms are spacious and afford plenty of privacy. They are on the lower level of the casa and each has its own entrance from the patio adjacent to the pool. The linens and bedspreads are colorful and attractive and each room is tastefully furnished. This year the new owners of the property now offer for rent Villa I, the one-room casita also on the property. Since there are only two of us to accommodate we decided to try out the one-room casita that comes with plenty of outdoor living space.

The layout of the casita is very spacious and contains a full sized kitchen, dining table, living room area with a king-size bed, and a pleasant bathroom. The kitchen has modern appliances and is well equipped for real cooking or just right for snacks, drinks, etc.

The house itself is nicely decorated in a modern and charming Mexican style. It feels like visiting someone’s home. There is plenty of outdoor dining space overlooking the beach below and the ocean as far as the eye can see. Nothing like having breakfast on the deck while watching the birds and fishing boats, spotting whales at play, or losing yourself to the calming influence of the ocean immediately in front you.  It is perfect for couples looking for a breathtaking view of the ocean from an elevated vantage point.

Joel and Jesse, staff at Pancho Villa, try to make guests feel comfortable and at home. They are a delightful couple always willing to help you out in any way they can. We feel like they are part of our family.

The beach at San Pancho is beautiful and uncrowded—a perfect spot to soak up the sun, take a walk, hunt for shells, surf the waves, read, or watch the pelicans dive for fish—they never miss! The town of San Pancho is within easy walking distance of Pancho Villa I and II (either by the beach or by road) and has many restaurants, unique gift shops and small grocery stores. Occasionally during the week vendors come through the neighborhoods of San Pancho selling fresh fruits and vegetables and sometimes shrimp and other seafood. The town is also well located to go exploring other beaches and towns up and down the coast.

We had such a good time and enjoyed our vacation so much that we will be returning to Villa I and San Pancho again next year. Hasta luego!

My age: 65+
Would I recommend this vacation rental to my best friend?   Yes.

“A fabulous house for our vacation, we’ll be back”  The Pancho Villa I

Reviewed December 13, 2017 for a stay in November 2017    Trip Advisor
From the first e-mail to our goodbye breakfast a wonderful experience. San Pancho Rentals are very professional and handled our payment and arrangements beautifully. The house, Pancho Villa 1 was the best choice we could have made, the amenities were superb. The view of sunset, the street view and the beach view all seen from the deck, the best. A quiet neighborhood not far from the center of town. Pancho Villa 1 was a great experience,a very good house for a couple. The housekeepers were very responsive and have maintained the house very well. All in a very good choice.
My age: 65+

Would I recommend this vacation rental to my best friend?   Yes.

 

The reviews below are from when The Pancho Villa I & II was called Casa Ladera under previous ownership.
We have upgraded it considerably since then.
These somewhat older reviews may give you some additional information about the area.

 

 

 

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