Playa Tecolote | Wild Camping

Mexico

Details

Verified:
20 days ago
Altitude:
3.1 masl
Website:
None
Contributor:
Life Remotely

Amenities

Electricity:
No
Wifi:
No
Kitchen:
No
Restaurant:
No
Showers:
No
Water:
No
Toilets:
No
Big Rig Friendly:
No
Tent Friendly:
Yes
Pet Friendly:
Yes

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Description

MODERATOR NOTE: WARNING! Thefts and vandalism reported in this location. Please use caution.

Attention: You might get stuck in the sand here. Be careful.
.....
This was our 3rd time to Tecalote, the first being March 2020. We loved it and we were excited to return. The beach, the ocean, the beauty, the vibe. I had wondered why it hasn’t been more commercially developed or privatized. I think this trip we found out. Having parked on the packed rockway/road, we had no idea that the strong winds would bring a storm surge at high tide overnight that would leave us and the other campers up and down the beach scrambling to push and pull stuck vehicles out of the tidal floods - out of streams and ponds that had formed overnight, near the water and farther in the shrubs. Some folks were high and dry but stranded on the far side of a river that had formed. So … if you camp here - make sure you are on high and solid ground if there’s a strong wing blowing!

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Be careful here - my trailer was broken into and I was robbed of all my money and cards - they found my purse hidden. Pros - and I was parked right in front of the “security beach watchers” house.

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Beware - pro thieves working this beach. Lock up even if you’re walking the beach.

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Please stay away from a fellow camper in a Westfalia, Quebec license plate Logo on the side LeProgrammeurMobile.com.He has treated us and fellow campers.Police have been notified.

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Just a caution. We have been threatened by a man with a machete.He told a fellow camper to move his set up van, so he could park between us on the beach. The man in the camper refused, as he had leveled and set up. Regardless, he parked between us, without the usual courteous greetings to anyone.

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Great beach camping spot! There’s a little cream pup wandering around to the left side that we named Blanco - he’s the sweetest little guy, unfortunately we couldn’t take him with us but please feed him and take care of him while you’re there. He’s happy at the beach but I just worry about him getting food and especially water. I’m trying to get a rescue to collect him but they’re all full right now. If you have any updates on him plz message me on Instagram @antigoelisa <3

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Beautiful beach that is possible to get to with 2WD but you have to be careful as there are a lot of sand traps. We were here for a gathering that provided porta potties but there are some flushing toilets at the restaurants near the entrance. Very limited service and Telcel.

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Stayed at this campsite for approximately 1 week. The location is on the beach, and the area is not paved (aside from the main road). I drove a 2 wheel drive with no issues, however, I do recommend walking the area first to determine if the road is good to drive on. The beach is not the cleanest but you are within a few minutes of Balandra Beach which is gorgeous!

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Stayed one night before catching the ferry to the mainland. I was recovering from the flu and laying in the warm soft sand was the best feeling ever. Many cool people in the beach and my kids had a great time in the calm surf. Had I known how magical this beach was, I would have come sooner.

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La plage est relativement rétabli suite à l’ouragan de la fin octobre. Il est possible de se stationner à droite des restaurant. Ne pas prendre le premier chemin près de la plage. Utiliser le deuxième ou le troisième. Plusieurs espaces disponibles! Si vous n’êtes pas certain de la stabilité du sol, marcher le terrain avant. Le côté droit vous donne une vue sur l’océan.

Le côté gauche des restaurants est encore plus stable, pratiquement une route. Vous êtes plus près de la plage mais vous n’avez pas la vue à cause du talus. C’est une bonne option pour les plus gros VR.

Belle ambiance! Tranquille même s’il y a plus de monde la veille du jour de l’An :)

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Found an amazing spot in front of a small mountain range with a few small caves in it. We drove around the area until we found a small clearing. You could hear the waves from here and there was a slight breeze but we slept great.

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beau spot, eau turquoise.
attention passer par le chemin au milieu des bosquet car par la plage le sable est mou. pleins d'espace avant la plage et sur la plage.
spot populaire

@Les_Chaventuriés

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This place gets windy, good for kiting and windsurfing, it often blows 20 plus kts. On quiet days the water is awesome, clear. The beach has a lot of rocks and brown sand. Not a lot of garbage in Mexican standards but broken glass all over the place.
Some petty theft becoming very common be careful
Good for camping a few nights, it’s quiet. I was fine in a 2wd van but I stayed on the fort roads. Sand on the beach is deep 4wd required if you go there

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Yes the sand is soft. Yes you can get stuck. There’s a very nice Mexican man who helped get me out yesterday. Unlike the gringo cracking jokes about me being stuck and then making it sound like he was the only option for me to get out. Don’t be the gringo. Be helpful. But there is plenty of hard packed sand if you stay off the beach and look around. Be sure to air down, have all the recovery gear (boards, shovel, tow strap and shackle, air compressor) and you’ll be fine. It is windy. Lots of flies. No mosquitoes that I’ve noticed yet. There are stray dogs wandering like most of Mexico but they are not aggressive and will go away if you clap your hands at them. This is a nice spot. It’s hard to imagine a thousand rigs taking over a local beach like this for Escapar. I’d really reconsider if you’re planning to go. This gathering is disruptive to locals who like to use the beach.

