Recreation

Fishing

Even though you’ll hear seasoned area anglers pine for the good old days, the San Felipe [1] fishing scene is still the big draw—for visitors and retirees alike. Croakers can be found year-round, but the peak months for cabrilla, yellowtail, sierra, and grouper are May–October.

Head north above Punta San Felipe for the best onshore fishing. You can still fish from shore without a license, so all you need are a shore rod, food and water, and some lures.

There are multiday trips available to the Midriff islands 400 kilometers to the south. These trips are usually six-day fishing marathons and involve large 100-foot-plus fishing vessels. The term “mothership fishing” refers to the 6–10 pangas that the larger vessels carry with them. It takes around 24 hours to reach the fishing grounds from San Felipe. From there, the pangas typically head out with three anglers each for a morning and afternoon run. Everyone pitches in to make bait during the night.

Tony Reyes Fishing Tours (Mar Bermejo 130, tel. 686/577-1120, www.tonyreyes.com [2]) and Baja Sportfishing (tel. 800/770-2341, bajasportfishinginc.net) operate these long-range trips. Prices for the week run US$1,000–1,350 and include everything but tip, drinks, and tackle.

Boating

You can launch your own boat at the Motel El Cortez, Ruben’s Trailer Park, or the San Felipe Marina. Baja Directions (www.bajadirections.com [3]) has an updated and detailed atlas for the Baja sportfishing areas, including boat ramps, bathymetry, and gas stations.

Golf

Las Caras de Mexico Golf Course (tel. 686/576-0517, www.lascarasdemexico.com [4]) is an 18-hole, 7,200-yard course that opened in 2005. It’s part of the El Dorado Ranch and La Ventana del Mar developments. Greens fee are US$25–50 and carts are complimentary. No need to pack your clubs; you can rent a pro bag of TaylorMades (US$30/18 holes, US$15/9 holes).

The turn for La Ventana del Mar is 11 kilometers north of San Felipe [1] at Km. 176.5. A mountain course on the other side of highway is under construction.