Discover San Felipe

Giant Cactus National Park

Enjoy a San Felipe excursion tour to view the giant cacti. The tour takes you on a breathtaking journey through a protected area in the national park.

Once you arrive at the national park, you will be walking through the park at noon when the sun is right above. The following times will come in handy:
• Sunscreen / Sunblock
• Water
• Comfortable walking shoes. It does get dusty so avoid shoes with suede or similar material.

Fishing is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by the entire family and is fairly safe to do on the Gulf of Mexico as the waters are mostly calm.

Baja Fishing

As a town which once relied solely on fishing, fishing is fun and fantastic thing do in San Felipe while on vacation. There are two categories of fishing in San Felipe: fishing for pleasure and Hardcore Fishing. Fishing for pleasure refers to a fishing trips that last a few hours to a half day. Hardcore fishing involves setting out for a few days down the Sea of Cortez to catch some of the biggest fish you will ever see; certainly an experience of a lifetime. Here we are going to talk about pleasure fishing as this is what most vacationers to San Felipe look to do.

The best time to set out for fishing is early in the morning, usually before 9 AM. For a few hours of fishing to half a day of fishing, you can hire one of the pang boats at the Malecon in downtown San Felipe.

To get there, simply head down Chetumal Blvd until you get to a T-junction, you are now on the Malecon street called Costero. You should now be able to see lots of panga and bigger boats lining the shores. The panga boats usually have life jackets, these are not handed out before you head out, so you want to ask the boat captain to confirm there are life jackets onboard. The boat captain and usually one crew member who will accompany you and provide all the fishing rods and baits.

Price per person starts from 30-60 dollars and includes fishing rods, bait, and license. You will never forget this experience!

Famous for sand dunes around town in San Felipe, riding ATVs on the sand dunes is always a fun activity for vacationers.

Atv Rentals in San Felipe

San Felipe is famous for the annual BAJA 250 races which are held in the 2nd week of March. This race relies on San Felipe’s unique landscape, which borders the desert and the sea, to challenge the best dune racers in the world. The dunes, however, are open to the public the rest of the year. Because of this, road enthusiasts and nature lovers make up a good number of San Felipe vacationers. You will see and hear lots of dirt bikes, ATV`s, and dune buggies riding through town headed for the open desert or the nearby sand dunes at the southern edge of town. Being legal to ride on streets and highways, this is the transport of choice for many people staying in the area.

Before you take charge of the ATV and head off, you will be required to sign a rental contract which absolves the rental company of liability. Also, you are responsible for any damage to the ATV. So if you are new to riding ATVs, you will want to take your time getting comfortable with its handling.

Puertecitos is just 90km (or 55 miles) away from San Felipe. You will be traveling South on Mexico 5 highway.

Puertecitos Hot Springs

The extreme tides of the water surrounding San Felipe and Puertecitos cause the formation of hot springs. Puertecitos hot springs are right on the Sea of Cortez. At high tide, most of the springs are covered, as the sea recedes, various springs of water are formed with different temperatures that are fun to sit and relax in. As the water recedes, some springs may start getting too warm for comfort. When this happens, just hope on over to the next spring towards the Sea!

The road from San Felipe to Puertecitos has received a makeover but is not completely smooth all the way through. Expect a drive time of an hour. Due to unpredictable opening hours of gas stations in Puertecito, it is recommended you start your journey to the springs with a full tank of gas.

Gate for the hot springs is just a few dollars -$5. Although, I have heard that sometimes the gate fee is waived.

Flying in AN Ultralight Plane

Fly high above San Felipe in an ultralight plane with the best tour guide in town – Raphael the pilot. Get breathtaking views of the city and mountain ranges from the sky. Recent price was $50 for a half an hour flight.

As you fly high across San Felipe mountains and the Sea of Cortez, be sure to have your camera on the ready – you`re going to be clicking away as these are shots you`ll want to share with everyone.

To catch a plane ride, just keep your eyes in the sky and look out for Raphael, when you see him, give him a wave. Just make sure you`re in an open area where Raphael can land with his plane. The good thing is very little space is needed for landing and taking off. For guests vacationing in El Dorado Ranch, the private beach is a popular place to hang out to catch a ride on the plane. It`s a two-seater plane, so only the pilot and one passenger at a time can go for a ride.

As you approach the island, you begin to notice rock formations majestically rise from below the sea level and creating an imposing presence in the middle of the sea. From a distance, the rock formations look like they are snow covered. This is not the case. This is only bird droppings lighting up the rocks.

Wildlife Watching at Konsag Island

Perhaps one of the best-kept tourist attraction secrets in San Felipe Mexico is Konsag island (Isla Consag or La Rocka as called by San Felipe natives).

The easiest way to get to the island is to charter a boat from the Malecon in downtown San Felipe and head on a 23 miles (45-minutes) to the island. This is about the halfway point between San Felipe and Puerto Penasco.

The Sea of Cortez is generally calm, however, depending on the winds, the water could get a little choppy. So if you are prone to seasickness, you will want to take Dramamine or another similar drug. Tip – combine the trip to Konsag Island with a fishing trip. Simply charter a boat and tell the captain you want to go fishing at Konsag Island. This way you get to see the island and fish all on one trip.

Banana Boat Rides

Banana boat rides are suitable for all ages. The panga boat captains are usually very accommodating and will speed the boat up or down depending if there are kids on board. Everyone gets a life vest, so if you do fall off, you will be floating and the captain will circle back to pick you up. Getting back on the boat after being thrown off is part of the fun!

Banana boats seat up to 6 adventurers and you pay $20 – $30 for a 30-minute ride. Be sure to negotiate the rates before you go on the ride. Best place to rent these boats are along the Malecon in downtown San Felipe.

SHELL BEACH SAN FELIPE

What makes Shell Beach popular you may ask? From the name shell beach, you probably figured out this beach has a vast collection of shells. And you will not be disappointed.

To get to Shell Beach, you will need to head South of town via Mar de Caribe towards the San Felipe Airport. Follow this road and turn unto San Felipe – Puertecitos Highway 1. You will be heading towards the KM 12 marker along the highway.

To ensure you are heading in the right direction, you will pass along several communities including La Perla del Mar, Villa Marina R.V. Park until you reach the Punta Estrella Beach sign. At Punta Estrella sign, make a left and drive down to the beach. You have arrived at Shell Beach, San Felipe.

Clamming at El Dorado Ranch beach

Have you thought about going clamming while on vacation? If not, then you should, as this is a fun activity for families with kids as well as couples looking to get away for some quality time together. And San Felipe Mexico is just the place to go clamming.

Clamming along the shores of the Sea of Cortez in San Felipe is ideal for several reasons. For one, the extreme tides in San Felipe cause the clams to come closer to shore and when the tide recedes you can have lots of fun walking along the shore looking for signs of clams and digging them up. All you need is a rake or shovel. If you forgot to bring one, ask us, as we may have extras. Also, you can always pick one up in town for a few bucks.

Clamming is a great opportunity for kids to see the animals they learn about in school. Often times the hunt for the biggest clam turns into a competition and brings out the scientist within them.