San Pancho, Mexico
February 19-23, 2024
For 5-7 year olds: (Group 1) Our youngest camp goers will enjoy circus arts, making chocolate, silk screening, making paper from pineapple skins, a recycled art project, nature walks, learning how to make tortillas, games at the community centre and a visit to the local market. Snack and lunch provided. Limited to 20 kids.
For 8-11 year olds: (Group 2) Group 2 will have a field trip to the jungle, a visit to the local market, circus class, silk screening, tortilla making, games at the community centre, chocolate making, recycled art projects and a visit to the local market.
For 12-15 year olds: (Group 3) For the first time we are offering a young teen group. During the week they will have an opportunity to try surfing (optional), hike to see some incredible views, do silk screening, make new friends, explore the jungle and the town. More details on these field trips to come.
We held our first camp in San Pancho in February 2017 and since then, families have been eagerly returning to this special seaside town. It can be hard to pinpoint exactly what makes a town so special, but in the case of San Pancho, the local community centre EntreAmigos has a huge part to play in it.
We partnered with EntreAmigos and we use their unique and vibrant facility as a base for camp week. Their space includes a bilingual library, a sports area, an outdoor area for crafts, a recycling facility, an indoor play area for under 5s, a small cafe, a second-hand shop and a gift shop, toilets, a community garden and an outdoor playground.
20% of each camp fee is donated to EntreAmigos.
So, how does it work?
You and your family fly to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and take a 30-50 minute taxi to the quiet town of San Pancho (officially known as San Francisco, Nayarit).
You need to organize your own flights and accommodation. The town is small and we recommend finding accommodation as soon as possible. Many families reserve for the following year as soon as their week is over.
On Sunday before camp starts, we have a group gathering for everyone to get to meet each other. There is nothing else formal organized for the week, but many families enjoy sharing meals and meeting up for sunset at the beach as much as possible.
Camp is from Monday-Friday, 9am-2pm. All your child needs is a hat, sunscreen, bug spray and water bottle. Snacks and lunch are provided (diets and allergies catered for). The town is easy to walk around and if you are staying right in San Pancho you'll easily be able to walk to the community centre for drop off and pick up. (More about camp specifics below).
Enjoy 5 hours each day to yourself or with your partner or friends. How you spend your time is completely up to you but many parents enjoy long walks, surfing, snorkeling, boat rides, fishing, reading, eating lunch and yoga. You'll be surprised by how fast the time goes!
The early evenings in San Pancho can feel really energetic and bustling. Restaurant tables spill out into the streets, the whole town gathers at the beach for sunset, fire dancers, musicians and breakdancers perform frequently and of course there's the tiny churro cart with an unpredictable schedule that you won't want to miss.
And finally, (and thankfully) as 10pm rolls around, most of the town is asleep and getting ready for a new day.
Does my child's level of Spanish matter?
Each child's level of Spanish varies so much. Some are complete beginners and some are completely fluent. The great (and perhaps surprising) thing, is that it doesn't really seem to matter. Our teachers are bilingual and will run most of the camp in Spanish - but with such a wide range of abilities, everyone seems to help each other out and we've never had any complaints!
How much does it cost?
Each camp fee includes a generous donation to Entreamigos (the local community centre) as well as snacks and lunch for the kids each day of camp. We pay all our local teachers and assistants very well.
Camp fees for 2024:
Group 1 (5-7yr) $350USD
Group 2 (8-11yr) $375USD
Group 3 (12-15yr) $450USD (if surfing) $400USD (if not surfing)
Camp Leaders
Sarah
Sarah is a licensed clinical social worker from California with over 20 years of experience working with children and families in both the states and Mexico. Over the past 5 years, she has experienced the joy of Vamos Vamos Camp as the director of Entreamigos, the town’s community center where many of the camps’ activities take place. This year Sarah has moved on from Entreamigos to form a private practice in child therapy and will also be co-coordinating the Vamos Vamos Camp in 2024. Sarah is thrilled by the opportunity to laugh, play and learn with all of your little ones as the head teacher for the youngest group. She looks forward to exploring fun ways for your children to experience all the creativity of San Pancho and Mexican culture.
Andy
Andy grew up in Mexico City and moved to San Pancho 7 years ago to work at Entreamigos as the art teacher and volunteer coordinator. She has 15 years of experience working with kids and teenagers in different areas: art, language immersions and more. During Covid she developed a two-year homeschooling project for adolescents ages 11 - 15 years old. She has been part of Vamos Vamos Amigos since the very first adventure in 2016 and will be co-coordinating the camp this year. Andy will be the lead teacher for the oldest group and she looks forward to all the fun adventures you will have together!