San Felipe, Mexico

Over the years, I traveled to many corners of Mexico, but one area I had never explored was Baja California, that particular part of Mexico which happens to be the closest to where I live. My friend spends part of each year in lovely San Felipe, so I was thrilled when I was able to schedule a trip down there to visit her and see what life is like south of the border. (I've posted some shots from our road trip from San Diego to her home in my two previous posts - San Diego and Roadtrip: San Diego to San Felipe.)

The drive along Highway 3 from Ensenada is very picturesque and passes through a variety of landscapes. Driving in Baja seems quite easy; however, I was warned that it is imperative to purchase adequate car insurance before setting foot across the border - note to self should I ever plan to drive my own vehicle down there. Luckily my friend chauffeured me around in her SUV.

San Felipe is a sleepy, little fishing town located on the Sea of Cortez. It serves as a hub for many of the expats who either live down there year round or spend part of the year there, like my friend. Unfortunately, the area has been suffering from the detrimental effects of our recession and the perceived opinion that Mexico is dangerous. It's a shame because it is a very pretty destination and for the most part seems quite safe for visitors. I think, though, that you'd want to avoid it during the hot, humid summer months. I was lucky to visit in April when the heat had not yet settled in and every day was gloriously pleasant.

Here are some shots from my visit...

Typical desert landscape near San Felipe...

Pete's Camp - a popular expat neighborhood...

Beach views in Pete's Camp...

You can rent palapas and park your vehicle and camp right on the beach...

Ripples formed by the morning breeze...

 Sand art...

  View looking back at Pete's Camp...

My friend's dog...

Some typical homes in the neighborhood...

Mexican tiles...

Chilling out at the local pool...

San Felipe and its beach as viewed from the shrine...

An abandoned restaurant...

Streets scenes along the Malecon...

Souvenirs for sale...

Building meets sea...

You can hire boats...

A popular night spot...

Mexican art...

A panga or Mexican fishing boat and an old truck on the beach...

This bridge takes you to a hill with a shrine and terrific views...

View looking inland around San Felipe...

A boat out of water...

The lighthouse...

Back at Pete's Camp...

Enjoying a desert sunset...

Sunrise on the morning of my departure...

Heading north on Highway 5 towards the border...

Taking a reststop...

I was very lucky to be able to make my flight from El Centro to Burbank. The border crossing took longer than we anticipated and then due to a glitch on Google Maps, which took us to the WRONG side of the airport, I made my flight with seconds to spare. (Note to self: don't always trust Google Maps). But unlike larger airports where it's virtually impossible to get through to an airline rep on site, I was able to contact the rep by cell and let her know that I was on my way. She relayed the message to the pilot who agreed to wait for me. Now that's customer service. Thanks Seaport Airlines!

View of the Salton Sea from the little plane...

Flying into Burbank...

San Felipe was fun to visit and my friend has made a nice life there for herself. The desert and sea landscape are very colorful and full of interesting places to explore. There's hiking, biking, ATVing, boating, fishing and restaurants to try and souvenirs to buy.

Unfortunately, it's not the easiest place to get to. Coming from the SF Bay Area, it's a good 16-hour drive, or you can fly into the small airport in El Centro and then either rent a car or if you know someone down there, they can pick you up. I've also heard that some people hook up for ridesharing through Craigslist. There are no direct flights, however. The airport in San Felipe used to have flights from California, but they have been suspended due to the decrease in tourism. Hopefully, things will pick up in the near future and San Felipe will once again become a thriving tourist destination.

Roadtrip: San Diego to San Felipe

This is a continuation of my trip from San Diego to San Felipe, where my friend has a home. We left San Diego in the early afternoon and made an uneventful border crossing at San Ysidro along Interstate 5. We skipped downtown Tijuana altogether and decided to make Rosarito Beach our destination for the night. It's a pretty beach town and not as big or crowded as Tijuana. Then the next day we continued along the picturesque coastline stopping in Puerto Nuevo, Ensenada, and La Bufadora. From there we headed along Highway 3 across the high desert to the Sea of Cortez and then to my friend's place in San Felipe. It's a very pleasant drive on mostly good highways. 

Here are some scenes from our two-day journey.

Typical coastline south of the border...

Downtown Rosarito Beach, a small beach resort south of Tijuana...

The Rosarito Beach Hotel looked very nice, but we stayed in a motel a few blocks away...

 Here's the long pier, definitely worth a visit...

 View from the pier...

  

 It was too early for spring break, so the beaches were not very crowded...

Horses for hire...

 We enjoyed a beer and the sunset on the beach...

After spending the night in Rosarito, we headed to the small fishing town of Puerto Nuevo...

 The main streets are lined with colorful vendors...

 You can eat all the fresh seafood your heart desires...

And drink lots of tequila...

 Here's the view from the coastline along the highway to Ensenada...

The port of Ensenada...

 Near the harbor area...

 

 Painting a sign...

Souvenirs for sale...

 A colorful street scene...

From Ensenada we followed the coastline out to the blow hole...

  Once there, you must first make your way through all the vendors...

 Take your pick...

Then you get to see the blow hole, or la bufadora

The view looking south...

 Musicians for hire...

 Highway 3, which takes you to the other side of Baja...

 

We made it: the beach in front of my friend's home in San Felipe...

Driving around these parts of Baja was very enjoyable. Luckily we didn't encounter too much traffic or encounter any road hazards along the way. The scenery was beautiful and very interesting to look at and many of the small towns dotting the highway were worth exploring. Supposedly crossing the border from the U.S. into Mexico is easy. But the other way around, namely going back into the U.S. can be time-consuming. You never know how long it will take to get through, so you must be prepared to wait a long time in line with all the other travelers trying to cross!

Next stop: San Felipe.