San Pancho

Up the coast north of Puerto Vallarta, just a hop and a skip from Sayulita, is the small town of San Francisco, affectionately referred to as San Pancho. We have watched the growth of this village over the years from when an excursion to San Pancho almost guaranteed being the only gringos in town.  Home ownership by foreigners in the area has made a big difference to everything from numbers of bars to conditions of roads (though the latter tends to get less attention than the former.)

Accommodations are plenty, contrary to when we found finding a place to stay could be frustrating in both low and high season. These days there are hotels ranging in price from nearly $200/night to as little as $55. Airbnb and their competitors have become increasingly popular and easy to book, most kid friendly and many accepting pets. Hostel San Pancho costs as little as $37 US a night. San Pancho is appealing to the well-traveled tourist, as well as newcomers to the beach/jungle scene. Airport transportation is easy.

At one time there was a small university in this village; The University of the Third World was the endeavor of Mexican President Luis Echeverria, who built a vacation home in San Pancho in the 1970’s and had his own personal vision of the future of San Pancho. With the new airport in Puerto Vallarta in the 70’s, holidays from Mexico City could be pulled off with ease and comfort.

Centro Comunitario Entreamigos may have been what President Echeverria was dreaming of decades ago. In 2006, an American woman, Nicole Swedlow began this non-profit learning center, which eventually gained support from the state government, rebuilding their site in a local warehouse. With over 700 classes offered and a library that boasts thousands of Spanish and English books, there’s little that can’t be learned by children and adults alike in fields as diverse as technology, sports, art and circus skills. The circus school, Circo de los Niños, founded by the directors of Cirque du Soleil is also housed at Entreamigos; they put on shows for locals that are breathtaking and fantastic.

La Patrona Polo and Equestrian Club draws people to San Pancho and maintains the goal of training polo players, supported by the Mexican Polo Federation, with an accent on women’s polo. This polo club presents a competitive learning environment in a world class facility.

Once the simple residence of a handful of Franciscan priests and a small population of landowners of immense agricultural estates, San Pancho is no longer a sleepy little village north of Puerto Vallarta. It continues to grow as a developing community with rich educational values and a varied, enthusiastic population.

Que cómo es es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.

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Clean It Up!

One great thing about Puerto Vallarta is the expat effort to contribute to the community. There are many events, including planting flowers, food drives for orphanages, shelters and animal rescue groups. One of our favorites, because it has such an immediate impact, is the endeavor to keep the streets clean. There are several groups gathering energy to collect trash and they’re getting a fair amount of media coverage, as well.

We are thrilled to see new groups spring up from time to time, and the latest is the Colonia Clean-Up – Emiliano Zapata, doing their part in Colonia Emiliano Zapata. They had a very successful crowd last month and are scheduled for another clean-up on August 4, which is a Saturday. Anyone can join in to help out, and they plan to extend this into high season, meeting every first Saturday.

The meeting point is at Lazaro Cardenas 421. That’s between Calles Aguacate and Jacarandas. They start at 9:30 am and go until 11:30 am, meeting back at the starting point for lunch and beverages, which are provided by the organizers. You can find a link on Facebook to let them know you’ll be there, so they have somewhat of a head count.

Colonia Clean-Up will provide garbage bags, tongs, and gloves. Each person or team is assigned a specific are, all within the border of the colonia’s streets. If you want to be super efficient, you can divide recycle from garbage, and even separate plastic from aluminum cans.

Some of us would really like to help with this great community contribution but can’t deal with the heat, don’t do well walking the sometimes tough cobblestone streets, maneuvering the curbs and sidewalks. We know people who love to help in any way they can but aren’t in town. For those who want to make a donation, $100 pesos will hire a neighborhood kid to represent you (only you will be aware of this representative, but everyone loves the kids being a part of the movement). This is such a great cause and keeps us in touch with the neighbors, too. For information on how to make your donation, check out the Facebook page for Colonia Clean-Up – Emiliano Zapata.

Que cómo es es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.

