Where we stayed in Mexico

 A list of all the campgrounds, hostels and hotels that we stayed in while in Mexico in October, November & December 2013, October, November, & December 2014, and January & February 2015. Also includes some of our propane and water refills.

IMG_0849Punta Banda, Ensenada, Baja California: Centro Recretivo Mi Refugio – (10.18.13) Our first campsite in Mexico! Overlooking an estuary that looks like a big mud pit when the tide is out, beautiful when the tide is in – PROS: free wifi, electric and water hookups, empty save for the family that runs the place. Church’s says they have hot showers but we didn’t try them – CONS: The bathrooms were tiny, smelly and dirty, hence why we didn’t shower. Welcome to Mexico… – 12USD/night – GPS: 31.69833 N, 116.63500 W

San Quintin, Baja California: Ceilito Lindo Motel and RV Park – (10.19.13 and 02.14.15) We stayed here because Victoria had read about the cracked crab they serve at the restaurant, it did not disappoint! – PROS: Hot (albeit smelly) showers, free fast wifi, electric and water hookups, amazing dinner and margaritas in the restaurant, quick walk to a deserted beach – CONS: basically a dusty parking lot next to a restaurant, not in walking distance to anything except the restaurant. – 10USD/night – GPS: 30.40884 N, 115.92326 W

IMG_0947Unknown beach, south of Rosita, Baja California: Boondock on the beach – (10.20.13) We just chose a dirt rode that looked like it went out to the ocean and drove very slowly for a long time. – PROS: empty beach to ourselves, paradise. CONS: none. – Free! – GPS: 28.547717 N, 114.092417 W – NOTE: Camping on all beaches on the Baja is free but for safety-sake if you see anyone around you should probably ask just to make sure.

IMG_1079Bahia Concepcion, Baja California Sur: Buenaventura Resort & Restaurant Bar – (10.21.13 – 10.22.13) we stayed here because we needed internet for Jason to work, which ultimately was why we left – PROS: Beautiful camping right on the bay, hot (solar) showers – CONS: the owners obviously hate their jobs and aren’t afraid to let the campers know it, we decided to leave when we were being blamed for crashing the super-slow internet (not to our faces, just loudly enough for us to hear) – 7 USD/night – GPS: 26.64306 N, 111.84417 W

Loreto, Baja California Sur: Loreto Shores Villas & RV Park – (10.23.13) we chose to come here so that we could meet up with our (soon to be) Brazilian friends – PROS: Free fast Internet, hot clean showers, beautiful pool, electric and water hookups – CONS: expensive, basically just a parking lot, gangs of dogs bark All Night Long – 25 USD/night – GPS: 25.99889 N, 111.33861 W

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Ciudad Constitucion, Baja California Sur: Palapa 206 RV Park & Motel – (10.24.13) PROS: convenient, owner is super friendly and very chatty, free (slow) wifi, hot showers, electric and water hookups – CONS: just a big parking lot off the highway, owner is super friendly and very chatty (What? This can be a pro and a con… we left almost an hour later than we were planning due to the chattiness) – 13 USD/night – GPS: 24.99972 N, 111.65917 W

Playa Tecolote, Baja California Sur: Boondock on the beach – (10.25.23 – 10.26.13) PROS: Large open beach, busy during the day with families but empty at night, walking distance to restaurants and bars – CONS: Lots of dead puffer fish on the beach, no bathrooms (but the restaurants down the beach will let you use theirs for a small feee or if you buy a drink) – Free! – GPS: 24.33583 N, 110.31528 W

IMG_1169El Pescadero, Baja California Sur: Pescadero Surf Camp – (10.27.23 – 10.30.13) We LOVED this place and stayed a little over a week! – PROS: fast free wifi, hot showers, clean bathrooms, camp kitchen, pool, electric and (potable) water available for no additional charge – CONS: not really a ton of room to park, max 2 small rigs, not very close to the beach – Normally 10 USD/person/day, think we paid 15USD/day total – GPS: 23.355613 N, 110.164461 W

Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur: Nancy’s – (10.31.13) We dry camped in the parking lot of the restaurant we ate dinner in – PROS: clean bathrooms, amazing food at the restaurant, super nice owner – CONS: You have to walk through the owners private garden or the restaurant to get to the bathrooms, which was a little weird when the owner looked at us like she had no idea who we were the next morning – Free! – GPS: 23.437888 N, 109.428698 W

Los Barriles, Baja California Sur: East Cape Casas & RV Resort – (11.01.13 – 11.06.13) PROS: Best bathrooms on Baja, no joke! Also, fast free wifi that reaches a couple of the spots (otherwise you can pay to use their modems throughout the park), electric and water hookups, close to beach and restaurants, lush plant life –  CONS: Full of snow birds, most of them have built palapas around their giant rigs, expensive – We paid 250 pesos/night, normal rate is 25 USD/night – GPS: 23.68639 N, 109.69889 W

Balandra Bay, Baja California Sur: Boondock on the beach – (11.07.13) PROS: One of the most beautiful beaches we camped on, no one there except for us and our overlanding friends – CONS: Sandflies. You’ve been warned. One of our friends was stung by a stingray and we know of one other person who got the stingray treatment so be careful!- Free! – GPS: 24.322143 N, 110.324793 W

TMC Ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan: (11.08.13) We opted to take the TMC Ferry rather than the Baja Ferry so that Neli wouldn’t be confined to a cage for 18 hours. TMC is the cargo ferry, if you are parked in a good spot you can certainly sleep in your rig. We were perched on the edge of the boat at quite an angle so ended up sleeping on the deck of the ship. This worked well for one of us, not so much for the other.

Mazatlan, Sinaloa: San Bartolo Trailer Park – (11.09.13) We needed somewhere to crash after our night on the boat, this seemed like as good a choice as any although we have since found out about other RV Parks for about half the price – PROS: Easy to get to off the boat and in the Zona Dorado meaning close to a ton of restaurants and the beach, fast free wifi, clean bathrooms with hot showers, laundry area, electric and water hookups, friendly manager – CONS: Little to no shade depending on where you are parked, the manager will talk your ear off if you let him, expensive – 310 pesos/night – GPS: 23.26194 N, 106.46403 W NOTE: When we returned in January, 2015 it was CLOSED and no longer in operation.

Miramar, Mpio. de San Blas, Nayarit: Paraiso Miramar RV-Trailer Park – (11.10.13) We wanted to avoid actually staying in San Blas because of the cautionary tales we’d been hearing about the sand fleas so we settled for Miramar which was just down the road – PROS: Beautiful resort on above a rocky beach, pool, cement pads to park on (or you can park in a grassy field), electric and water hookups, restaurant on site, free wifi, reportedly have hot showers but we didn’t try them out – CONS: super buggy but not with sand flies – 225 pesos/night – GPS: 21.44028 N, 105.19139 W

Sayulita, Nayarit: Sayulita Trailer Park and Bungalows – (11.11.13 – 11.19.13) PROS: beautiful resort-style RV park, right on the beach on the north side of town, electric and water hookups, laundry area – CONS: filthy bathrooms, wifi never really worked, expensive for what we got (if the bathrooms we actually cleaned, ever, the price probably wouldn’t have seemed so high) – 250 pesos/night until November 15, then 24 dollars/night – GPS: 20.87139 N, 105.43694 W

Lago Chapala, Jocotepec, Jalisco: Roca Azul – (11.20.13 – 11.21.13) PROS: right on the lake and there is a lighthouse you can climb, water hookups – CONS: seriously creepy campground that is part of a sports club that is part of a housing development. What? Also, bathrooms were unusable, electric was super sketchy (looked like something out of a cautionary tale about electrocuting yourself), free wifi was promised but never worked at our campsite, empty playground with giant clown head – 300 pesos/night, we stayed two and paid for one – GPS: 20.26639 N, 103.42333 W

Guanajuato, Guanajuato: Morrill Trailer Park – (11.22.13 – 11.23.13) PROS: nicest park manager ever, one of our favorite views from a campsite, water and electric hookups (not at all sites). hot showers – CONS: dogs barking all night long (this is not a joke, other overlanders have recorded the cacophony that is Guanajuato at night)- 140 pesos per night –  GPS: 21.02472  N,  101.25250  W