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Loved this spot! Good snorkelling too. We have a truck camper 2WD and this was easily accessible all the way down to the right. Lots of vans and campers here but there were a lot of different spots (plenty of room!). Yes there is water flooding the road, but there are other roads that are dry which you can use to drive around and get to some nice quiet spots. Highly recommend. Met other travellers here which was nice :)

@bo.the.red.dog.travels

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Great spot! Was able to get our 36' fithwheel in without any problems in 2 wheel drive.

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WE WILL RETURN

LA PAZ
South of Bahia Concepcion/Mulege by about 4 hrs... La Paz sits N of the Cabo area by about 2hrs. This, the capital, it was VERY much apparent upon our arrival to the Malecon that this is NOT the sleepy town of Loreto. Buzzing mid-day with pedestrians, vendors, restaurants, bars... I VERY much was excited to re-visit the Malecon when the sun goes down for what I believed would be a happening good time;)

PLAYA EL TECOLOTE
Dry Camping
FREE

Due to the recent spat of reviews where others are saying they see people getting stuck.... I was reluctant to even come here. That said, I decided to check it out for myself, although I was prepared to go elsewhere should the sand in fact... be found to be too deep to safely navigate to a camping spot.

That said, upon arrival, the road ends at a conglomerate of buildings where tours, water-craft rentals, restaurants and bars are located. You have the option to camp to the right (most popular) or the left.

Turning left, regardless of weight or length of your vehicle, you can safely navigate to a camping spot along the ocean with little to no chance of getting stuck. It's pretty darn sold.

Turning right, I would suggest EVERYONE park and walk your path. I say this because over the years, due to variable conditions, campers have created two-track throughout the property to safely navigate to a safe camping spot.

There are more than a couple of direction, one can choose to take to get to the most popular portion of Playa Tecolote and and do so safely without getting stuck. If you take the time to walk the paths, you will be rewarded with a camping spot with little to no chance of your getting stuck.

I do admit.... driving along the ocean or behind the restaurants the sand is deeper. Our Rv would have gotten stuck at full tire pressure, although throughout our 7-day stay, we drove this route back and forth in our Jeep... in 4-wheel drive, at full tire pressure without any hesitation. So... it not THAT deep... although enough that you should know your direction before embarking entry.... as others have clearly discovered.

Further, we were prepared as well, due to recent reviews with regards to theft. Although we are VERY much prepared and have measures in play with regards to our RV & personal safety and the safety of our belongings... we did not experience, nor in our discussions with others, did we hear of the theft problem...

We found the Sea of Cortez here to be incredibly rough during our stay.... reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean... although several days into our stay, she calmed down and was like a mirror for a couple days.

It was during this time that I discovered some of the best snorkelling I had experienced here in Baja. Now, I am not one who researches snorkel locations... so do take this opinion with a grain of salt.... although I sea turtles, stingrays, about 100 puffer fish, and thousands upon thousands of other types of fish... some as big as my thighs.... So yea.. for me it was spectacular!!!!

PAYMENT
Free

AMENITIES
Trash
Vendors (in buildings)

DUMP
TBD

WATER
TBD

TRASH
On site

OVERALL
I believe there were fewer people within Tecolote due to the recent reviews... and for that reason, we had nobody camped to the right or left of us during our entire stay. For this reason, although popular, we found the experience with camping, walking along the beach, even Jeeping around on the sandy beach roads to be more enjoyable as we felt we had this location as our personal playground. The water was rough upon arrival, but then calmed down to a reflective mirror. To that end, this location exceeded our expectation and therefore we VERY much look forward to our return.

We will return

.

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Definitely NO LONGER safe for 2WD normal clearance van or camper. Only 4wd high clearance vehicle that’s very equipped for soft deep sand. Literally from the restaurant on I was stuck. The road along the beach that was drivable last year and before is now very very deep soft sand. All of it. I’ve camped at Tecolote a TON in the past, and now there’s just no way to drive anywhere past the restaurant. I’m in a van w great all terrains tires and I got stuck VERY BAD, thinking it was going to be manageable, because it always was before. A nice restaurant worker ran over to help me. Which was A TON of hard work that took a long time. Would love to hear if this gets worked out for future camping and beach visits.

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Definitely not 2WD friendly at all anymore! I’m in a van and camped here many times before, but now the sand is too soft, deep, and traps you the minute you get beyond the restaurant. I had to get worked out by a nice local, and then got stuck again in the spot he put me by the restaurant. No way would I recommend this to RVs, campers, vans, anything heavy, low clearance, with 2WD.
They are working hard to make it nice by the restaurant so that would be worth the visit.

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Not clean beach, too crowded and noisy. we didn't stay

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Beautiful beach,we stood 8 days at the right end, more quite.No problems,police came by some times, very friendly. Meeting point for lots of overlanders.

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We came here with our family (2 adults, 2 children) to camp for the night after spending the second shift at Playa Balandra (1-5pm). We chose a spot close to the western end of the beach. We stayed here on a Monday night, and could hear a low thumping party nearby, but it didn’t interfere with our rest. There was a nice cool breeze throughout the night. The moon rise was incredible and the sunrise, magical. We left fairly early in the morning to make it to a 10am tour in La Paz, so we didn’t get to enjoy this spot as much as we would have liked, but the time we did spend here was lovely. We did get our Ford Econoline 2WD stuck in the loose sand, but with the help of sand “desatascadores” we bought for the trip, we were able to get unstuck fairly easily.

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a long white beach locals use in weekends for day and overnight camping, partying, beachy restaurants, live music, great food Beautiful views of the islands offshore, unique to get both sunsets and sunrise at this time of year. somewhat secluded camping at the very far end of the beach. sand road was real good other than a few patches.

