Do not leave your bikes unsecured! Bring decent tent anchors and have a back up plan when it blows. Take some time to site your campsite with
prevailing Santa Ana winds in mind.
Skip San Felipe and go to Loreto or maybe Conception Bay. San Felipe is the arm pit of Baja.
Beaches are ugly, mountains don't run along the coast. No good coves and no islands to explore. Just a big party town for locals from Mexicali and
desert rats from the US.
Keep going South and you'll find the good spots in Baja.
[Edited on 9-17-2018 by JZ]
JZ,
I *am* a desert rat from the US !!! I’ll take that as a compliment
We already have a reservation as I mentioned, so ragging on the place I’m going when is really just bringing negativity to the whole topic. If you
notice in the original post I was asking for suggestions for where I’m going and things to do - not other vacation spots to switch to
I’m not trying to be more than 5(ish) or so hours from home (Phoenix) which is why we chose San Felipe.
Our options were Rosario or Ensenada, Rocky Point or San Felipe. San Felipe had a beautiful home available on the beach with WiFi that is dog friendly
for the month we want to travel.
Neither of us speak Spanish and didn’t want to go so far into a brand new place for a whole month having never been to Mexico.
As far as the beaches being ugly - I grew up on the north east coast of the United States, Maryland/Jersey areas - No instagram filter in the world
can make those photos as nice as the one’s I’ve seen even of northern Baja. Obviously I know I’m not going to be in Hawaii but you make it sound
like downtown LA.
Close to town, we enjoyed ourselves a lot, on a month's trip. in January Yes, the tide goes out a long way, but our three couple group had fun one
afternoon with a golf tournament held on the sand. Winner, one of the gals, used a putter to win the trophy.
Hi everyone! My husband and I, and our two dogs are spending 1/2 of December and the first part of January in San Felipe. Trying to get an idea of
what to bring and what we can rent/buy there.
We are really active and plan on being outside exploring most of the time there.
We have kayaks but would rather not bring them if we can rent cheaply. Can paddle boards or kayaks be rented in San Felipe? Wetsuits? I'm guessing
this is a no, but just trying to find out as much as I can.
We bike a lot, mountain and road and are planning on bring bikes.
We are staying about 8 miles south of san felipe and would like to bike into town, do people bike to get around in Baja? I commute to school and work
by bike but unsure of if this is a safe idea there. We are in Phoenix and it's one of the worst places to be a cyclist so I'm thinking it can't be
much worse but unsure
Also we are rockhounds - would love to explore anything nearby for fossils, mines, off the beaten path rock formations.
Our vehicle is a AWD subaru with a little clearance but we aren't opposed to hiking, biking back roads that the subaru can't get through.
Are there ATV rentals in San Felipe we can take to the places such as valley of the giants to access more desolate areas?
San Felipe is about the worst spot in baja. December is a long way away, you still got time to cancel and find somewhere nice to go.
San Felipe is close to Phoenix. Try San Felipe for a weekend before you commit to a month!
Not much road biking in San Felipe. Probably some mtn biking, but the incesant motorcycles and atvs have probably torn up all the trails so it will
be a lot of loose sand, chitty mtn biking.
I suggest Ensenada. Good introduction to Mexico and baja. Great city, great opportunities for day trips. You could even take a day trip to San
Felipe, but why?
[Edited on 9-20-2018 by mtgoat666]
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Hi everyone! My husband and I, and our two dogs are spending 1/2 of December and the first part of January in San Felipe. Trying to get an idea of
what to bring and what we can rent/buy there.
We are really active and plan on being outside exploring most of the time there.
We have kayaks but would rather not bring them if we can rent cheaply. Can paddle boards or kayaks be rented in San Felipe? Wetsuits? I'm guessing
this is a no, but just trying to find out as much as I can.
We bike a lot, mountain and road and are planning on bring bikes.
We are staying about 8 miles south of san felipe and would like to bike into town, do people bike to get around in Baja? I commute to school and work
by bike but unsure of if this is a safe idea there. We are in Phoenix and it's one of the worst places to be a cyclist so I'm thinking it can't be
much worse but unsure
Also we are rockhounds - would love to explore anything nearby for fossils, mines, off the beaten path rock formations.
Our vehicle is a AWD subaru with a little clearance but we aren't opposed to hiking, biking back roads that the subaru can't get through.
