RV Camping in Baja, Mexico

For the winter of 2019, we spent a good chunk of it RV camping in Baja, Mexico. While there are fewer options than there used to be, we still found plenty of places to drop the jacks on the Baja Peninsula. If you are smaller and more nimble than our 34 ft. class A motorhome, you will have even more options.

Resources you use to find campgrounds in the U.S. might not be helpful in Mexico. We definitely had to switch up how we found places to stay.

iOverlander

By far, the most useful app for RV camping in Baja, Mexico was iOverlander. You will find free and paid sites on here. And the free boondocking listings will give you an idea whether or not you can get there with a larger rig. Use the app or their website. 

Campendium

Our favorite app in the U.S. is Campendium and we still used it in Mexico but there wasn't as much information available.

Traveler's Guide to Camping Mexico's Baja

Lorena had a copy of the Traveler's Guide to Camping in Mexico's Baja and we were later gifted an older copy. You will find yourself in places without cell signal while traveling through Baja. It's not a bad idea to have an old school paper resource.

Are you planning an RV trip to Baja, Mexico? Here are all of the places we stayed with our RV.

A few things to keep in mind:

Okay, on to the camping spots in Baja, Mexico!

Playa Bonita - San Felipe, Baja California

Our first stop in Mexico was San Felipe. We arrived a couple of days behind a caravan of about 50 RVs. They were all in one RV park, though, so we just had to find another one that could take three class A motorhomes.

That place turned out to be Playa Bonita. While we managed to get in and out of there, if you're longer than 34 ft. or not comfortable maneuvering into tight spots, this campground might not be for you.

Each site had its own palapa and full hook-ups. There was a bathroom with showers but it was rustic and there was no hot water at the time of our visit. The website says $20-45 USD per night. I think we paid $30-35.

Depending on your site, you may have water views. If not, the beach is accessible from the campground and you can catch beautiful sunrises and sunsets here.

Puertecitas, Baja California

Did someone say hot springs with an ocean view? Sign us up! The down side? You've gotta travel Mexico's dreaded Highway 5 to get there. But, the part from San Felipe to Puertecitas isn't the worst part.

There wasn't much to the campground but you do get to pull in and have a beautiful water view outside your front window. Plan ahead and bring firewood for a lovely campfire on the beach. It was 350 pesos per night which ends up being around $17-18 USD. 

The setting for the hot springs was so beautiful. If you want to stay here and enjoy the springs, make sure low tide is at a convenient time. Otherwise all but the hottest pools will be covered up. And the hottest ones are too hot for soaking.

These hot springs are a bit stinky with sulfur so make sure you have an old bathing suit available in case the smell lingers. We didn't have too much problem with that.

Local Plaza - Villa Jesus Maria, Baja California

Oh man, the rest of the ride down Highway 5 was ROUGH. We all made it with only minor problems but we do not recommend this route for larger RVs. If you want to see how rough, go check out our video on YouTube.

We wanted to make it to Guerrero Negro, but couldn't quite get there before dark so we ended up camping on the town square in Villa Jesus Maria. It was free, pretty quiet, and no one bothered us. What more could you ask for?

Malarrimo - Guerrero Negro, Baja California

In Guerrero Negro, we stayed at Malarrimo. It's a restaurant, motel, RV park and you can book grey whale watching tours here.

The sites are nothing special, just a place to park with hookups around the back or side of the restaurant and motel. The bathrooms were pretty clean and the showers were nice and had hot water but at certain times the pressure was low. Cost per night was around $12.

As you can see, the parking is pretty tight.

The restaurant didn't have anything vegan but chips and guac so we didn't eat there. The location is convenient and you can walk to several markets from here.

San Lucas Cove RV Park - Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur

Our overnight spot just south of Santa Rosalia was San Lucas Cove RV Park. And it was a beautiful spot! You could park right on the water for 235 pesos (about $12) or a row back for 180 pesos (about $9). We chose the row back for easier in and out and we didn't even have to unhook the cars. There is no office. Someone will just come find you to pay.

The cove itself was beautiful. The water was clear and we got to see rays mating! Both the sunset behind us and the sunrise over the water were lovely.

The bathroom and shower was nothing special but it was serviceable and had hot water. 