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato: San Miguel RV Park & Tennis Courts – (11.24.13 – 12.05.13, 11.18.14 – 11.24.14) we loved SMA and the location of this RV Park, we stayed for two weeks in 2013 and planned on staying another 6 weeks in 2014- PROS: great location, clean bathrooms with hot showers, super fast free wifi, water and electric hookups – CONS: small so you are pretty close to your neighbors if the park is full, tennis gets started early – 270 pesos/night but you get a discount if you stay a week or more.  In 2014 the rate is 1,680 MXN/week, we were given a nice discount for returning a second time. – GPS: 20.90767 N, 100.74918 W – NOTE: A tennis player hit his ball into our campground and our (toothless) puppy Maya barked at him when he came to retrieve it.  We were told that everyone was afraid of her and that aggressive dogs were not permitted in the RV park and we were encouraged to leave.  Just an FYI…

Cholula, Puebla: Trailer Park Las Americas – (12.07.13) we would recommend you NOT stay here – PROS: electric and water hookups – CONS: free wifi never materialized, small dog in tiny cage the entire time we were there, large aggressive dog wandering the property, some sort of dance party in the parking lot next to us until 4am, someone reversed into our truck, filthy bathrooms, expensive for what you get – 220 pesos/night – GPS: 19.07242 N, 98.29568 W

IMG_1909Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca: Overlander Oasis – (12.07.13 – 12.27.13 and 10.28.14 – 11.17.14) we loved everything about this place, stayed for 3 weeks in 2013 and another three weeks in 2014 – PROS: great location outside of the city, super friendly and helpful owners, hottest showers we’ve had since leaving home, kitchen sink in bathroom for doing dishes, electric hookups, free fast wifi – CONS: Only one bathroom with shower so if there are more than one group of campers it can mean waiting for a while, hard to leave – 250 pesos/night, 1250 pesos/week (less if you are not plugging in), no discount for staying multiple weeks – GPS: 17.044858 N, 96.640008 W – NOTE: As of early 2015, O.O. is no longer accepting dogs.

Oaxaca, Oaxaca: Hotel Camba – (12.21.13) PROS: super clean, friendly staff, free breakfast, free wifi, hot showers, walking distance to the zocalo – CONS: we ended up in a room with two twin beds, but that was probably because we didn’t specify otherwise – 650 pesos/night – NOTE: This is one of the few dog friendly hotels in the city.  Also, Hotel Camba donated a free night to us but the fact that we stayed for free in no way impacts our review of the hotel.

Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca: Parking lot – (12.28.13) PROS: you have the place to yourself in the morning, lots of places to eat along the edge of the parking lot – CONS: very busy during the day so you may have to wait until it clears out to find a good place to park for the night – 20 pesos/person to get in PLUS 30 pesos/person to camp for the night – GPS: 16.866943 N, 96.276390 W

San Pedro Tapanatepec, Oaxaca: Boondocked in a Pemex – (12.29.13) PROS: security guard watched over us all night, clean bathrooms – CONS: very loud with trucks coming and going all night – Free! – GPS: 16.370701 N, 94.190190 W – NOTE: This was our first Pemex experience and had we known it was going to be so easy we would have stayed in a Pemex or two much earlier into our trip

Palenque, Chiapas: Mayabell Campground – (12.30.13 – 12.31.13) PROS: great location right near the ruins and on the edge of the forest, water and electric hookups, pool and mayan thermal spa, howler monkeys, on-site restaurant is good and has awesome cappuccinos – CONS: telcel stick did not work here, showers were hot or cold, depending on if the pilot light was on or not – 180 pesos/night – GPS: 17.48808 N, 92.03781 W

Escarcega, Campeche: Boondocked in a Pemex – (01.01.14) PROS: clean bathrooms open all night, fast wifi from the Burger King reaches to the parking area (free with purchase), surprisingly super quiet for a gas station – CONS: none – Free! – GPS: 18.607438 N, 90.748036 W – NOTE:  Another day, another Pemex.  Seriously, we were beginning to love our Pemex campsites!

