Camping in San Felipe | 15 Fantastic RV Parks In San Felipe, Mexico

Are you ready to travel south of the border and look for a great first stop? Camping in San Felipe offers a great introduction to the Baja peninsula and is the perfect place to get your feet wet camping in Baja California!

Camping in San Felipe, just two hours south of Mexicali along the Sea of Cortez, is a natural first or last stop for any camper traveling into Baja California. With a variety of campground options ranging from full hookups on the beach to those within walking distance to downtown, San Felipe, Mexico, has a variety of camping options suitable for all preferences.

Plenty of things to do in San Felipe make spending a night or two in this fishing community along the Sea of Cortez worthwhile. From catching the Baja off-roading races to fishing, exploring the host springs at nearby Puertecitos or finding the most delicious fish tacos in Baja California, San Felipe has much to offer.

We must note that camping in San Felipe has generally become overpriced for the amenities that are typically offered. While we always enjoy passing through, none of the campgrounds are so spectacular that you’ll likely be inclined to spend more than a night or two as you head in any direction on Highway 5. 

The nicest campgrounds tend to be farther away from town. Most central campgrounds are pricey and don’t offer quite the same amenities that you would expect in other RV parks in Mexico. However, there are plenty of options and, with little exception, you can typically find a place to stay that suits your wants and needs.

A personal note on camping in San Felipe: We’ve given up on staying at any campgrounds we list here and instead staying at our friend Lynn’s Horses in Baja Ranch. The property is not on (or near) the beach. But for a fraction of what each of the following campgrounds charges, you won’t have a better host, and your contribution goes toward helping Lynn keep her equine-assisted therapy in the business of assisting kids with disabilities. 

But if you’re looking for a proper camping in San Felipe, here are your options.  

Camping in San Felipe, Mexico | San Felipe Campground Review

Camping options continue to appear in and around San Felipe, particularly to the south of town. The following campgrounds are your best choices for more established options.

We’ve provided our firsthand review of each option, along with contact information, so you can reserve a campsite when you visit.

Looking for campground contact and location information? Check out our 280-page paperback guidebook with everything you need to know to plan and enjoy your Baja camping adventure!

SHOP NOW!

Pete’s Camp

Pete’s Camp is a large, expensive RV resort on the north end of town before you reach San Felipe. The camping is on the beach after you pass through a self-contained ex-pat community full of permanent trailers and houses. Many campers and permanent residents here never travel any further south than this campground, as the established community is fairly tight-knit.

Regarding camping amenities, camping within an hour of San Felipe doesn’t get any better than what Pete’s offers if you are willing to make a few sacrifices in following their rules for making reservations and payments, discussed below. 

Each of the 37 campsites is beachfront along the Sea of Cortez on a level concrete pad with full hookups. There are pull-through and back-in sites for all types of RVs. Overall, the bathrooms are clean, and all power, water and sewer connections work perfectly. Showers cost an additional $2. 

At high tide, the water approaches the camping area. But at low tide, the water is drawn way out into the sea, as the tides in San Felipe can be quite dramatic.

This is an expensive place to stay, and you are not actually in San Felipe but 10 miles north of town. So, if you want to experience San Felipe, you must leave the property. But if you bring a tow car, it is an additional $35 per night. 

There is a lot of fine print for staying at Pete’s Camp. You must make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance with a check or money order payment. If you happen to find a spot last minute, only cash payments are accepted on-site. Be sure to cancel at least 2 weeks in advance or face forfeiting your entire pre-payment plus the mandatory $20 they keep as a cancellation fee. It is advisable that you book well in advance, particularly during the busy winter season.

This is not our personal favorite place to camp in San Felipe. But it does check a lot of boxes for many campers, and the reservation process confirms that during the busy season (January and February in particular), Pete’s Camp remains incredibly popular.

** BIG RIG FRIENDLY **

Campo Turistico 1

Campo Touristico 1 is located on the northern end of San Felipe just far enough away from downtown to offer more solitude and quiet than other options but still close enough that you can enjoy everything San Felipe has to offer with a 20-minute walk to the Malecon. 

It is run by a friendly Mexican family that goes out of their way to make you feel at home. With private beach accessibility at the base of a mountain, you can enjoy the incredible landscape. You can dry camp or have a 20-amp electrical service.

More established sites have palapas, fire pits and picnic tables. However, plenty of spots off the water do not offer these basic extras. 

There is also a dump station on-site, cold showers and a restroom to accommodate the 20+ sites. The on-site restaurant serves delicious food and margaritas. This is a great first stop in San Felipe before exploring other parts of Baja California.