This is the first campground on our travels south where we've encountered a bunch of seasonals that come every year and stay through the winter. Some people take their RVs back and forth but most just leave them down here. Often they build up decks, landscaping, and other touches of home around their spots.

Old molo boondocking - Loreto, Baja California Sur

When we rolled into Loreto the campgrounds were full so we headed just south of town to a boondocking spot by an old pier. These are the kinds of spots that iOverlander excels at categorizing. We found the information left by other travelers to be pretty accurate. 

There was nothing fancy about this spot but we all three fit and it was pretty quiet. And you are right next to the Sea of Cortez. There were no facilities but there was a trash can.

Aquamarina RV Park - La Paz, Baja California Sur

Our first stop in La Paz on the way south we stayed at Aquamarina RV Park. You can tell that at one time it was a lovely park but the elderly owner might be having trouble keeping it in shape. She is forgetful so you might want to get a receipt when you pay.

All the sites had full hook-ups and cost 500 pesos (about $25) per night. The shower was clean and had hot water. The park is surrounded by a fence and you will get a remote to open the gate when you check in. 

The park itself was convenient to town. You could walk or bike to see the sights. Don't count on it being open, though. We heard reports that they couldn't pay to have the sewer pumped out at one point.

Playa Norte RV Park - Buenos Aires, Baja California Sur

If you would enjoy watching whales from your campsite and listening to rays leap out and slap the water, Playa Norte is where you want to be. All that for about $40 a night. Or, you can stay further back in the campground for less. You can stay for even less, for free, at boondocking spots to the north and south of the campground.

The bathrooms here are nice but you might not have hot water if someone has just run through a bunch of laundry. Speaking of laundry, bring close pins if you want to use it - they don't have dryers but they do have plenty of clotheslines. We didn't use the washers and instead took ours into town for wash & fold.

On calm days, people bust out their kayaks and stand up paddle boards. On windy days, it's time for wind surfing and kite boarding. During our 2-week stay, there were definitely more windy days than calm but we did have both in that time period.

Don't forget to close the gate! Otherwise one of the free-range cows might come into the campground for a visit.

It's a short bike ride into Los Barriles, a cute little town. You'll find just about everything you need here. There are bars, restaurants, coffee shops, groceries, vegetable stands, services and more. 

Vagabundos del Mar - Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

Vagabundos del Mar used to be a beautiful campground until a hurricane hit. And it got hit hard. The campground was flooded and covered in sand. Vehicles were slammed into palapa supports. And now the owner is trying to sell it. Technically it isn't open. But we stayed there anyway.

There were three spots towards the front that were cleared out and all the services were working. So we stayed here because the convenience of this spot to all the sights in Cabo San Lucas couldn't be beat. Hopefully someone will buy this place and restore it to its former glory.

Tortuguetos Las Playitas - Todos Santos, Baja California Sur

Our main reason for visiting Todos Santos was to catch a turtle release. Tortuguetos Las Playitas combs the beaches in the winter time for turtle nests that wouldn't survive the colder temperatures. Then they let them incubate in a greenhouse on the beach. When the turtles hatch, they do public releases at sunset.

When we first hit Todos Santos, we were going to try to stay at an RV park in town. But it was full and we probably wouldn't have all fit in there anyway. And we're glad we didn't fit there because otherwise we wouldn't have found one of our favorite boondocking spots yet.

Right next to Tortuguetos Las Playitas, there's space for at least half a dozen RVs. Right on the beach. With views of the crashing surf of the Pacific Ocean right out your front window. 

Of course, the down side to this free beach camping spot is the road to get there. It's a little rough. Make sure everything is secured because you will be a rockin'. But it's so worth it.

Also, make sure you pick a spot on the other side of the dunes. If the people in the million dollar homes can see your RV they will bitch about it. And, a few sources say the other side of the dunes is the legal place to park.

Next time we'll definitely stay here as long as our tanks last.

Campestre Maranatha - La Paz, Baja California Sur

It was sad to be heading back north after our time in RV camping in Baja, Mexico but we had some events back in the U.S. that we had to attend.

We stayed in La Paz again on the way north to catch the Carnival festivities. If you happen to be in the area around Fat Tuesday, put this on your list! It's similar to Mardi Gras but much more family friendly.