Uxmal Ruins, Yucatan: Camped in the employee parking lot at the ruins – (01.02.14) PROS: close to the ruins, super clean bathrooms available in the lobby, pirated wifi from the hotel across the street – CONS: large grassy lot so very buggy – 131 pesos/night – GPS: 20.361968 N, 89.768193 W –

Tulum, Quintana Roo: Boondocked on street next to a Pemex – (01.03.14) PROS: none – CONS: bathrooms locked overnight, very loud – Free! – GPS: 20.208363N, 87.471556 W

Calderitas, Quintana Roo: Yax-Ha Resort – (01.04.14 – 01.09.14) PROS: right on the water, parking in large grass lot under palm trees, pool, electric and water hookups, laundry service onsite, hot showers (just remember to turn the water pump on) – CONS: Calderitas is a one street town with not much going on – 200 pesos/night – GPS: 18.56083 N, 88.24917 W

El Chiflon, Chiapas: Camped in the museum parking lot of the National Park – (10.03.14) PROS: Nice quiet spot, close to the Guatemala border, close to the waterfalls, bathroom available in museum during operating hours, water and electric included in entrance fee – CONS: None – 30 MXN/peron entrance fee PLUS 25 MXN/person/night to camp – GPS: 16.18708 N, 92.27590 W

San Cristobal, Chiapas: Rancho San Nicolas – (10.04.14 – 10.09.14) PROS: Large grassy field for camping with all amenities (electric, water, hot showers, kitchen, fireplace, TV, pool table). CONS: Wifi is slooooooooow. – 90 MXN/person/night PLUS 20 MXN/night/dog.  Stay 5 nights, get one free but you still need to pay for the dogs every night, no free nights for dogs?! – GPS: 16.73399 N, 92.62917 W

Cintalapa, Chiapas: Dry-camped in a Pemex gas station – (10.10.14) PROS: Clean bathrooms (grape scented soap reminded us of Welch’s grape juice) with toilet paper and toilet seats (!!!), soap and paper towels.  Quiet considering it is right off the highway. We saw an electric outlet next to the Virgin Mary but we didn’t want to bother her… – CONS: None – Free! – GPS: 16.67522 N, 93.73838 W – NOTE: Have we mentioned how much we love Camping at Pemex?

San Augustin, Oaxaca: Camped in the parking lot of Restaurant Bar Viry – (10.11.14 – 10.12.14) PROS: Camping (with electric) steps away from the beach at a bar/ restaurant. Nicest family imaginable. Super friendly street dogs became fast friends with Neli and Maya. – CONS: Cold showers and not-so-great toilets (need to fill toilet with water in order to flush). – 50 pesos/person/night. – GPS: 15.76792 N, 96.25782 W

Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca: Rancho Los Mangos – (10.13.14) PROS: Fancy RV park with all amenities and a swimming pool. Free (average) wifi. Welcome drinks!! – CONS: No ocean breeze so very hot.  Very buggy at night. Walk to the bathrooms/showers was a haul, nt very convenient – 300MXN/night although discount is available if staying longer – GPS: 15.66587 N, 96.51965 W

Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca: Cabanas de Habana – (10.14.14 – 10.27.14) PROS: camping with electric, water, (cold) showers, flushing toilets and a dedicated palapa on the beach, large variety of food vendors come by daily, quick walk to town, super fast free wifi, breakfast available for 15MXN at camp from Maria – CONS: our favorite camping in Mexico made it hard to leave – 70MXN/night PLUS 50MXN/night for electric.  We asked for a discount the second week and were charged 100MXN/night total. – GPS: 15.66313 N, 96.51643 W

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato: We rented a room behind the Cielito Lindo restaurant (11.25.14 – 01.01.15) PROS: Large, light filled room with two beds and a giant ensuite bathroom (with bathtub!) and a little balcony.  Includes all utilities including wifi, electric and propane.  Use of large communal kitchen, fully stocked.  Cleaning lady comes once a week to clean and change the sheets, blankets and towels.  CON: No fridge in the kitchen, have to use one of the beer fridges in the restaurant. – 5,000 MXN/month.