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Estuvimos en la playa... al principio dudamos por los comentarios sobre robos. creo que hay que tener la preocupación normal en los lugares donde concurre mucha gente. Conocimos a Marcelo está con su Van hace 1 año en la playa. No sentimos inseguridad ni miedo. lo único que cómo es semana santa se llenó más y más. decidimos seguir viaje hoy pero es un lugar al que volveríamos!
saludos

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Really great place to stay and sleep. Quiet. Awsome view. Between mountains, cactus and the sea.

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Lovely beach, stayed 3 nights as the wind became stronger each day, moving the sand from the beach onto the road. we moved to the west end beside the restaurant for less windy and more privacy. Great bunch of campers, no thefts whole we were there. Great food at the big blue framed restaurant. Water fun on a SUP board. Quiet at night. Stay off the beaches with your vehicles ...turtle hatchery. Read the Signs !!

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Incredible! Missed Escapar a la Baja this year but glad I visited this beach anyways. It’s my favorite so far.

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Late night thefts - random break ins reported by many people.
Usually late - keep everything secure and locked up at night !!!!

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Lock up your stuff at night, my friends.
There was a woman in a black sedan with Mexico plates taking pictures of people’s setups during the day. Around 1am, there was another sedan with Mexico plates that was roaming slowly around the camping area.

There are motion sensor solar lights at Home Depot if you must keep items outside.

Otherwise, lots of campers of all types. A few people got stuck in the sand, or dealing with vehicle breakdowns, etc. and it was really beautiful to see others helping each other out. Good crowd of people just enjoying life. 😊

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such a beautiful beach! free camping right on the water with many restaurants and vendors. unfortunately the robberies are super high this year. in a two week span campers had these items stolen - a dirt bike, camp chairs, camp tables, someone walked INTO a camped bus and stole $7k worth of camera equipment and electronics, the back window of a pick up was smashed in and ran sacked. not really sure if the police care or are helping with the theft. stay at your own risk. lock up anything you don't want missing in the morning. desperate times call for desperate people, unfortunately it may have ruined this beach for us.

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This place is NOT permanently closed. It a very nice place to stay, but very windy right now.

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Open beach front camping with lots of space to pick a private spot or gather a large group. one of our favorite spots so far after a month in Baja. The hike over the mountain to private beach near balandra is one for the memory books

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“Escapar La Baja” was way to intrusive on the environment here.
I hope this beach will not be shut down in the future due to this demonstration of entitlement. After all it’s Baja is not an acceptable response.anywhere in Baja. Manners and respect are needed here, by every visitor.

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free camping. shallow clear water. restaurants.

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beautiful shallow clear water, free beachfront camping, a few restaurants here.

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Very nice place a lot of people here , restaurant available, only big big problem, there is a lot of theft, locals to come and disturb you at night, I had $500 of solar panels stolen, another near me had $10,000 of a bike stolen (4 bikes) so if you go there do not isolate yourself and protect your things

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First time we visited this beach was in September. It was still summery, the sun was shining but not too much, the wind was more of a pleasant breeze and it was a low season so there were just a few campers on a beach so long and wide that we all had more than enough space for ourselves - we concluded that we found a paradise. The water was crystal clear and turquoise, the sand white and comfy, good snorkeling by the rocks, lots of bars and restaurants at the beginning of the beach, and then a blissful solitude at the very end of it, where we were also given fresh fish from the local fisherman. We generally agreed we are moving in forever.

When we came back in January it was a totally different experience. It gets reeeally windy in all Baja Sur during the winter months and Tecolote was not exception. It's also a high season for the camper travellers, as we were surprised to discover, and the whole beach was absolutely covered with motorhomes. Not that we are unsocial, we are always happy to meet other travellers but this was a little bit too crowded for our taste. The sand was no longer white, the water wasn't turquoise and didn't really encourage swimming. in comparison to other beaches around La Paz it's still a great option, but if you have a chance to go there not during the winter, we really recommend it. We enclose the photos of both visits so that you can compare. :)

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Beautiful sandy beach, lots and lots of campers, mostly van and RV. Was pleasantly quiet and calm for how busy it was. Lots of sandy beach front space or options of less on the beach and nestling farther back amongst the mini sand dunes. No issues with theft or suspicious looking individuals while there. A little windy but not too bad.

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i stayed here overnight. Gorgeous beach except it's very windy. Ate at the most southerly restaurant. ceviche was great. wifi is 220 pesos, but the waiter cut me a 100 pesos deal. At night, I parked close to the restaurant and continued to use the wifi. worked out great. if you park at the northern end by the mountain, it's less windy.

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Please pick up after your dogs. Dogs pooping in beautiful places is gross.

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This place is permanently closed.

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have stayed here many times over the past month. Just drive in and pick a spot.

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Beautiful beach, splendid sunset. The moon was beautiful, the tide was quite high in the morning but fine to park on the roadway. A bit of traffic overnight. Easy entry and exit. incredible views.

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Room for my 38ft class A towing a Jeep! Can't beat it at any price. Able to get intermittent cell with a booster running. I see someone with skylink. Very happy after a 4 day drive down MX1 from TJ. The rest about this playa has been said by others, all seems accurate so far.

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As has been said many times before this is a beautiful free camping spot. Access to wifi at the restaurant is a game changer. Mountains in the back, beautiful beach.

