Playa Tecolote

It was our first trip to Baja so maybe we didn't know as much as we will in future on finding free beach camping and we also travel with a 27-foot Airstream so this certainly wouldn't apply to vanlifers with much more flexibility in where they can access.

However, for us this was one of two free beach camping sites we used in our almost three months of exploring Baja.

Pro's - It's free beach camping!
- There are restaurants and bars on the beach if you want to partake.
- You can hike into Balandra Beach from here to see a pristine beach and waters. They limit the number of vehicles than can enter the park (Balandra Beach) so being able to skip the traffic lines and hike into the remote sections to sunbath and swim in paradise is reason alone to camp at Tecolote!

Con's - Not the cleanest beach in Mexico, but we can help by picking up trash as we go each day. They did have a trash service that came by and emptied community trash cans so it appears they are trying to clean it up.
- Lots of street dogs roaming the area especially if you camp near the restaurant area.

You'll read lots of reviews about people getting stuck here and we did see four or five get themselves stuck, but in all honesty, they earned the problem through poor decision making! We did not see one camper, van, or trailer get stuck and it's pretty obvious as you enter where the other campers have driven and where the soft sand starts. Taking your minivan past all the warning signs and into the beach is probably gonna get you stuck lots of places! :)

Check out our video review on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/p6H2R5Cf58I

Ready to camp for free in PARADISE? So is everyone that camps here. And there are lots of snowbirds camped here. That's why we felt so safe. Keep in mind that Sundays here are very busy because that is family day for the locals. There will be lots of loud music and a party atmosphere Saturday night and all of Sunday. We camped here Friday and Saturday night before making our way back to a campground in La Paz and it was very quiet on those days. All you could hear was the surf and the seagulls. This is by far our favorite camping site of all time. AND it was free. There are no services here so you must be self contained but there are garbage bins. You can use the bathrooms at the nearby restaurants for a small fee or you can order something and make use of it then.

There was a pack of about 7 dogs and 5 puppies when we were there. Since they likely rely on the restaurants for food, it's a good idea to walk your dog(s) on the other side of the beach. We only had one bar of 4G LTE where we were camped but when we were behind the restaurants we had full bars of service. We had a relaxing stay and would definitely stay again.

This is a large beach with restaurants in the middle. To the west are some dunes with vegetation and to the east (where most people camp) is an open wide beach. We initially planned to park on the west side. There is another little restaurant on the western end and when we spoke with the waiter, he told us that because this beach sits just beyond a large hill to the west as the sun goes down behind the hill, it gets darker earlier. So we headed to the east side for the longer daylight.

There were quite a few RVs there and as we drove to the end and saw some decent spots along the way. But we decided to park near the entry but away from the restaurants and about 100 yards from the next RV. Those looking for privacy could also head to the end of the beach, but there is some soft sand there, and we've read reports of stuck RVs. This area can be quite windy in winter and we had a mix of wind and calm. We also read that it's not safe to leave your stuff out unattended. Not sure how that applies with the amount of people that were there, but we still brought our chairs in at night.

There is beautiful, clear turquoise water and a view of Isla Espíritu Santo to the north. On the east side there is a residence that houses a "vigilante" (watcher). We walked up a little trail up a hill that connected to a gravel road that looked like it might continue over to the next cove but we didn't go around the bend. There was a great view from there. We also kayaked on a calm day, very nice!

We ate at the westernmost largest restaurant. Food was ok, but it was a spectacular setting. Restaurants open in the late morning and seem to close at varying hours. There is no cell signal and restaurants don't have wi-fi.

La Paz is a great town that has lots of resources, but it's a winding road and about 25 minutes away. I wouldn't recommend staying here as a way of visiting the city on multiple days, it's best to stay and enjoy the beach and maybe visit town one day.

There's another beach off the same road called Balandra, it's a public beach (no vehicles) and has clear, super shallow water, worth checking out.

I stayed here 5 days camping in a tent. The first day was O.K. but the remainder of my time spent here was staying inside the tent because the wind was horrible and sand was blowing everywhere which meant sand infiltrated my tent, car and everything else that was exposed to the air. So it was not a very memorable experience staying in a tent in a place where the wind and sand were blowing the majority of the day and night. And there was no where to escape the element even behind a dune or farther away from the beach.
Another warning: if you stay on the right side of the beach be careful with any pets as there is a person who watches over the property and he has a pitbull which several people have reported has either killed or attacked their pets. So that means it is not safe to let a dog run loose on that side of the beach. And the left side has less people but the wind is even worse there.

Tecolote is a very popular place for both locals and campers/overlanders. There will be a lot of people, but don't let that scare you off. If you just drive down the beach a little farther there is some soft sand that deters most of the campers and you will be able to find some solitude. You can also camp a little further back from the beach in between some of the dunes if you need to hide from the wind. It is known to be a windy place. You can follow the dirt road out and around to find more camping that will be even more secluded, we would have probably camped there if we had not already had camp set up. The water here is beautiful and warm. Great for swimming. You can walk back down the beach to find some cell service and eat at one of the restaurants, though none of them were that great.

Sand dunes relatively free of buried feces pepper this free camping spot north of La Paz. Given the relatively few options in La Paz itself, this is a real gem (though we prefer Cafe on the Beach a bit south / closer to La Paz) which offers a corner store and two restaurants (the northernmost has better drinks, cheaper prices and the southern one has a little more "put together" atmosphere).

There was a large congregation of people dressed in bright clothing who were praising some unearthly being in the sky quite loudly, using both song and hand raising to express their desire to please him. Another group who appeared wanted to do the same, but they wore strictly white clothing. The two groups approached one another as though they'd be engaging in some good old fashioned slapstick / choreographed rumble, but alas seemed to only join forces. Whatever religion they were into, boy was their higher being happy that day.

We watched people get stuck in the sand, but didn't do so ourselves. I think our choice was the better, but to each his own.

Oh, and if you find yourself a wee bit hung over on Sunday morning and head to the restaurants, note that they don't open until 11am and by that, the mean 11:30am at the earliest, unless you're a police officer, in which case they'll make you a drink and your own meal at 9am and even though the kitchen is clearly ready to roll, us common folk still have to wait.

Good times!