La Primavera, Guanajuato: Dry-camped in a Pemex gas station (01.03.15) – PROS: Parking is behind the office building so road noise was minimal. Clean bathrooms.  Tienda is open 24 hours.  Boasts free wifi at the gas station, although we didn’t use it. Security guard 24 hours a day. CONS: This seems to be a popular stop for buses from Guatemala (random…) so the lines for the bathroom can get long if you don’t time it right. – FREE! – GPS: 20.73422 N, 103.57710 W

San Pancho (AKA San Francisco), Nayarit: Camped at the San Pancho Parking and Campground (01.04.15 – 01.10.15) PROS: Beachfront campground. Electric and water included.  Friendly camp dogs. CONS: The toilet situation is “rustic” to say the least… some toilets flush, some don’t.  some toilets have toilet seats, some don’t.  Asking 80 MXN/person/night PLUS 50MXN/vehicle/night, we paid 150 MXN/night all in. – GPS: 20.90233 N, 105.41482 W

Teacapan, Sinaloa: Drycamping on Playa Las Lupitas/Punta Hermosa (01.11.15) PROS:  Beachfront camping with palapa.  Bathrooms on site.  Quiet and friendly expats.  Amazing sunrise. CONS: No showers.  A lot of garbage left by locals who come for the day.  – FREE! Be advised, if you show up on the weekends the locals will try to charge you 120 MXN to camp overnight.  Do not pay this fee, this is a free beach. – GPS: 22.55208 N, 105.75183 W

Mazatlan, Sinaloa: Full service camping in the Mar Rosa RV Park (01.12.15 – 01.16.15) PROS: Full service RV park with all amenities, on the beach, laundry pickup available (expensive, cheaper to drop off across the street), clean bathrooms and hot showers, security guard and gated, large cement patios at each site (some of them are tiled). English speaking manager who will help you call the ferry, etc if needed. CONS: Wifi is not included, it costs 50 MXN/day for internet (NOTE: the hotel next door has unsecured blazing fast wifi that reaches most sites here). – 300 MXN/night.  Note: There are NO discounts available unless you stay for a month.  This is not negotiable. – GPS: 23.25695 N, 106.46068 W

Gustabo Diaz Ordaz, Sinaloa: Dry camped in a Pemex gas station (01.17.15) – PROS: Right on the Mex 15. Clean bathrooms. Friendly workers. Oxxo (open 24 hours) on site with free wifi. Tacos al Guerro across the highway has delicious carne asada tacos in the evening. Super safe. CONS: Decent amount of noise from trucks using air breaks (this seemed to calm down the later it got at night). – FREE!! – GPS: 26.27252 N, 109.04123 W

San Carlos, Sonora: Totonaka Rv Park (01.18.15-01.21.15) – PROS: Full service RV Park with all the amenities. Huge bathrooms, hot showers, wifi, cable hookups if you need them, laundry room.  Water and propane trucks come every day. CONS: Wifi varies between super slow and super fast. – 24 USD/night, weekly and monthly rates are cheaper.  Pesos, dollars or credit cards accepted. – GPS: 27.96337 N, 111.02470 W

Miguel Aleman, Sonora: We filled our propane tank at a SoniGas propane filling station (01.22.15) – PROS: Propane filling station right on the highway.  No adaptors needed.  Super friendly attendant, he will carry the filled tank back to your rig for you if you want!.  CONS: None. – 154 MXN for 20 liters – GPS: 28.83952 N, 111.47083 W

Kino Viejo, Sonora: Dry camping at Islandia RV (01.22.15-01.24.15) – PROS:  Beachfront camping (in the tent area).  Electric and water hookups.  Warm(ish) showers.  Spotless bathrooms.  Friendly owners.  Walking distance to town. Large book exchange, you can even take a book without leaving one! CONS:  The park internet did not work (but the owners gave us the logon info for the office and we had blazing fast internet there.  Not sure how much of a con this is) – 120 MXN/night. – GPS: 28.82268 N, 111.94536 W

Puerto Penasco, Sonora: Camping at Playa de Oro RV Park (01.25.15-01.28.15): Full service RV park with full hookups (water, electric, sewer, etc). Nice little beach, empty since all the snowbirds stay in their big rigs all day. Helpful and friendly RVers.  Laundry room on site. CONS: Pay showers (what?!). This part of town is super run down, borderline sketchy.  Wifi is unreliable. – 22 USD/night. – GPS: 31.29627 N, 113.53508 W