Kiki’s RV Camping & Hotel

Kiki’s RV Camping & Hotel is located near downtown, just a few minutes walk to the Malecon. With 25 sites that can accommodate RVs of all sizes, you’ll find all the amenities you could want in a campground for a reasonable rate.

Note that if you have a rig larger than 25-30 feet long, you should call in advance, as only certain spots can accommodate larger rigs. 

The campsites are very close together, but each one has a palapa and offers full hookups with 20—and 30-amp electrical connections, Wi-Fi, and a fantastic restroom. Although no beachfront campsites are available, there is beach access through the campground.

Perhaps the best part of staying here is that the owner, Kiki, speaks English fluently and is a super-friendly and helpful person! Ask him about where to find the best fish tacos or where to go off-roading in and around San Felipe and you’ll find Kiki is a wealth of hospitality and knowledge!

Ruben’s Camp

Tucked between Kiki’s and La Palapa, Ruben’s Camp is the most rustic of the palapa-providing camps on the north end of San Felipe. While the owners are kind and helpful, the amenities offered are not spectacular. This camp is a little less welcoming and run down than those on either side. 

However, there is a restaurant and bar with beach access, and the location is ideal for walking to the restaurants downtown at the Malecon. Consistent complaints about the quality of the restrooms and the lack of maintenance may present hazards to campers.

But if the campgrounds on either side of Ruben’s is full, for the location, you’ll likely want to give Ruben’s a try. 

La Palapa RV Camp

La Palapa RV Camp is located on the north side of the Malecon, immediately next to Ruben’s Camp. The small campground has an excellent layout where you can have your very own palapa on the beach. The sites are small and close together but have full hookups. 

Surprisingly, there are only toilets and no showers at La Palapa RV Camp. But these are well-maintained. The campground also has 24-hour security, CCTV cameras, and gated security. Due to its central location, it is just a short walk to the Malecon.

Seaside Hotel & Victor’s RV Park

If you have a larger rig, Victor’s RV Park is your best bet for camping within the San Felipe town limits. It is located on the south end of town, past the downtown Malecon and on the beach. The campground is split about evenly between the casitas and hotels and the RV sites, and there is a restaurant and bar on-site to accommodate all guests. 

While you have access to everything you might need regarding the actual amenities offered to campers, the quality is just not what it should be for the price. This is a very expensive campground, but the 20A electrical connections are shoddy and should be tested before plugging in. The water spigots are often inconveniently turned toward the ground, and the sewer at most sites is nothing more than a PVC hole in the ground. 

But you have everything you need once you figure out how to level out in the campsite of your choice. There are a few beachside palapa sites available for RVs that can fit. So, you can access incredible beachfront views if you’re willing to pay a little more. A dry camping lot, equally overpriced for what it is, is available if you don’t need to hook up to power, water or sewer and want to save some money. 

The staff and owners are incredibly friendly, however. But if the campground matched the hospitality, it would be a spectacular stopover in San Felipe. Don’t be surprised if a caravan of RVs surrounds you.

Most Baja caravan companies and a few RV groups from north of the border make trips here just for a long weekend or a day between stops up and down the peninsula. You can walk to the Malecon on the beach or Avenida Mar de Cortez within 15 minutes. 

** BIG RIG FRIENDLY **

Other Camping Options In San Felipe

There are a few other camping options in town on the southside of the Malecon near Seaside Hotel and Victor’s RV Park. We have never stayed at these as they are hit or miss in terms of whether the gates are open, staff is around, the camping areas are in good condition, or the dogs are friendly. 

As such, you may find these amenable to your needs if you would rather be on the south end of town than the line of campgrounds with palapas north of town. 

• Playa de Laura
• San Felipe Camping
• Malena y Leos
• Club de Pesca

South of town, on the way to Puertecitos, many new formal and informal RV campgrounds and fish camps are popping up. We suspect that over time, many of these options will become viable camping recommendations. 

So keep an eye out for these properties to the south, and please let us know if you have any positive experiences with any so we can include them in our post updates! 

Some notable options: 

• Residence Camping
• Villa Marina Camp
• Rancho Punta Estrella
• Rancho Percebu
• Rancho Nuevo Mazatlan

WRAPPING UP

Camping San Felipe can be a great way to start or end your Baja California, Mexico camping adventure. Whether you’re looking for a place to stay for a night or two after crossing the border, need a place to stay before heading north to the US, or want to avoid the colder winters from the north, San Felipe offers something for every kind of camper.