If you’re looking for the best RV camping in Mulege, this guide will help you plan your camping trip to the lush oasis town at the mouth of the Bay of Concepcion!
While camping in Baja, you’re not going to want to miss spending a few nights in the historic town of Mulege. Mulege (or “Heroica Mulege” as its official name) is a beautiful oasis town located at the northern end of the world-famous popular beaches of Bahia Concepcion. It is just a twenty-minute drive to the pristine waters and beach camping for which the region is known.
Mulege itself is worth visiting for its small-town feel. It is truly one of Mexico’s finest towns, able to handle a lot of visitors while maintaining its quaint look and feel.
Famous for its role in defending the coast from an American invasion during the Mexican-American War, the town is full of kind but proud locals who take care of visitors as though they are family. Once you drive through the archway into the town, you’ll immediately get a sense of how tight-knit this community is.
There are not many campgrounds in Mulege proper. However, plenty of highly rated RV parks around Mulege make visiting the area quite easy.
Read on to learn more about the 4 best options for camping in Mulege as you plan and prepare for some great beach camping on Bahia Concepcion!
Camping in Mulege, Baja California Sur
There is only one campground in Mulege proper and while it is an excellent location within walking distance into town, getting through town can be a challenge. Mulege is a small town with narrow roads and sharp turns, so bringing anything longer than a 30’ motorhome will not work.
We can tell you this from experience with our 31-foot motorhome, which was terribly difficult to maneuver out of town after our stay. So, if you’re longer than 30 feet in combined length, we do not advise you to attempt to drive to Huerta Don Chano’s RV Park, as it will be challenging for you to do so.
However, several campgrounds across the river are big-rig friendly and offer full hook-ups and other great amenities such as a pool, restaurant, and incredibly friendly staff. We’ll cover all of these below, starting with the RV park in the middle of Mulege.
READ NEXT: Check out everything you need to know about all of the other great RV parks in Baja California!
Huerta Don Chano RV Park
If you are under 30’ in length, Huerta Don Chano RV Park is the only option for camping in town. You’ll actually turn off Highway 1 and travel beneath the arch and through town as if you are headed to the lighthouse past the Malecon along the Mulege River.
The drive to the RV park is only a little over 1 mile. But you will quickly see why the town is not big-rig friendly when you stop frequently for traffic to pass and you notice the low-hanging wires and often decorative flags hanging over the road.
Once you get through town and onto the road toward the beach and lighthouse, you’ll see the river on the right and follow the road for around a quarter mile before you reach the campground. You’ll see the Restaurant la Huerta before the campground. Pass the parking lot for the restaurant and turn left into a lush camping area packed with fruit trees, palm trees, and grass!
We love staying at Don Chanos because of its location—a short one-mile walk or bike ride into town or a twenty-minute drive to the beach—and because of the family that owns and operates it. Different family members own lots and sections of the campground, so you may be confused if you come back to stay here multiple times and camp in various sites.
As we say, the limit for driving in town is around 30 feet. This is also the limit for most back-in sites in the campground. All sites are mostly level and include 20A power, water and sewer hookups. Various fruit trees and other vegetation separate the spaces, and if you like hummingbirds, you can treat yourself while camping here!
Free WiFi is available throughout the campground, and it has several bathrooms with flush toilets and hot water showers. If you care to be social, try to get a site in the front of the park near or across from the office and Restaurant la Huerta. This is such a friendly place for all campers and those ex-pats who purchased houses in the back section of the campground. It’s hard not to make friends!
Over the years, because it is a great spot to camp and a nice place to rest, the Huerta Don Chano campground has become incredibly busy, so you need to make reservations in advance. We’ve been surprised at the number of times we were turned away, even during early or late times in the season when we expected most travelers would be gone.
The river views from Restaurant la Huerta are excellent, and you can park your paddleboard or kayak directly across the street or toss out a fishing line and catch all sorts of fish.
When it’s time to leave town, the best way is to follow the road back toward the front of town and stay to the left on the one-way that passes Asadero Dany on the left. This will lead to a dead end where you can either go right, which does take you to an exit through a very narrow road that leads to the arch, or you can turn left.
Turn left and this road will lead you beneath the bridge, over the river and onto a side road that leads up to Highway 1 where the “Mulege” sign is located. Huerta Don Chano is one of our favorite campgrounds in all of Baja California Sur, and if you happen to stay there, you will understand why we decided to spend a few months living there one winter season!
- Phone Number: +52 615 107 5851
- GPS: 26.89828, -111.97354
Villa Isabel Maria RV Park
If your rig is too large to fit in town, Villa Isabel Maria RV Park is your first option when heading south. It is located on the left side of Highway 1, approximately 1.5 miles past the Mulege arch. There is great, visible signage, so it is hard to miss.