San Felipe, Baja California: Camping at Kiki’s RV (01.29.15 – 01.30.15) PROS: Full service campground right on the beach. Each site comes with electric, water, a two story palapa, and a BBQ grill.  Free wifi. Clean bathrooms and hot showers. Friendly owners and campers.  Walking distance to town.  CONS:  Wifi comes and goes. – 350 MXN/night.  Discount available for week and month long stays. – GPS: 31.03433 N, 114.82772 W

Gonzaga Bay, Baja California: Wild camping right on the northern end of Gonzaga Bay (01.31.15) PROS: Beautiful location right on the bay.  We were the only campers there until the end of the day so had the place to ourselves. CONS: Pit toilets are pretty depressing. Nowhere to put garbage… – We couldn’t find anyone to pay so free for us. – GPS: 29.78940 N, 114.39533 W

Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California: Dry camping at the northern edge of the bay at La Gringa (02.01.15) PROS: Absolutely stunning camping area. Huge swath of land so you feel alone, no campers near by. Large beach for the dogs to run on. Showers are apparently available at the office. CONS: Lots of dead starfish everywhere (our dogs wanted to eat them all).  Pit toilet faces towards the camping area, no door. – Road out here is pretty rough. – 100 MXN/night. – GPS: 29.04065 N, 113.54438 W

Vizcaino, Baja California Sur: Full service campground at Kadekamen Hotel & RV Park (02.02.15 – 02.05.15, 02.11.15) – PROS: Cute hotel with space for 4 or 5 rigs.  Electric and water hookups. Blazing fast free wifi. Hot shower and clean bathrooms (with toilet paper, soap and shampoo!). Super friendly staff. Restaurant on site (expensive but good). CONS: Not really a destination, more of a stopover. Tons of burrs for you and your dogs to step on. – 150 MXN/night, payable in USD or MXN – GPS: 27.64638 N, 113.38535 W – PRO TIP: The fish taco stand across the street is amazing.

El Marasal, Baja California Sur: We filled up our water tank at a water purification center, La Gota del Desierto (02.06.15) – PROS: Convenient location with ample parking. Microfiltration, activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and ultra violet light. Thoroughly clean your garrafon. CONS: None. – GPS: 27.64425 N, 113.39177 W – 5 MXN/5 gallon garrafon

Bahia Asuncion, Baja Caliofrnia Sur: Full service camping at Campo Sirena (02.06.15 – 02.10.15) – PROS: Sandy lot on a cliff overlooking the bay.  Water and electric hookups at sites.  Free wifi (hit or miss).  Laundry available with space to hang clothes up to dry. Hot showers. Great book exchange. Super friendly neighborhood and camp dogs. CONS: Town is pretty empty. Wifi was more miss than hit… – GPS: 27.14371 N, 114.29121 W – 150 MXN/night.  Discount available if you stay a week or a month.  Sewage is more. – PRO TIP 1: Skobbler told us it would be a 6 hour drive from the Mex 1, it took less than 2 hours on the newly paved road. PRO TIP 2: Don Ramone’s Tacos is worth a stop.  Only open Saturday and Sunday.

Ojo de Liebre, Baja California Sur (02.12.15 – 02.13.15): Wild camping at Ojo de Liebre – PROS: 3 km stretch of lagoon front land.  Some campsites have palapas.  Fire-rings at each campsite. Great spot for doing a whale watching tour.  Restaurant on site. CONS: Pit toilets are the worst we’ve seen on the whole trip! – GPS: 27.74889 N, 114.01167 W – 65 MXN/night – PRO TIP:  Low volume flush toilets are available in the parking lot.

San Quintin, Baja California (02.15.15 – 02.20.15): Full service camping at Don Eddies on the estuary outside San Quintin – PROS: Full service campground so all amenities including water, electric, running water bathrooms, hot showers.  Fast free wifi. CONS:  The bathroom building is an old hotel room, the current layout of showers and toilets is bizarre.  Not close to any shops, stock up before driving out there. – GPS: 30.48550 N, 115.97821 W – 130 MXN/night, stay a week pay for 5 nights – PRO TIP:  Carman makes a delicious margarita!

