San Felipe, A Beach in the Desert
San Felipe, A Beach in the Desert
San Felipe, A Beach in the Desert
Ever dreamed of a place where the desert meets the ocean? Dream no more because San Felipe is the epitome of sand dunes and beach. Don't believe me; take a look for yourself at http://www.patawalk.com.
San Felipe, which lies on the coast of the Sea of Cortes, was discovered by the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes as he journeyed through the peninsula of Baja California. Interestingly, he didn't pay much attention to this gift of nature and it was in fact one of his captains, Francisco Ulloa (1536), that brought San Felipe into light and named it Santa Catalina. Nevertheless, this small fishing town was quickly forgotten. It wasn't until the 1700's when Father Eusebio Kino "rediscovered" the peninsula of Baja California piquing the interest of the explorer Juan de Ugarte. Ugarte is credited with building the first ship in all of Baja California and launching an expedition of this area, which focused on San Felipe. Having set foot on these sandy beaches on the 5th day of February of 1721, being the calendar day of San Felipe de Jesus, Ugarte renamed this area as it is known today, San Felipe (meaning Saint Phillip). In the late 1700's San Felipe officially became a port and as such ships began arriving and departing. However, fishing camps didn't become a reality until 1925, when the first school and sub-delegation were built. As the transportation of goods increased, so did the amount of people traveling. This increase in business and population led San Felipe to become a well-established small town. By the 1950's, two hotels had opened its doors to the public, Hotel Augies (now Las Palmas Inn) and motel El Cortes. The 1960's saw an increase in hotels along with camping sites, but it wasn't until the 70's when people began to see restaurants, gas stations, bars, and many other services.
Today San Felipe continues to be small fishing town with the beautiful Sea of Cortes as its front yard and the incredible desert on its backyard. If you're traveling via road, you'll get to see one of nature's most awesome sights, The Valley of the Giants. Fear not, for we're not talking about the kind of giants you read of in children's books. These "giants" are actually Cardon-Cacti that date back over a thousand years. As you drive through don't forget to stop and take a picture next to one of the many giants.
Once you arrive at your destination, San Felipe, you have various options. You can either stay at a nice hotel with all the amenities such as Marina Resort and Spa (situated right in front of the famed Sea of Cortes), Playas de San Felipe (four-star hotel), or Hotel Las Palmas (which resembles small houses). If you'd like to get in-touch with Mother Nature then you have the option of staying in one of the many available camp sites. These campsites are equipped with all the necessities including showers, picnic areas, and so on. The campsites differ in that in some you can park your RV or in others simply set your tent and you're all ready to commence the San Felipe adventure.
Once you're all set why not begin your adventure by splashing about in one San Felipe's beaches. In fact, San Felipe's shore begins at the north with El Machorro and ends on the south with Estrella (Star). It is not very long; it covers but a little over 11 miles. Regardless of that, San Felipe proudly boasts of its pristine waters, calm and soothing waves, and golden-colored-smooth sands. You must take advantage of all the possibilities for activities here. If you're looking to relax, then grab your favorite book, slide into a traditional hammock, and enjoy the cool breeze. Why not recall your childhood and walk along the beach flying a kite? You might want to enjoy some sport fishing with your buds. In fact, from September through March is the best time to catch some shrimp. If you're an avid fisher, then I encourage you to enter one of the many fishing competitions held hear and hopefully you'll take home the much-desired trophy.
You can also simply walk along the main street, Avenida Mar de Cortes (Sea of Cortes Avenue), and visit one of the many shops whose goods include jewelry, traditional Mexican clothing, hand-made furniture, art, and even items made out of genuine leather. This is the perfect spot for you to pick up a souvenir or two. This main walk also has a variety of restaurants that feature traditional Mexican sea-food cuisine; this includes San Felipe's main sea food product: shrimp. At night, this place really comes to life due to the numerous bars and nightclubs. One particular bar I strongly recommend is Barefoot Bar, which is right on the beach. What's most striking about this bar is that it is decorated in an Ernest Hemingway-era, meaning equipale furniture (or hand-made rustic leather furniture) which was so representative of that era. If you're really in the party mood, then you should go to San Felipe Cantina where Tuesdays are two-for-one drinks. And of course, you can't visit San Felipe without having a refreshing drink at their most famous club, Rockodile. Oh, and don't forget to grab a souvenir.
If you're an adrenaline junkie, then grab your bathing suit and jump onto the jet-skis and speed through the Sea of Cortes. You can also sift through the waves on a sailboat, windsurf, race your friends on kayak, and immerse yourself in the ocean's depth as you dive. You can also play the part of explorer and take a boat out into Isla Consag, which is a small island discovered by Father Fernando Consag in 1746. The biggest attraction of this island is the amount of sea lions and seals that have made this place their home. You can also walk about the gorgeous greenery and you'll surely observe waves of different kinds of birds.
To further increase that adrenaline rush, then why not hop onto a quad and speed through the beautiful desert dunes. Off-road has become a staple of San Felipe. It is such a hot-spot for this sport that international events such as Baja 1000, 250 Race Ready, and Jeep Jamboree are held yearly here.
After all that beach and sand, you'll want to relax in some geothermal springs. These can be found just a few miles outside San Felipe in Puertecitos. This place has also become like a Mecca for American and Canadian retirees. It is so relaxing, that it is the perfect closing to the San Felipe experience.
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