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ITEMS STOLEN- we were one of 3 rvs that we know of that had items stolen. I see there is another post here reporting the same. The people are breaking into vehicles and stealing items from it. They are watching as all of these incendents happened in broad daylight, even when people have just gone out for a walk they came and broke in. So please enjoy this beautiful beach and enjoy the spectacular water but be cautious and do not leave your belongings or vehicle unattended.

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Had a great 3 night stay on the beach. I’m a solo female traveler and there were others as well and we felt very safe. Just stay aware of your surroundings and lock your vehicle when you’re not there. Walked down to the restaurants and had lunch on the beach. Easy to meet other travelers here.
Paid 50 pesos for Wi-Fi to check texts and emails.

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lovely beach, easy access for any rv. very busy during the day but clears out at dusk. Wifi access for $5.00 from the bar. Vendors walking up and down the beach ,friendly not aggressive. overall excellent experience.

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Pulled in late after a long drive. Decided to park beside a few people but at the end. Beauty sunset and beach. The person we were parked beside said that the day before his bus got broken into (he could have sworn he had locked the door) and his very valuable belongings were stolen which he hid under his pillow. He said there is rumoured someone that lives down the road with a house packed full of stolen goods but he thinks it was another local that knew him. They ditched his wallet on the road after leaving so luckily that got back to him. This happened in the daytime while he went on a hike at the nearby mountain. We were already on quite the high alert but after that story I definitely didn’t feel too great even being parked near 15-20 vanlifers.

We also helped a sprinter get unstuck in what they thought was flat sand, so be careful! Help isn’t too far away at least💜

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we came here, it was very crowded we stopped 2 minutes to put a can of water in the tank, in two minutes we had our laptop bag stolen with our MacBook and our 5 month trip on our hard drive.

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Nous avons dû bouger en urgence à 6h30 le matin car l’eau montait. Attention.

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stayed for 2 nights. lovely beach, great for beachcomber. Busy in the daytime, very quiet after dark.

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Spent 5 nights. Very quiet during the week. Great for swimming and watching birds hunt in shallow water. A couple of restaurants and bars on the beach to the left. There is a little internet on the far right side of the beach between the house and the RV someone put there permanently. Enough for checking mails, news and weather. What else can you whish for in a beach.

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Such a nice place to camp! Beautiful beach with clear blue water. Lots of other vans and rvs here as well. No cell service unless you walk towards the houses on the far right end of the beach. We will be back :)

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Good beach, packed with people so just drive east (right at the restaurant) past the little wash. Way less crowded and good snorkeling around the cliffs!

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Dropped in to let the dog swim and get a walk before dealing with the crazy Baja ferry “hell”. Lovely crescent beach with thigh deep blue Sandy bottom. The little palapa restaurant serves food and drink and rents kayaks/sups. Head there early in the day and hang until it’s time to check in for the ferry .

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Beautiful beach with very clear water and plenty of locals on weekends.. Take the hike to the mountain behind the beach!

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Spend a couple of days here with others.
The water is so clear and warm.
Amazing sunsets.
It gets really crowded on the weekends, but only until around 9pm. But absolutely ok. Definitely recommended. Convenient located to the ferry to Mainland as well.

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It couldn't be closer to the beach. A beautiful place and beach. We spent a total of 5 days there. It's busy at weekends, but in the evening most people are gone again. We didn't go all the way to the back. The beach was much nicer further forward. We felt very comfortable.

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Waw what an amazing place! We stayed there for 3 days and are already planning to come back in a couple of weeks. Prk directly on the beach, fresh wind water is very beautiful, snorkeling is amazing, we loved it. Very quiet except on Sunday, lots (I mean Lot) of people came. But it was fun!
No cell reception unless you walk close to the building on the very right end.

Waw nous adorons cet endroit!! Magnifique, très facile d'accès et gratuit. Nous y sommes restes 3 nuits et planifions déjà revenir dans quelques semaines. Stationnement directement sur la plage, l'eau est superbe, la plongée en apnée aussi, c'est parfait. Très tranquille sauf le dimanche ou il y a vraiment beaucoup de gens, mais c'est amusant.
Aucune réception cellulaire sauf si vous marchez près du building à droite.

Exploravan du QC au Costa Rica :)

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What an absolutely beautiful beach for van camping and easy access to restaurants. A great place for the Escapar a la Baja van life event: https://escaparalabaja.com/

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Beautiful beach, free camping, drive your car right out onto the beach. Night sky is amazing, but the winds do pick up at night. Several restaurants serving food & drinks, but they don’t open until noon, so bring enough supplies for the next day.

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Nice place to spend the night. Pretty packed and noisy. Families and large groups come party here.

The key is to go all the way right, next or on top of the cliffs. It’s perfect for 2WD up to some point, totally worth it bring far from the main beach.

We felt safe, other big rigs were spending the week there.

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We came on Saturday, March 19 and it was crazy busy. lots of loud music lots of people. we heard it may be a long weekend for locals and not normally so busy. dog friendly. no telcel signal. very windy.

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Very nice beach to stay. Sometimes windy. Everything already said.....👍

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Absolutely loved this area! You can see Espiritu Santo Island from the beach. There’s some snorkeling to the right side of the beach. The left side of the beach offers restaurants, bars & palapas. They also have jet ski & banana boat rentals. There’s vendors that walk the beach selling $1 burritos, snacks & deserts. Behind you is gorgeous mountains. We didn’t have service here but if you drove 5 minutes down the road there’s some.

