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Major city · Mexico

San Felipe

Go for 2 nights if you drive: fish tacos on the malecón, the 7 m tide flats and the Baja 250. No car, no town — skip it.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
MXN
Best months
Nov–Apr
avoid Jul–Sep (heat and humidity, storm season)
Airports
SFH · TIJ · MXL
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Mexico ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) or your nearest Mexican consulate; keep proof of your entry (stamp or digital record) until you leave.
  • Mexico ↗Security advice differs by state: some governments advise against travel to parts of several states. Check your own government's advice for each region on your route.
  • Mexico ↗Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water and ice from reliable places.
  • Mexico ↗Foreign visitors to Quintana Roo (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar, Holbox) pay the state VISITAX online at visitax.gob.mx only; lookalike sites add fees.

San Felipe is a small fishing port on the Gulf of California that turned into a weekend resort for drivers from Mexicali, California and Arizona. The malecón is walkable, the beach camps sit a few km north, and the sea pulls back about a kilometre at low tide. It is a driving destination: without a car you are stuck on one strip.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about San Felipe, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeMXN 40–70
  • Street or quick mealFish tacoMXN 35–70
  • Beerbottle at a bar / case at a distributorBottle deposit applies on cases.MXN 40–70MXN 350–500
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekMXN 250–500
  • Budget bedBeach camp pitch (own tent or RV), a night, per personMX$150 (≈ US$9)
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room in town, a night, per roomMX$1,600 (≈ US$90)
  • High-end bedMotel double room in town, a night, per roomMX$3,000 (≈ US$170)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget MX$700 (≈ US$40) · Mid MX$1,500 (≈ US$85) · High MX$3,000 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Fish tacosSeven-metre tides on the Sea of CortezBaja 250 off-road raceBeach camps and RV parksShrimp boats in the commercial harbour
Airports
SFH San Felipe International (general aviation) (Small field a few km south of town; mostly private and charter traffic — check current commercial service.) · TIJ Tijuana (Cross the border and drive; about 4–5 h via Mexicali or Ensenada.) · MXL Mexicali (Closest crossing for the short desert run south on Highway 5.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

San Felipe: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

20°C

8°C

2 rd

Feb

22°C

9°C

2 rd

Mar

25°C

12°C

1 rd

Apr

29°C

15°C

1 rd

May

33°C

19°C

0 rd

Jun

37°C

23°C

0 rd

Jul

39°C

27°C

1 rd

Aug

39°C

27°C

2 rd

Sep

37°C

25°C

2 rd

Oct

32°C

19°C

1 rd

Nov

26°C

13°C

1 rd

Dec

21°C

9°C

2 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk the malecón; everything else needs a car. There are no local buses. Long-distance buses from Mexicali drop you in town but do not serve the beach camps. Beach driving is a bad idea: soft sand and a fast tide will bury a 4x4.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Valle de los Gigantes (cardón cactus reserve)

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Drive south on Highway 5, then the signed turn-off

Old cardón cacti on a desert reserve; go early, carry water, no shade.

Puertecitos

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h each way

Paved Highway 5 south along the gulf

Small hot-springs village; the last stretch is rough in places — check road conditions.

Bahía de los Ángeles

overnight

Door to door: 5–6 h each way

Highway 5 south, then Highway 1

Too far for a day return; sleep there and continue north or south.

Mexicali

caution

Door to door: About 2 h each way

Highway 5 north through the desert

Useful for the border, fuel and a bigger city; not a sightseeing day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Malecón / downtown

Bars, restaurants and motels within walking distance; best if you want to park once.

Beach camps north of town

Campos and playas with palapas, bathrooms and some showers; a few km out, so you need a car to reach the malecón.

South of town near the harbour

Larger hotels and condos with pools and beach frontage; quiet, car needed.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
MXN 700–1,200 excl. bed
Mid
MXN 1,200–2,200 (≈ US$65–120) excl. bed
High
MXN 2,200 (≈ US$120)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room in town1 × 2 nights × MX$1,600MX$3,200
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × MX$1,500MX$6,000
Fish taco lunch on the malecón2 × MX$150 · checkMX$300
Boat fishing trip with a local skipper2 × MX$1,200 · checkMX$2,400
eSIM, about a week of data2 × MX$350MX$700
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeMX$1,260
Trip total≈ MX$3,465 per person per day, bed includedMX$13,860≈ US$750

2026 estimate in pesos; fuel and border costs excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Fish tacoMXN 35–70
Plate of shrimp (camarones)MXN 180–320
Beer: bottle at a bar / case at a distributorBottle deposit applies on cases.MXN 40–70 / MXN 350–500
CoffeeMXN 40–70
Beach camp pitch, per nightMXN 150–400 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekMXN 250–500

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The town is calm and the malecón is fine at night. The real risks are the tide, summer heat, desert driving and unlit Highway 3 — not crime.
  • Do not park on the beach. The tide comes in fast and can reach a car or bike within minutes.
  • Fill the tank before leaving Mexicali or San Felipe; fuel stops on Highway 5 are few.
  • Carry extra drinking water for the desert drive.
  • Expect Mexican Army checkpoints on Highway 3 and around San Felipe; keep ID and vehicle papers handy and state your destination.
  • Highway 3 has potholes and a poor reputation after dark — drive it in daylight.
  • Fishing from a boat needs a permit; collecting clams and shellfish is for locals only.
  • Most vendors take US dollars, but pesos usually give a better rate.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Tourist assistance (SECTUR)
078
Green Angels roadside help
078

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

San FelipeSan Felipe

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Tourist assistance078
  • Green Angels roadside help078

Embassy

No US or other consulate in San Felipe; the US consulate general is in Tijuana and embassies are in Mexico City.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Bus Mexicali → San Felipe: about 2 h; fare check with the operator
  • Drive Tijuana → San Felipe: about 4–5 h via Mexicali or Ensenada; tolls and fuel extra (check)
  • Boat fishing trip, half day: from about MXN 1,200 (≈ US$65) per person (check)

Say or show

  • Disculpe — Excuse me / Sorry (dees-KOOL-peh)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRAH-syahs)
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-toh KWES-tah)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (lah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR)
  • ¿Dónde está el baño? — Where is the toilet? (DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh)

Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants; MXN 20–50 for porters and boat helpers.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for San Felipe. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–Apr · avoid Jul–Sep (heat and humidity, storm season) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 7 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for SFH and the Tijuana and Mexicali crossings: border wait times, last fuel, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: malecón, downtown, north beach camps, south harbour.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (malecón, harbour, Valle de los Gigantes) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Tide and heat fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Mexico

Sources