Are there ATV rentals in San Felipe we can take to the places such as valley of the giants to access more desolate areas?
You can rent paddleboards and kayaks at Victor's RV park. I can't remember the price but we bring our own. Victor's son also does tours if you need a
guide.
The roads in the city are pretty bad so you might use your mountain bikes. Stary dogs might chase you is probably the biggest concern with biking.
You can rent ATV by the dunes and in town. There's a place out of town by San Felipe Brewing that rents sand rails and Jeeps. There's some very cool
offroad places to go. https://www.awaywewinnebago.com/baja-adventuring/
I was at the posted Victors a few weeks back, if you own
kayaks or stand up boards you will not appreciate the
3 or 4 Costco examples they have, unless you are a total
novice, it is a waste of time. No legit rentals of either in SF,
there may be 1or 2 you could scrape together. The question
to take bulky items, is how much use do you think you will
get out of them, bicycles I would take. Second the north east
winter wind, everyday, maybe 14, can get cold close to the sand
Can only chime in with one morning impression coming from the north heading back south, if I had to choose a month long home base I'd select something
else as JZ mentions. No comment on the "armpit" but first thought was this was a party town, a bud lite commercial. At least the main beach front.
Absolutely great tourist office - well hidden though. A mention on the winds, further south of SF towards Gonzaga Bay, I've never experienced winds
like that... not sure if it was a freak but my little rental car was like a bumper car at the fair.
You have an envious dilemma, you win either way.
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' aroundLife During Wartime
- Talking Heads '79
A month ago I was boating with a friend who was very proud of his brand new inflatable. Our gear was stacked by the wharf while we walked over to the
cafe to order some lunch to go....
While standing there we heard a rather loud explosion that made everyone look to the dock area. When we returned to load the boat I was first to see
that the SUP had exploded....15 minutes sitting in sun was all it took....
A month ago I was boating with a friend who was very proud of his brand new inflatable. Our gear was stacked by the wharf while we walked over to the
cafe to order some lunch to go....
While standing there we heard a rather loud explosion that made everyone look to the dock area. When we returned to load the boat I was first to see
that the SUP had exploded....15 minutes sitting in sun was all it took....
Poor guy had never even used it....
Never heard of that happening. Must of had it overinflated and/or bad seam. We've had ours since 2014 without any problems. Very tough material unlike
a fiberglass epoxy board that's really easy to damage and ding.
As has come up in another thread, San Felipe has been having a lot of problems with violence over the last year. Some got arrested but are out now
and looking for revenge. I would look elsewhere until it all cooled down.
As has come up in another thread, San Felipe has been having a lot of problems with violence over the last year. Some got arrested but are out now
and looking for revenge. I would look elsewhere until it all cooled down.
You literally post this about every town in Baja. I don't like San Felipe, but this is not a reason to avoid it.
We get it already, you don't want ppl to go to Baja for some reason.
As has come up in another thread, San Felipe has been having a lot of problems with violence over the last year. Some got arrested but are out now
and looking for revenge. I would look elsewhere until it all cooled down.
You literally post this about every town in Baja. I don't like San Felipe, but this is not a reason to avoid it.
We get it already, you don't want ppl to go to Baja for some reason.
Sorry, the sea is WAY TOO COLD that time of year! LOL
Rockhounding is a yes! Fossils (must not remove if non-Mexican) are found about 5 miles inland of today's sea level in a few places. I have photos of
some south of the sulfur mine, off the old Puertecitos road.
A large abandoned sulfur mine from the 1950s and may WWII period is 4 miles west of Km. 32, on the old road.
A hot spring is located a few miles up Cañon Agua Caliente, off Valle Chico as well as the Puertecitos hot springs, at sea level.
Bruce Barber's book is excellent on the area geology, 'Of Sea and Sand'
Search Nomad for more. Last year, I researched many of the area roads in preparation for a new guide. Those trip reports may be of interest to
you:>
Yes. On my map, I only show a few miles of it near the sulfur mine as it is very torn up, being used for the Baja 1000 and other races and not being
graded since 1983 when the new road was built along the coast. Not much need for it to get anywhere, anymore. Where the highway swings away from the
coast it joins the route of the old road and stays on it to Puertecitos.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
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Emergency Baja Contacts Include:
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!!! I’ll take that as a compliment 