Follow for more travel adventures @TheWisconsinites

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2 nights for us here. good spot if you're ok to be with many others rv, camper, pick up etc...
lots of people around. easy accès and safe

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We spent the day at Playa Balandra which closed at 2 pm due to Covid so we drove the 2-3 Kms to Tecolote where it was business as usual. Mexico never ceases to amaze me with their logic. There’s tons of room to camp here and the low scrub in the san dunes provides lots of privacy and a break from the wind too. We took the advice of previous posts and camped on higher ground to the left as you drive in and avoided the rocky area to the right of the restaurants as we heard the tide can come up pretty high there.
The sun setting over the mountains combined with the pelicans dive bombing for fish made for a great night!

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Very beautiful beach… No Tel el so have to move because need to do remote work.. The sea is warmer down here than a bit north like in Loretto and it has that golden sand that we have been waiting for.. idyllic and beautiful beach.. we got here Friday before sunset and are leaving Sunday because tide is rising and I need cell reception otherwise would stay.. noise was minimal on Friday and Saturday nights!

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This was our 3rd time to Tecalote, the first being March 2020. We loved it and we were excited to return. The beach, the ocean, the beauty, the vibe. I had wondered why it hasn’t been more commercially developed or privatized. I think this trip we found out. Having parked on the packed rockway/road, we had no idea that the strong winds would bring a storm surge at high tide overnight that would leave us and the other campers up and down the beach scrambling to push and pull stuck vehicles out of the tidal floods - out of streams and ponds that had formed overnight, near the water and farther in the shrubs. Some folks were high and dry but stranded on the far side of a river that had formed.
So … if you camp here - make sure you are on high and solid ground if there’s a strong wing blowing!

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The beach was PACKED for the holiday, so we opted for the desert side and found a nice private spot tucked at the base of the hills. Easy walking distance to the beach but no neighbors. However, the next morning a local gentleman on an ATV drove up to us and informed us that we actually cannot park/camp here. He directed us toward the beach with everyone else. We apologized and he was polite about it, didn't matter much to us anyway as we were already planning on moving on.

I suspect that area is also considered part of the PROPIEDAD PRIVADA S.A., which you see several giant signs for as you drive in to Tecolote area. (However if you enter from the beach area, there are no signs, so not sure where that invisible boundary is drawn)

Anyways, try your luck, but know that you may be asked to move.

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Nice white beach with shallow waters.
lots of pelicans. plenty of places to park any size rig. Few beachside restaurants, expensive and not very good food.
Can rent kayaks, banana boats and jet skis.
There are sand flies at sunset and quite a lot of toilet paper in the bushes behind the beach.
no fee to camp here.

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Beautiful spot, very friendly people. Very windy though. No cell service, even with our booster. Wifi available for purchase $200 pesos, works only closeby.

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Camping near playa Tecolote. Beautiful location, although a little windy.

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Loved it here. Found tons of sea glass! Not too many other RVs and a few locals during the day. WiFi at the first restaurant and better prices for drinks than the larger two story one. A couple of vendors. And free camping.

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Busy yet open long sandy beach. When you get here, to the left is a restaurant at the end with a few places in sand to pull in. To the right is the main section of bars and restaurants and beyond those beach side parking spaces and further on, camping. Lots of tourist gringos there. It's not my style, too busy, no privacy or space but the water is crystal clear, pelicans everywhere, beautiful skies. Day visitors are locals, restaurants geared to them not gringos which is a nice change.
Free. No toilets.

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Great place as described! Very clean! Must try the marlin quesadillas at the restaurant.
Toilets available at a small fee or if you eat there.

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Fantastic!! You can now but wifi for 200 pesos for the day or walk up the hill near the white house for cell service. Otherwise, watch spectacular sunsets while scores of pelicans dive for their dinner. This is why you overlanded down the Baja!

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great sunsets, plenty of space, nice beach, great colors.

we took the place near vigilante. were almost for our own.

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Beach is beautiful. Birds were amazing. Got to see a pelican buffet with 100 pelicans feasting right off the beach for breakfast. Snorkeling is good on the points at both ends of the beach. Camping is free. Restaurants are American prices but good. 470 pesos for aguachiles, on meager iceberg salad and a refreshing but weak margarita at Puro Civeche. We never saw a menu and felt like they charges us more fore being gringos. The upside is Flaco is quite entertaining and a good salesman!

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It's still nice. In this times it is not busy here. We shared the long beach with two other RV's for the night. During the day is more busy but not packed. Restaurants are open.

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Still very quiet at night. A police car drove by at around midnight but didn't interact with us. If trash is full, pack it out.

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SUPER quiet during Covid. We were only campers first night, with max of 5 campers all week. No cell service. Ate one of the best burgers from the blue VW van food truck - shrimp on a cheeseburger, sounds iffy, but it was DELICIOUS and 75 pesos! The shrimp empanadas were also good 100 pesos for 3, enough for a meal. Adrian, the son, will even bring them back to your camp spot. Eat it!!!

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Wao! Open today with people and restaurants

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Great free camping on the beach. Clean, trash cans supplied, lots of campers, friendly bunch, restaurant at entrance, pelicans for entertainment. Beautiful sunsets.

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Golden late grab the parking spot on the beach. There was a few other campers. Everything was peaceful and quiet. I got up in the morning. And took off all was fine. Very nice place little windy.

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Very windy today, sand getting blown into everything. Good hiking in the hills, several cool caves in the volcanic rock. Very little garbage which is nice.