This time all of us met up with Richard and Cheryl at Campestre Maranatha. This place had a pool although we were a bit too busy seeing the sights and enjoying Carnival to use it. The bathrooms were nice and the park is located just outside of town. It felt safe there and there was even a coffee shop on the premises, but we didn't go in.

I have no photos here, but just imagine a gravel lot with a bit of landscaping and trees scattered around. It was nothing fancy but got the job done.

Hacienda La Habana - Mulege, Baja California Sur

For a change of pace, and so we could have internet access during the week before we headed to the next spot for the weekend, we stayed at Hacienda La Habana which is in a citrus orchard in Mulege. And the owner will invite you to pick all you want! They even have a citrus juicer you can use.

Hacienda La Habana also has a pool and this time we did use it. It was a little cold but they did heat up the water by running it through a pipe in the sun and dumping it back into the pool. If you're cold, hang out near that pipe.

You will travel a dirt road to get here, but that's true for most places in Mexico so isn't that notable. The bathroom was lovely and had plenty of hot water. The grounds were grassy with views of mountains all around. It was hard to believe it was just a few miles from the coast. It looked so different.

You can stock up on produce from the organic farm next door. This would also be a good base to see the area if you wanted to make sure to have hook-ups and internet access. Full hook-ups run about 300 pesos ($15 USD.)

Playa Santispac - Mulege, Baja California Sur

We saw the RVs camping on the beach at Playa Santispac on the way south and knew we would stop here on the way back north. It took some planning though because there is no cell signal here at all. So we had to plan our stay for a weekend.

Bring your kayaks and stand up paddle boards for the calm, shallow, clear water.

If you get up for the sunrise you might catch one as beautiful as we did. I don't know if we'll ever top this one.

There is a hot spring here, so we had to search it out, but it looked pretty nasty.

You'll find a couple of restaurants here but we didn't go in either. 

If you're up for a challenge, there is a dump station. We didn't bother trying to back our rig into it. If you need to use it, scope it out first. It cost about $10/night to stay here.

Mario's Tours - Guerrero Negro, Baja California

We stopped in Guerrero Negro again on our way north. This time we camped at Mario's Tours instead of Malarrimo. Having stayed at both now, we liked Malarrimo better, but Mario's is right on Highway 1 and is an easier in and out. Plus, they had ripped up the road into town that we would have needed to take to get to Malarrimo.

It's about $15 a night for full hook-ups. In theory. We choose not to use the electrical here. The bathroom got the job done but was nothing special. There's a restaurant here but we didn't go in.

Cielito Lindo Motel & RV Park - Venustiano Carranza, Baja California

We're flying north at this point so not many photos or sightseeing. We arrived at Cielito Lindo Motel & RV Park after driving all day in the rain. The RV and car were so muddy! So we didn't check out the restaurant, bathrooms, or grounds.

But, we did take time in the morning to walk over to the beach. And were we glad we did! The swirling patterns in the sand were beautiful.

We found lots of sand dollars here.

And it was just us. Not another soul in sight!

La Jolla Beach RV - La Jolla, Baja California

When you're going to pass by the world's second largest marine blow hole, you've gotta stop and check that out. So we camped at La Jolla Beach RV just south of Ensenada.

Does it get old watching us pull up to an ocean view? We certainly didn't get tired of it!

The campground was just about empty for our visit. The bathrooms had hot water but it was salt water. So it felt great but not totally cleansing.

That blow hole, La Bufadora, was about 5 km down the road. Be prepared to walk a gauntlet of merchants all selling pretty much the same stuff. But the blow hole itself put on quite a show! Get there about an hour before high tide for best results.

Popotla Mobile Home Park - Rosarito, Baja California

We've reached our last stop for RV camping in Baja, Mexico.  Popotla Mobile Home Park caters mostly to seasonals but does have a few spots for travelers. Mind the turn in - it's a little tight for bigger rigs.

It costs about $30 per night for full hook-ups and for some reason doesn't include access to the pool. But we did get a fantastic view including a lovely sunset.

If you get bored here, it's about a 30-40 minute drive into Tijuana. We drove over there for dinner one night. Driving at night here is a little scary though because they don't light up the roads at all. 

And that's about all we have for you about RV camping in Baja, Mexico. If you have any questions for us about RVing in Mexico or any of these camping spots, get in touch by leaving a comment below! That way our answers will help the next person reading this. 🙂