Exploring Baja - Week 7: Mulegé to Mexicali

Goodbye Baja! We leave you windswept and happy.

Day 42 - Mulege to San Ignacio - 2 1/2 hours driving time

Retracing our steps north back to the US, our first stop was back in San Ignacio. Semana Santa was in full swing so local families were gathering and our favorite campground (Camping Petates) was full so we went down the road to Don Chon - also on a lagoon, and paid the host $7.50 for the night. Similar amenities with bucket flush toilets and garbage cans. We celebrated Andy’s retirement in the town square with margaritas and beer and spent the night being serenaded by bullfrogs.

Day 43 - San Ignacio to Seal Arch Cove - 2 1/2 hours driving

We by-passed Guerrero Negro and headed just north to a beach we had heard about from other travellers. A good but washboarded dirt road took us out to a beautiful rugged Pacific Ocean coast line. We opted to camp up on the bluff as the track down the the beach is infamous for people getting stuck. During our stay Andy had the pleasure of pulling the local Municipal Police out of the sand when they got stuck in their pickup.

Seal Arch Cove - upper left corner you can just see our truck.

Cove lives up to its name!

Day 44 - Seal Arch Cove to Bahia San Luis Gonzaga - 2 1/2 hours driving

Back overlannd for a final look at the Sea of Cortez! Along the way we picked up an unwelcome bolt in a tire and Andy executed a quick change. Dawn watched and took photos.

First tire change!

After the tire change, refreshment was needed and we sought out the iconic Coco’s Corner. Andy enjoyed a beer with our 93 year old host who has been welcoming desert travellers into his home for decades. He told us about his upcoming move back to the freeway so he could have more visitors. (When MEX-5 was paved the new road bypassed his place and his visitation has gone way down)

Coco’s Corner - still on the old MEX 5 dirt road, coming soon to the new paved freeway.

Coco and Andy

At Bahia San Luis Gonzaga, arriving late, we opted to camp with Papa Fernandez - dispersed sites along the dunes and a cost of $5 for pit toilets and camprings.

Papa Fernandez at Gonzaga Bay

Evening walk views at Gonzaga Bay

Learning to walk on slippery walks in flip flops - its a skill.

Day 45 - Bahia San Luis Gonzaga to Shell Beach, south of San Felipe - 1 hr drive

We left Gonzaga with a desire to find a last night on our own beach on the Sea of Cortez. We drove an unmarked road at KM 26 out to Laguna Percebu and found peace. We had a beautiful white sand beach covered in shells to ourselves.

Shell Beach, south of San Felipe at KM 26. The tide went way out, sand flats for miles

Drive back out of Shell Beach back to MEX-5

Day 46 - Shell Beach to San Felipe - 30 mins

We hit the road to explore our final town on the Sea of Cortez. After checking out a few campgrounds in San Felipe that were very big rig RV focused, we opted for Campo Turistico at the north end of town. It was quiet and we were almost the only ones there. Cost was steep at $20 for flush toilets and cold showers, but we wanted to see the town and it was easy access.

Honestly, it was not our favorite place, we were besiged with flies and were probably just plain tired. So we went for a walk along the coast into town. The views invigorated us.

Beachfront palapas at Campo Turistico, San Felipe

View of the town of San Felipe on coastal walk from the north.

We walked the malecon in San Felipe but didn’t stop - still practicing COVID care and it felt like a lot of people were out - the most we had seen since Cabos. Definitely more of a tourist oriented feel than some of the other towns we had visited that we enjoyed more (like Mulege).

Day 47 - San Felipe to Rio Hardy - 90 mins

Woke up, and found a panaderia on our way out of town (so much goodness), got the tire fixed for $7.50 and headed north again. We had been thinking about two days in San Felipe but with the crowding in town and the camp not being our favorite we decided to leave.

We landed at Campo Mosqueda in Rio Hardy. A huge campground on the river with picnic sites and camp spots, we relaxed and watched the birds. $15 and once again we basically had the place to ourselves. Nice restroom buldings with flush toilets and cold showers. But it was hot so that didn’t matter!

Day 48 - Rio Hardy to Mexicali - one hour driving

The final stretch! We drove up to Mexicali, spent the night in a basic hotel and crossed the border the next morning. No issues, no problems. Back to the US where we promptly got our first COVID vaccines and haircuts. In that order.

We loved our time in Baja - and found what made us happiest there. We appreciated the wild beauty and learning the ropes of camping remotely. But there is so much in Baja- for people who prefer the nightlife or the social fun of camping in the company of others there is plenty of that too! Nothing written in this blog is intended as a criticism - just how we found things in this time in our lives.

As we reflect on our thoughts and fears before embarking on our journey there, Shakespeare’s words ring true “I say there is no darkness but ignorance.” We started hesitantly and a little afraid, exploring new territory, and ended up in love with a new place with a character and culture beautifully all its own.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions we can answer if you are thinking about a similar journey. Thank you for reading!