San Felipe Travel Guide

San Felipe is a fishing town, a tourist destination and a retirees' quiet retreat. It is a small desert beach town which sits on the Sea of Cortez. The town is in the Mexican state of Baja California (or Baja Norte) and is found within the Sonoran Desert.

San Felipe is located about 125 miles south of the Mexico/U.S. International Border down Highway 5. To reach San Felipe by car, you will pass through the city of Mexicali. You may also arrive at San Felipe from Ensenada via Highway 3 through the mountains. For fly-in travelers, the nearest airports are Tijuana or Mexicali airports in Mexico or San Diego in the U.S.

Here you will still find the romance and lore of Old Mexico's seashores. Here the desert meets the sea in amongst the desert sand dunes which are scattered with ocotillo, cacti, giant cardon and desert grasses, these merging with the sand on the seashore of Mexico. Here you will find a land of diversity where warm, humid summer afternoons seem incongruent with the winter's clear, cold desert nights. And, the spectacular desert landscape where cacti and rocky cliffs are contrasted against the deep aqua blue of the sea.

San Felipe is a town with an important fishing tradition! And the feel of the town is still that of a Mexican fishing village. Although, today there is definitely a large population of snowbirds & part-time winter visitors, retired U.S. and Canadian citizens and residents from California, U.S. who have made the shores of the Sea of Cortez their second home or weekend retreat! It seems as thought there are more foreigners than locals living here during the winter season. Estimates are that as many as a quarter of a million visitors may visit San Felipe in the course of a busy year. San Felipe is the home of the blue shrimp! You will find numerous restaurants offering a wide variety of scrumptious shrimp tacos, cocktails and dinners. Yum!

San Felipe was founded back in 1916. And, there is still a small commercial fishing port located here with a fleet of shrimp boats. You will also see dozens of panga boats beached along the shore on either side of town and along the Malecon area. Fishing is still a major part of San Felipe's economy, along with the tourism industry.

The small Malecon area includes an almost overwhelming selection of outdoor eateries. Most popular are the mariscos, or seafood, open air spots. Fresh seafood, icy cold drinks under a shady palapa overlooking the Sea of Cortez . . . what isn't there to love about that? Early risers can enjoy sunrise on the Sea of Cortez. Across the water in the early morning of sunrise, you just may be able to catch a glimpse of the landmass of Mainland Mexico – with Puerto Penasco, Sonora almost directly across the Sea of Cortez.

San Felipe offers a range of accommodations, from funky campgrounds with tree-house style camping cabins, to small motels, inviting hotels or rental condos. The entire town has a very "laid back" feel to it. There is not need to rush here. The fish tacos & cold beer will be waiting for you!

San Felipe received much attention several years ago when the El Dorado Ranch community was offering actual, real (touch the sand – it does exist!) free property! Since then, many people built eclectic beach retreats back into the desert on a long, slanting desert plain reaching in one direction to the Sea and in the other towards the mountain range to the west. Some chose to "trade up" for properties closer to the Sea and there is a gorgeous community of homes near the beach.

North of San Felipe are numerous dirt roads leading down towards the water and to small camps. One of these is Pete's Camp, originally a basic campground; today there are homes, a restaurant and bar here along with their entire itinerary of annual events. The beaches here seem to be simply encrusted with seashells and tiny sand dollars . . . tempting beyond belief for the avid beachcomber.

San Felipe sits at the far north edge of the Sea of Cortez, and experiences incredible high/low tide changes. At low tide, you may walk far out onto the sea floor and find even more treasures! The beach front area of San Felipe itself includes at least 12 miles of sandy beaches to walk.

Sport fishing is probably the most popular activities here. Fishermen may catch sierra and corvine fish. Other sports for the visitor include kayaking or hiking. The sand dunes and landscape surrounding San Felipe is perfect for off-roading. In fact, the Baja races come through this area.

San Felipe has several annual festivals, including the Blues and Arts Festival and the Shrimp Festival. You will find plenty of shopping here for all sorts of Mexican handicrafts. South of San Felipe there are miles and miles of pristine beaches. The town of Puertecitos is close to 40 miles to the south. Also, south of San Felipe is the Valley of the Giants, a place where the largest cardon cacti in the world are to be found in huge quantities!

If you want to experience an authentic small Mexican fishing village, come to San Felipe. It is almost like a step back in time to a slower pace, a quieter day, and a simpler way of life. Savor some fresh blue shrimp. Enjoy a cold drink under a palapa shade and pamper yourself with an afternoon siesta in the oldest of Mexican traditions!

Where to Go in San Felipe