When you turn off the highway, you’ll follow a short, wide, hard-packed dirt road to the campground. Turn left into the campground and follow it a short distance to the office toward the back of that lane.
This family-owned and managed campground is nice for all its amenities, including the ability to host rigs of all sizes. With spacious pull-thru sites for larger rigs and more unique camping options for smaller rigs, tent campers, or dry campers, there is a place for everyone.
Each site has full hookup options and WiFi throughout the park. Villa Isabel Maria RV Park also has a very nice pool if you want to swim.
Other amenities, such as a washing machine, are also available. Depending on the day, you may purchase delicious, hot pizza made on-site!
“Skipper,” who manages the park for his family, is a wealth of knowledge for the surrounding area. He can help you do anything and everything you want to do in the area, from arranging fishing trips to teaching you how to dig for clams. Don’t be shy if you’re looking for help organizing your time in Mulege and the nearby beaches of the Bay of Concepcion!
This is an excellent place to camp if you are passing through the area headed south toward La Paz or Cabo San Lucas or need a staging area to prepare for a few days of beach camping along the Bay of Concepcion.
- Phone Number: +52 615 111 9490
- GPS: 26.89710, -111.96430
Hotel Serenidad
Although Hotel Serenidad is the oldest campground in Mulege, camping here is often an afterthought to the hotel for which it is named. Also located on the south side of the river, approximately 2 miles from the Mulege arch and a half mile past Villa Maria Isabel RV Park, the turnoff for Hotel Serenidad is large and well-marked.
You’ll turn left off the highway onto a large, straight dirt road parallel to the small airstrip. This road is typically poorly maintained, so take it slow or get your speed up to hover over the washboards. The road will end at the hotel’s wide entrance to its parking lot.
Turn into the hotel; there are eight campsites immediately to your left. These sites all offer full hookups, although the voltage has been at or above 130V every time we have stayed here. Although higher voltage is better than lower voltage, testing it before you plug your RV into shore power is always advisable.
Smaller sites start near the entrance and increase in size as you follow the wall toward the permanent residences within the hotel compound. Please camp according to your size, leaving room for larger rigs.
You’ll pay for your spot at the hotel reception desk, a short walk from the parking lot into a different and magnificent hotel courtyard! The first time we stayed here, we were not impressed by the campground until we realized why the RV portion takes a backseat to the hotel!
As a guest, you’ll have access to a beautiful pool with a swim-up bar and a restaurant that serves delicious meals.
While all sites offer a full hookup, if you need to use the restroom, there are flush toilets and hot showers on the side of the hotel. If you stand at your campsite and face the hotel, you’ll see a “parking” sign to the left and a narrow alleyway that leads to casitas in the back of the property. The bathrooms are here to your left, and they are also quickly accessible if you exit from the hotel bar.
Over the years, one of our most frustrating issues with camping at Hotel Serenidad is that we have never paid the same price twice. We have yet to see a stated rate sheet for camping. But prices have always been reasonable, and with access to the hotel and walking along the river, Hotel Serenidad is a great place to spend a night or two and well worth paying to camp here.
- Website: http://www.serenidad.com.mx/
- Phone Number: +52 615 153 0530
- Email: reservacionesserenidad@outlook.com
- GPS: 26.89828, -111.95903
Other Camping Options In Mulege
Although not within reach of Mulege, Playa Santa Ines, 8 miles (13 km) north of Mulege, offers a more secluded retreat from the busy beaches of the Bay of Concepcion. This camping area was recently reopened, and there has been quite a push to help build its popularity.
You’ll see signs for it along Highway 1 in both directions before you reach the turnoff between KM 150 and 151. From there, it is a 4-mile drive along a dirt road that sometimes gets a bit sandy.
This is probably best for small to mid-size RVs due to the vegetation that will likely scratch larger RVs. However, the beach has the infrastructure and size to support larger rigs, and once you reach the camping area, you will be pleasantly surprised.
While it does not offer what the beaches along the Bay of Concepcion do, it provides a more secluded beach with water at each site and a common area toilet and shower at the main entrance. A wonderfully kind family maintains the property and is always excited to have new guests come and visit.
WRAPPING UP
Mulege is a charming oasis in the middle of a harsh desert that offers some of the most authentic tourism experiences in all of Baja California Sur. Whether you plan to spend an evening while passing through to or from La Paz or you’re looking for a quiet place to park your RV for a few weeks to explore the Sea of Cortez or the beaches along the Bahia Concepcion, Mulege is a great place to visit.
The RV campgrounds in the area all offer full hookups, and two of the three have restaurants with delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner options. We’re confident you’ll enjoy your time in the area and likely fall in love with Mulege just as quickly as we did on our first visit!