Beach at sunrise

Although I stayed only one full day, it was a very full day with visits to shops, a nightclub (Rockadile), the beach, spacious condos, palatial houses, and well-landscaped common areas and golf course. They actually use shells as ground cover!  Also, roads in the new El Dorado Ranch housing are hard-tamped down caliche, not asphalt, which cuts down on heat retention and is more environmentally friendly.

The mercado

One strong memory is walking to the malecon (the boardwalk) and the aroma of vendor’s shrimp wafting tantalizingly in the air from a block away.

San Felipe International Airport

We also were shown the airport, the hospital (not large, but at least there is one with a 7-bed trauma center), shops to buy everyday items and seafood fresh from the sea that day.

San Felipe - the beach

And, the strongest memory was the beach.  It was sooo relaxing just walking on the shore.  That’s what I would have liked to pack up and take home with me.

If you are planning to stay more than 180 days, you’ll need a Mexican visa, but otherwise, you’re welcome to stay.

We stayed in a hotel that didn’t make us want to spend another night (not up to American standards of cleanliness and furnishings), but I understand that at least one new hotel has been built since our visit that is lovely and more modernized.

I would recommend checking into renting a home.  Every house we saw in El Dorado Ranch was gorgeous and had a great view!

Another great view

Some culture shocks

Don’t expect to get your mail in a big hurry.  It is delivered to Calexico and shuttled daily to San Felipe.  But that daily is not the daily you expect from the USPO.

Cash is the preferred method of payment.  The dollar is currently worth almost 13 pesos, a better exchange rate than we had during our visit.

Be prepared to spend time at the border when you head north to the USA.  We were on a bus. Everyone had to get off, walk through customs and wait to have passports reviewed.  It took a while for everyone to pass muster.  Kind of undoes the relaxation that had set in on the trip!  Now, we were tense at having to be scrutinized at the US border crossing.

Travel is always a broadening experience.  New people, sights and experiences!

And, hopefully, you don’t spend the post- travel time regretting your eating if the trip really was a “broadening experience.”

NOTE: Mexico is working hard to overcome some negative stereotypes.   Everyone we saw was friendly and some of the scenery was spectacular.  Ah, the beach!  Also, San Felipe gets very busy with students during traditional Spring Break.  If you want a peaceful experience, choose another time to visit San Felipe.

Travel with us later this week and for the next several blogs on a trip on the railroad – Verde Canyon Railroad, a cowboy dinner theater (Blazin’ M), and spooky Jerome.  A visit to Verde Valley  - Arizona.

By contrast, San Felipe has soft, sandy beaches that are a joy to stroll on or as a place to cast out a line for fishing. And, if you need a break from these arduous “efforts,” you can stroll over to the malecon (the boardwalk) if you are downtown or by the shore almost anywhere.  The Sea of Cortez that encircles San Felipe is calm and never seems to create rough waves – there is no undertow or rip tides.

El Dorado Ranch

Frida Kahlo presides over the 16th hole (a par 5 hole)

The largest ex-pat community in San Felipe is the development called El Dorado Ranch.  With a fabulous clubhouse with restaurant (Pavilion Restaurant) adjacent to their own 18-hole golf course, El Dorado Ranch is very attractive as a social center for those on vacation or the transplants who want to retire or visit seasonally.  There is also a casual restaurant, La Palapa, where people can sit by the pool and even enjoy a manicure.  Juanito’s Cantina is also casual, by the beach, in El Dorado Ranch.

Poolside at La Palapa

Rentals are available in El Dorado Ranch for a short or long-term stay – houses, condos, apartments, and hotels are all options.

Mexican law has changed so that it is possible for those who are not Mexican citizens to own property.  El Dorado Ranch has built upon that opportunity, allowing American and Canadian citizens to build reasonably priced homes, with some space and a view of the Sea of Cortez.  The development has every lot situated so that the homes are staggered and, with the slight incline as you travel further from the beach, everyone has a water view.

Everyone has a water view

The only drawback we saw when touring the area was that homes further from the beach would need to have water delivered to a tank at their property.  Homes on the oceanside of the highway were on a piped-in water supply, but they were the pricier lots.

The scenery and space are very enticing, but one of the best parts of the community is the friendliness of everyone we met!

A little knowledge of Spanish can be helpful in San Felipe, but at El Dorado Ranch, you can be easily understood: everyone knows English.

More later this week on a short visit to San Felipe and longer stays.

On our way to San Felipe and a tour of El Dorado Ranch community, a bus tour took us through Yuma, into Mexicali on the Mexican side of the border, and on down Highway 5 for a two-day tour of the picturesque community.

Customs heading south were a breeze – the tour guides told us to expect some Mexican officials to walk through the bus.  They did.  I guess we looked inoffensive,since no one was stopped or questioned more closely.

Then, we started driving.  Along the way in Mexicali and other well-populated parts of the area, we even saw a Costco – and wondered if they sold lots of hot dogs like back in the U.S.

On the road to San Felipe

And, then we drove for what seemed like forever.  For segments, the highway was two-lane and narrow, at that.  The bus driver, experienced on this drive, was not fazed by how narrow the road seemed.

Are we there yet?

Arriving in San Felipe

Finally, after about three hours of driving from Yuma, we found our destination, which was actually on both sides of the highway.  We were to be guests of the El Dorado Ranch community that was hoping we would be interested in spreading the word about their developing retirement community.

Just as in other real estate, location, location, location is the mantra of the day.

And, San Felipe has quite a location!

Located on the Sea of Cortez on the eastern Baja Peninsula, San Felipe is a juxtaposition of the old and modern.  A fishing village is at the center of the old town, with a boardwalk (the “malecon”), shops and even a couple of nightclubs.

Low tide on the beach

The fine, white sandy beaches are mesmerizing.  Anyone who loves the lure of the ocean could probably just walk the beaches or stare at the ocean for hours. The water is calm and, especially during low tide, the water’s edge leaves a long distance to travel to the shore.

Come back Monday as we explore more of San Felipe…