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The Incredible Maple Forest of Talpa

The lovely village of Talpa, east of Puerto Vallarta, is a wonderful getaway for a weekend or midweek for those of us without constraints. Though we have driven through, stopped for meals, shopped and even spent a night or two, it was a great surprise to learn about La Cumbre, a forest that is only a short distance above Talpa. Unexpectedly, we came across a fir, maple, conifer wooded area that has puzzled botanists for some time, due to their strength of survival, and mysterious location. Trees and plants in this setting have been traced back to the Pleistocene and Tertiary eras. This flora has survived and integrated itself into its surroundings for millions of years. La Cumbre can be found in the El Refugio arroyo, deeply veiled by the growth around it.

This is an adventure for medium to serious hikers. Long pants and sleeves are advised, as well as sturdy shoes. Going this time of year is ideal because the rains will have washed away dust and fed new growth. To get to there from Puerto Vallarta, travel from Mascota, then southwest through the town of Talpa, and follow the paved road to Tomatlán. Keep track on your odometer and when you are approximately 27 kilometers up, look for a sign; not highly visible, that says Bosque de Maple. It’s a dirt road and you need to proceed for about five kilometers to a trailhead that has no evident marking but you’ll know when you see it. You are now in the cloud forest; carry on in a northeast direction. If you do some scouting around and you’ll easily find the camping area. It’s a dreamy space with evidence of previous visitors.

Remember to not leave a trace. Whatever you pack in, you pack out. Respect the wildlife. Be considerate of other visitors, but this is Mexico, so you can expect most people to be friendly. We can’t stress enough how unusual it is to find Sugar Maples in a Cloud Forest in Mexico! Botanists have ventured into the region  since this discovery in the late 1990’s to marvel at what is ordinary in Vermont, Wisconsin and Ontario but seemingly miraculous such a short distance from Puerto Vallarta in the mountains of Jalisco.  It is unfortunate that the area remains unprotected by the government and some activism could help to change this, especially with a new administration. At this time it is victim to everyone from the CFE (Federal Electric Commission) to wandering cattle, illicit marijuana farmers, vandals and loggers. There is really nothing the likes of this enchanted hiker/botanist’s dream. It has survived mother nature and human ignorance but we recommend planning a trip, before someone decides it’s off limits.

Que cómo es es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.

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Hiking to Las Animas

Las Animas is a coastal village that’s lively during the day when tourists swarm the beaches, and quiet at night when residents breathe a sigh of relief until the next morning when they open their welcome arms to people who keep the commerce going.

The best thing about hiking from Puerto Vallarta to Las Animas is what you’ll discover at the end.  Beach restaurants, up and down the shoreline, offer Mexican dishes at slightly higher prices than what one would expect to find in Puerto Vallarta. All food and supplies are brought to Las Animas by boat, adding a premium to purchases.

There are two ways to get to Las Animas from Puerto Vallarta and we prefer the hike, which has become very popular over the past five or six years. Once was a time when you could walk the entire trail and not see a soul; these days there’s an abundance of travelers along the path, giving an air of camaraderie and liveliness. The water taxi from Boca de Tomatlan begins runs at 8 am, costs $50 pesos and takes about twenty minutes. If you take the bus to Boca, get off at the top of the highway; it’s the last stop. Parking is mostly free, but we never mind paying the $50 pesos to park in a family owned lot just steps away from the beach. There are also water taxis leaving from the pier in Puerto Vallarta where you can purchase round-trip tickets. If choosing this route, we always suggest arranging these the day before to beat the crowds in the morning.

Wear sneakers. This is not a journey for flip flops or sandals. Be aware of your step and mindful that there will be slippery spots, especially following a rainfall.  Steps are carved out of the hillside is some places and it’s prone to be loose and unstable. Be careful to stay away from ledges that can give way, and stick to the inside of the path. Wal-Mart and Costco in Puerto Vallarta have been known to sell walking sticks and we highly recommend them as they add steadiness and a little extra bit of confidence. Handrails exist in some areas but we don’t depend on them.

For those seeking more adventure, it’s 90 minutes further to Quimixto, where waterfalls and fresh water swimming await. Simply stay on the path along the seaway and it will take you there.

In both villages there are locals with large snakes, iguanas and parrots who wander through café tables, willing to allow photos to be taken with their pets. Please give them at least $50 pesos for this photo op and remember this is the jungle. If you’re afraid of these animals, keep your distance and wits about you. This is their natural setting.

Unless you’ve decided to hike on your return to Boca, don’t miss the boat back! Make sure you keep an eye on the time; the last boat usually leaves at 6 pm and there are few places to board for the night.

Que es cómo es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.

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