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Tecolote is a nice spot. Lots of other campers!
The island off shore makes for a beautiful scene. The sand dunes are really lovely.
Nearby balandra is perfect for a day trip but Tecolote is better for camping.
Water is calm for swimming.
Enjoy it and keep it beautiful amigos!

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Good spot. More comfortable staying here than Balandra. Free. Several dozen overlanders around so we felt comfortable. As described. Would stay here again.

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LOVE PLAYA TECOLOTE! Tones of campers, beautiful beach, Cacti, dunes and mountain back drop- even a little trail walk to other rocky beach! Enjoy! Keep trash in cans

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As described. Free camping. Only garbage service, no cell service. Not too many vehicles when we got here on a Friday, but many came after us. Still plenty of room. Friday night was full of loudish music and talking, but stopped at a reasonable hour. Wind blew all night. Did have a few vendors approach to sell things.

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Beautiful white sand beach. No wi-fi, no cell signal. It seems that the guy who own the lawn unplugged the antenna and don’t want it anymore. A person knock at my door after sunset. I didn’t open and the person didn’t tell me what it was about and left. I didn’t like it but I stayed there and had no more problem.

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A great spot to pull into on the first of a New Year and start camping for Free for a change. Not much to add to other posts. Great free option to La Paz...and easy to get to town, even in our 27’ Class C. It’s nice to have the option to completely retreat from crowds (Park far end of the beach) or be closer to action & walk to restaurants if you don’t feel like cooking. But it’s not cheap. Parking at far end also gets you closer to cell service and WiFi, which can be found if you stand near
the white house. Loved our time here but it does tend to get windy. If so, retreat to Playa Pichilingue, close to ferry terminal, a great, much smaller option.

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Cold and windy on this day in mid-December. But, all is well - locals looking after the transient and permanent experts. And, vice versa economically speaking. Good place for a night or two.

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Super bivouac très grande plage avec énormément de place pour dormir. Des petits bar et resto sur la plage . Frequenter par les familles locales et touristes. Gratuit.

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Good spot for wild camping. We have stayed here on two separate occasions now. Seems a lot less touristy than Balandra. Lots of space just inland from the beach to park a car and set up a tent.

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Beautiful, wide beach with plenty of wild camping options. We pulled out to the east side (going right) and we’re far away from the crowds. One other camper here. Spent a quiet night with minimal wind, but a nice breeze kept us cool. Recommended if you’re looking for a nice free spot after the ferry. No facilites or Telcel service if you’re parking away from the restaurants.

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stayed on the west part on Sunday night and were the only ones there, however two trucks came around 5am loading/unloading something from very quiet boat 200 meters away from us. Not sure if it was drug related, but was surely scared as hell. If you choose to stay here, make sure to stay on the east side

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Beautiful beach, but in the weekends it’s more than crowded (even more now on summer vacations)...
People left around 22h30 and we had the beach for ourselves. Very windy at night :)

Careful with the ground! We got stuck because we had forgotten where we came from...

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This is a very nice beach frequented by locals and boondockers alike. It's great for swimming. I travel with dogs so I like to be a little away from groups of campers so as not to disturb them. This was easy here this time of year as it's not crowded. I parked between the restaurants to the west and most campers to the east. I've had a great 5 weeks in Baja, no problems at all until this place. A tall dark man wearing jeans and no shirt decided to remove his pants and sunbathe and then stand erect and fondle himself facing my van from about 100 feet away in the dunes. I walked over to the nearest camper to discuss this issue with them. When he could see we were pointing and gesturing in his direction he quickly put on his pants and disappeared into the bushes. I told a restaurant owner about it on my way out the next morning and he said he would inform the police. Just be aware that this place may not be safe for women and families.

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the playa is big, so plenty of spaces to park. on the weekend it can be very busy. does not like the beach too much due to the wind. the road is doable with 2wd and big rigs but still be aware of soft sand close to the beach and in mangroves area. there is coco stand in the beginning of the beach, DONT GO THERE!!! the most expensive coco ever!! he ripped us of because we didnt speak spanish. 120 pesos for old coco!?

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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.

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Stayed a week!

Amazing free camp spot with the best view we’ve seen in Baja yet!

2WD friendly just keep an eye out for soft spots, but we saw plenty of big RVs make it through. It can be a little windy, and they require you to stay 20 meters from the shore line but there’s a ton of space to share. Trash cans are available but there are no other amenities. :) highly recommend visiting Balandra or hiking on the mountain that has a clear path that you can see all the way from the beach. VERY quiet at night

PICK UP YOUR TRASH

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We parked at El Tecalote.
It was around 8:30pm and we had just cleaned up from dinner and got settled in the back of our station wagon to watch a movie. The moon hadn't risen yet so it was really dark outside and we hardly ever put up curtains because we feel safe here.
About a half hour into the movie my wife noticed the shadow of a man standing at the rear of our vehicle about twenty feet away.
I turned off the phone so I could take a better look and sure enough some guy was moving his head around trying to get a good look inside. The first thing I thought was, he's probably a petty tieif prowling for camp gear (lawn chairs etc.) because we left ours out.
So I opened my door and used my flashlight to point it at him. He quickly ducked behind the bushes and I yelled at him.
And he crawled away in a hurry under the cover of bushes. Needless to say, we left and parked on the other side near a few more campers.
But on our way out, I noticed that everyone had camp chairs and umbrellas out and close to the road which would be easy pickin for a thief. 🤔
Which made me realize that this guy probably wasn't a thief but more likely trying to catch a glimpse of people in their beds.

