The property is home to a storied icon of the Pacific Mexican coastline, Villa Vista Magica is a fantastical jungle hide-away and is an endlessly satisfying sensory experience of sun, long ocean vistas, exotic gardens, fresh air, dramatic sunsets, wide open starry nights, succulent cuisine and attentive service.

Built and formerly owned by ex-President Luis Echeverría, this mansion on an astoungingly beautiful promontory point with expansive vistas of jungle and seascape.

San Francisco, or San Pancho as it is more commonly referred to, is a quaint Mexican village nestled between the verdant Sierra Madre Mountains and jungle and a long stretch of pristine Pacific coast.

In close enough proximity (hour drive) to the international airport at Puerto Vallarta, yet full of small town appeal, San Pancho is being proclaimed as one of the next great destinations in the so-called Riviera Nayarita, and as another desirable alternative to the more commercialized vacation typical of resort areas like Puerto Vallarta.

History

Before the arrival of the Spanish, and still somewhat today, the mountainous region that nears San Francisco and is known as the Sierra Madre Occidental was sparsely populated by indigenous groups like the Cora and Huichol.

As the Spanish put down roots and began to develop ports at San Blas to the north and Puerto Vallarta to the south, the region began to increase in population but still at a much slower pace and cut off from urban centers like Guadalajara.

The presence of Franciscan-order priests also took hold, with many presiding along with landowners over huge latifundio estates and peons.

Long after Mexican independence, in 1931, as part of sweeping land reform following the Revolution, the land that comprises modern-day Sayulita and San Francisco was transferred to communal ejido ownership.

San Francisco remained a sleepy communal village, surviving on subsistence fishing and some mango and tropical fruit cultivation, until the small town struck the fancy of the Mexican President Luis Echeverría in the 1970s.

First charmed enough by San Pancho to make it the site of his family vacation mansion, Echeverría then directed a flow of federal funding to San Francisco to be put towards his dream of making it a "self-sufficient" "Third World village".

While the President's vision did not come to fruition, since funding ended as did his presidential term, the town still benefits today from the cobblestone streets and full-service hospital that came out of his efforts and facilitate both visiting and living in San Pancho now.

Today

With only approximately 1,600 full-time residents, San Francisco still displays the characteristics of a more traditional Mexican town-with men on horseback riding through the streets, or roosters running free in a neighbor's yard for example.

Yet even for such a small village, the population is still reasonably diverse. Drawn by the tranquil pace of life, the months of unwavering sunshine, and the tropical coastal atmosphere, San Pancho is also home to a growing number of ex-patriots hailing from the United States, Canada, or even Europe or southernmost Latin America.

The result is an eclectic cultural mix that-along with the beautiful natural environs-is creating even more of a draw for visitors and new residents.

Alongside the interesting cultural mix of a fine art gallery or hidden haute-cuisine restaurant, San Pancho is also brimming with art and social responsibility activity.

An art collective organizes various art expositions and events throughout the year, and a community volunteer organization mobilizes recycling education and efforts and youth activities in the town.

Various environmental organizations also work to educate about and protect for instance the local jaguar habitat or the nesting turtle populations on San Pancho beaches.

While recently certain development projects have been planned and commenced in and around San Francisco, the peace and tranquility in the town is still uncompromised.

San Francisco (San Pancho) is a unique spot, where pristine white beaches meet jungle green, and old Mexico meets a new international fusion.