Erendira, Baja California: Camped in the parking lot of Coyote Cal’s Hostel & Bar (02.21.15) – PROS: Beautiful cliffside view of the Pacific. Nice tent camping area that’s a nice alternative to hang out in other than the parking lot. Hot showers. Kitchen sink area. Non potable water available. We saw electric hookups but didn’t ask about them, assume you could plug in it you wanted to. CONS: Camping price does not allow you entrance into the hostel or use of any of the other facilities. Bar prices are outrageous, we felt like we were drinking in Los Angeles, not on the Baja. – GPS: 31.29385 N, 116.41237 W –  10 USD/person/night.  You can pay an extra 5 USD/person/night to use the hostel facilities. – NOTE: There is free beach camping right on the shore, we would probably use the free beach camping next time.

Ensenada, Baja California: Full service camping in Estero Beach Resort (02.22.15 – 02.25.15) PROS: All amenities including water, electric, wifi. Huge resort with swimming pools, hot tubs, sushi bar, and coin operated laundry room.  CONS:  Wifi disconnects frequently. Not near town at all. The dryers don’t really work.  The groundskeepers are very enthusiastic, at one point we had a guy with a leaf blowers cleaning up around us as we tried to relax in our camp chairs… – GPS: 31.77631 N, 116.61440 W – 40 USD/night.

Ensenada, Baja California: We highly recommend the dry camping at Rancho San Carlos Hot Springs (02.26.15) – PROS: Well run hot pools with a variety of temperatures.  Park anywhere, each site has a palapa, picnic table, and a BBQ grill.  Non potable water for washing dishes near campsites. Running water toilets.  Outdoor showers available next to the pools.  9 friendly dogs on site.  Access to pools is 24 hours a day, they light tiki torches after sunset. CONS: Road out to the springs is long, bumpy and includes 9 (small) water crossings. – GPS: 31.79400 N, 116.44379 W – 120 MXN/person/night (includes access to the pools). PRO TIP: For 30 USD you can book a massage.  Be aware this ‘massage’ is more like a Turkish Bath meets Thai Massage meets yoga workout. Highly recommended if you don’t mind being in your birthday suit in front and being scrubbed within an inch of your life.  We’ve never been cleaner…

Ruta del Vino, Baja California: Dry camping at the School for the Deaf RV Park (02.27.15) – PROS: Convenient stop right on the highway.  Electric hookups at every site. CONS:  No bathrooms because they were robbed of all the fixtures in 2013. No water. Sites are very uneven, even with our levelers we were still at an angle. – GPS: 32.11136 N, 116.54740 W – Cost is donation based for the school for the deaf (across the highway).  PRO TIP: There is another full service RV Park just south of here if you are looking for something more luxurious (and probably more expensive)

Tecate, Baja California: Full service camping at Rancho Ojai (02.28.15) – PROS: Former KOA right near the border with all amenities including, water, electric, wifi.  Clean bathrooms and hot showers. Free (surprisingly good) coffee.  Mini-market on site. CONS:  Wifi does not reach sites and is only available in the common room near the office. Near the highway so you hear trucks’ air brakes all night. – GPS: 32.55902 N, 116.43532 W – 270 MXN/night.  Stay two nights, only pay for one.

7 thoughts on “Where we stayed in Mexico

  1. jeanne

    What a great thing for you to do!!! We spent TONS of time exploring Baja and mainland Mexico, your comments brought back SO many memories.

    Reply
  2. mary ellen

    I’m so happy to read travel info from someone who is NOT the typical Mexico travelers, i.e., retired with a hefty pension who lives/travels only in gated locations. Most of these American-written sites about Mexico don’t apply to the average person traveling in Mexico on a budget and hope we’ll see more of these realistic Mexico travel websites. Perhaps I should begin one myself; I’m a single retired female travelers now in the Ensenada area with 2 pekingese dogs and plan to travel more around the country.

    Reply
    1. Neli Post author

      Hey Melody! We averaged less than 70 US per day for two people and two adults. If you budget around 100 a day, you’ll be more than fine! Happy and safe travels!

      Reply

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