It was creepy.
Nice beach though. 😊

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Big sandy beach with a lot of space and a lot of campers. Easy to reach on a paved road. Surprisingly quiet so close to the town of La Paz. Some trash and broken glass in the dunes but the beach is clean.

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One entry said “use the bushes for toilets”. PLEASE DON’T. It’s a very nice beach not a lavatory.

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Spent 4 nights here on a beautiful sandy beach. Beach side bars a walk away. No services except garbage but LaPaz about 30 minutes away.

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Nice sandy beach, soft sand, gentle waves. Snorkeling, and boarding options. No services here but outside bars are within walking distance. Intend to mountain bike back to Balandra Beach.

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Stayed a couple days at beach, behind tide creek.
Entrance to the right 50 meters before beach entrance.
Bus to La Paz runs 3 times a day, adults/kids 50/25 pesos.

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We’ve stayed a couple of nights here 2 years ago, it’s often windy but great place. Free

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Great, clean and free beach.
Staying with a couple of friends over Xmas on the beach.
Restaurants nearby have good food..

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Spend christmas time with a bunch of travelers we had met on the road. There was about 15 of us. Plenty of space even though a lot more camper were parked along the beach. There is no wood around to make a fire, so bring your own.. lots of moskitos around 6pm(sunset) not everyday.. Stayed there about 3 days, the water was super calm at first then it got REALLY windy the last night, had to put away all our stuff and close all the windows, so the sand would not get inside the van. Altogether, the perfect place to spend christmas ! really nice view and snorkeling !!!

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very nice place you can park, directly on the beach, the upper part is a gravel mixed with sand, no problem for 2wd.

the beach is very nice, you can by gallon filtered water from the yellow bar. a little expansive but better than going back to La Paz.

be carrefull to park on the upper part of the beach in rainy days, because the area behind the beach become flood....

the beach is free!

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Nice spot, a little on the busy side (maybe because Sunday night) but plenty of space to go around. Water beautifully warm for swimming. We didn’t go to the restaurants

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Stayed here for two nights, with wind at night its not so hot like Balandra. Didn’t pay anything.

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If you drive away from the restaurants it's free and quiet. No problem with 2wd, just stick to the beaten path.

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Amazing place. We stayed here for three nights. Perfect place to stay before or after taking the ferry. The beach is so beautiful. We parked on the right, halfway to the house in the far right corner. Super calm in the mornings, some locals come in the afternoons even during the week. Super windy at night. Watch out for stingrays, little pieces of glass on the beach and soft sand, we saw 4 cars get stuck while we were there. Poor Telcel signal.
Less crowded and calmer than the neighboring Balandra.
Edit: we came back on a Sunday afternoon and the place was SO crowded. We couldn't even see the sand, there were cars and locals everywhere. Avoid on weekends!

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I feel like the reviews for this place are really silly/un useful. You don’t need to pay anything to camp, drive away from the restaurants and be on your own in this beautiful beach ! Why stay next to a restaurant ? Use the bushes for toilets and shower in the water. Beautiful spot 👌

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Free beach!! DON'T need to buy a drink or anything else to the restaurant/bar to stay here for free!
Beautiful beach, clean and clear water! Lots of people stay here but the beach is big.

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Camped for two nights for free. First night was extremely windy. Second night was calm.
We were very impressed with the beach and scenery. No facilities.
Ate the first day at Palapas Azul and had good service and decent food. Restaurants are pricey however.
Second day tried El Tecolote Restaurant with all the blue bud light buildings and didn’t have a good experience. We were two large families and ordered lots of food and drinks and they still charged us 300 pesos for the table. My husband also ordered one order of 4 tacos and they brought him 4 orders of 4 tacos. The food was not very good and expensive.

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Great beach camping, found a spot in amongst the dunes 30m from the beach at the eastern end just off the road to the fishing camp. Very quiet both times we stayed here. Limited cell coverage, beautiful beach to swim as long as it's not too windy. Walk to restaurants and bars back along the beach. Views of the bay, offshore islands and mountains behind spectacular.

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Good spot for a free night. Plenty of room for all types of vehicles. Safe and clean.

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Really pretty beach, clear water and very large so lots of space when we were there.
Not too much wind, and water is warm enough to swim.
Toilets available in the palapas at the end.
No need to pay if you park away from there to the right side of the beach.

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Really relaxing spot
good snorkelling and fishing in the right side

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Nice free beach in La Paz area. Got here past dark but plenty of camping spots available on the road along the ocean. Didn't spot any facilities.

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I stayed here 5 nights this week. The wind was HORRIBLE & sand was blowing everywhere. So if you are camping with a tent I suggest you check the weather schedule prior to going here otherwise you will be stuck in your tent if there is a lot of wind blowing sand everywhere and there is no escape from the sand despite how far from the shore you camp. Also on the right side of the beach the caretaker who lives in the background has a pitbull dog & several people told me that several dogs had either been killed or attacked so no one lets their dog run free on this side. This is the first beach I have not been able to let me dog run free due to fear of her being attacked by a resident pitbull so I won't return here. I didn't pay any fee and I didn't eat at the restaurant either so I don't think it is required that you pay.

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Alright, this is a quieter version of the too popular playa tecolote.

Direction.

