Travel Tips & Adventures

San Felipe has become quite the hang-out for American and Canadian ex-patriots – or just, sometimes, visitors.  Although Rocky Point has a following, the name says a lot.  Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco) has rocky beaches, but a lively repeat crowd.

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.

Tags: Beach, El Dorado Ranch, Golf Course, Mexico, Restaurants, San Felipe Mexico, Scenery, Travel

This entry was posted on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 6:00 am and is filed under Beach, Food, Mexico, Romantic Locations, Scenery, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.