When arriving, you'll see all the restaurants and stuff in of you. Turn right on the beach or on one of the many back roads. Keep going East until you're almost at the middle of the beach. Now, find the road that lead towards the mountain range (South). With chance or some willpower, you'll find a quiet spot among cactus. Muy tranquilo.

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Free camping, nice and quiet at night. No facilities, but there are trash cans. Beautiful beach with crystal clear water. The bartender at Palapa Azul on the beach makes the best piña coladas I've ever had!

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Beautyful and free beach, no services but 3-4 bar/restaurants. Great location near La Paz. Second time here, will come again

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This place is in wrong location - it is located at 24.33741, -110.31026

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As described. And cloudy and rain.

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Huge beach with other campers and overlanders, plenty of room, can be windy, no water, no toilets (maybe at the nearby restaurants), couple of restaurants on the beach with kayak rentals. Free (no need to buy anything at the restaurant)

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There were only 5-6 other Campers. Lot of space and amazing beach! Free Camping at the east side of the beach

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This a very classic spot among overlanders and local mexican families. Weekends tend to be busy, week day not so much. Watch for broken glass.

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large beach. exposed to wind but you could tuck in behind dunes. food and drinks available at restaurants and bars. was here on Sunday and they had live music.

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Great beach like all the others told. Had full Telcel 3G reception, could work right of the beach.

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Camped at this spot a few times now, parking available without spending at restaurants and is listed as a free campsites in La Paz brochures. it's a nice beach with close access to Balandra Bay. we found it less windy and harder sand to the left. we also found a trail up behind the abandoned house over a cliff and has access to a private beach and views over Balandra Bay!

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- as described
- aprox. 4000 people during easter weekend, on monday almost nobody

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Great place for free camping, crowded on the weekends buy it's a big beach so it doesn't feel like it. But drive on the road behind the grassy area (immediate left when you come in) otherwise prepare to get stuck in the sand.

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Nice beach with lot of place to camp for free.

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Nice beach with free camping. Easy to organize the tour to swim with the sea lions at the bar. Ideal place to wait for the ferry.

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We camped on the east side just past the open field where all of the big rigs park. We were very close to the water so it was windy but a wonderful spot for swimming. We walked down to Palapas Azul for dinner which was pricey and disappointing. The sand is soft in several spots but a 2wd Roadtrek took our site as we were leaving.

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Busy boondocking place. Watch out for the loose sand. Can cause lots of problems (here's a hint, jack up versus digging!) if you want a private beach keep going on the 4x4 path past the house and around the hill. There's a big wash to cross but then there's hard ground next to the beach. There is a security guard stationed here at a tail dragger trailer. Not sure what he's protecting but they are friendly and helpful! Say hi to Fernando. No cell reception. Long walk to the restaurants at tecolote. But prefect place to camp if you want to be away from others. Typically quite windy here.

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Free beach spot. Tuck into the dunes towards the East end if you don't want to be blown away. Watch for broken glass. There are garbage cans that were horribly overflowing when we went (a Friday). Otherwise picture perfect spot for free beach camping. A couple bar/restaurants about a km down for restrooms and food/beer as required. No other services.

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free camping right on beach; nice breeze which meant no bugs! had nice lunch. did not use showers. was some small surf, beach is a bit rocky but nice.

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Here on a Saturday, not too crowded but cars coming and going throughout the night. Beach was OK. No whale sharks in the area at the time, closer to La Paz. Booked trip full day trip starting from La Paz to see snorkel with the whale sharks and the sea lions from beach but would have been cheaper booking directly from La Paz.

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Very quiet, families still eating. No other Campers. Restaurant and bar open.

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still free and beautiful! if you like it calm, stay here the weekdays. Very crowded the weekends!

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Packed beach but was still nice. Free but didn't camp. Just been taking day trips from La Paz.

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Free. Toilets during the day at restaurant 10 pesos unless you buy food/drink. Palapas on the beach. Lovely spot.

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Free camping. Nice beach, if you go right from main road you can camp on the beach. No amnesties. There is cell coverage.

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Free beach camping. Didn't use the showers/restrooms of the nearby restaurants. Late night parties weren't as bad as some other places. Swim with the whale sharks!

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Free camping on the beach.No amenities.

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- free
- beach camping
- close to La Paz and even closer to the mainland ferries terminal
- paid bathrooms in the restaurants
- beautiful and warm water
- we camped on the right (East) from the access road, ok for any vehicle, further east you can drive up on a sort of dune (close to a little fenced house) for a little more privacy (4WD recommended).

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Free beach campsite east of La Paz. Beautiful long beach but the only bathroom options are the restaurants nearby, which will cost you a couple pesos. ~USD Free

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PROS: Large open beach, busy during the day with families but empty at night, walking distance to restaurants and bars – CONS: Lots of dead puffer fish on the beach, no bathrooms (but the restaurants down the beach will let you use theirs for a small feee or if you buy a drink) – Free!

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Free beach camping on a pretty beach. There are restaurants here but they are overpriced, and not very good. You can take a boat as we did from here out to isla espiritu santo and snorkel with the hundreds of sea lions. The restrooms were in bad enough shape that all six in our convoy opted to use the surrounding bushes.

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Free camping on gorgeous white sand beach. Lots of Mexican families after work playing and blaring music. Got really windy that night, and bit sketchy with cars pulling in and out throughout night. No toilet, no showers, free!

Price: Free

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Camping is free if you buy a few drinks at one of the kiosks/bars on the beach. The restaurants will let you use their bathrooms for a fee (or if you are a good patron). Bring your own water supply.

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