One of the nice things about Baja is the amount of campgrounds available! As it was still our first week in Mexico, the options seemed plentiful – yet somewhat overwhelming. While we consulted our Churches guidebook quite a bit, it was still hard to tell as most of the sites offered similar amenities. Our first campsite, Playa Saldamando, had breathtaking views, but unfortunately cold showers weren’t going to cut it at $17/night. On our third day in Baja, we decided to head north a bit and try out the campground where The Van Life app meet up would take place that weekend: Clam Beach RV Resort.
The Campground
Clam Beach RV Resort is located off of Mexico 1, about halfway between Rosarito and Ensenada. One of the first things we noticed about Clam Beach is the massive gate that leads into the property. There’s a security guard on site, who might also be the manager of the campground. He mentioned that there were bathrooms, hot showers and coin-operated laundry. Score! Laundry on site is a BIG deal. Since the last place supposedly had hot showers, we asked if we could drive around to see the sites and test out the water. The manager obliged.
As we drove around the property, we noticed that there were two areas for camping: a more established RV area, with cement pads and electric hookups, and a long stretch of beachfront camping. The latter did not have established sites or any hookups. It’s fairly primitive as far as campsites go – simply park as you please, wherever you please. The restroom and showers would be a little trek, but doable. We noticed there wasn’t anyone else camping near the beach, so we went back to the manager to secure our spot.
Camping right on the beach offered up some beautiful views, especially on a cloudy afternoon. We enjoyed a few nights of absolutely gorgeous sunsets! The beach itself was also pretty nice. For the first few days of our stay, we literally had the entire beach to ourselves. At low tide, you get a chance to see why the area is called Clam Beach. There are literally thousands of clams – big and small – along the sandy beach. Some locals will pay a daily fee to hang out and dig up clams… some pretty huge ones too!
While the beach is gorgeous, a closer look revealed a lot of garbage from previous visitors. On our first day, we pulled out our 4ocean bags and went to work. We collected approximately 15 pounds of garbage over a two-day period! Most of the trash was chip bags, bottles, cans, bottle caps and rusty nails from the wood burned in campfires. It was disheartening to see so much of this along such a great stretch of beach. As with any place you visit, remember to leave no trace! Whatever you pack in, be sure to pack out.
The Amenities
As I mentioned earlier, this campground offered hot showers, restrooms and laundry. This is the trifecta for campers! We had our doubts at first, but were pleasantly surprised. The restrooms were very clean – a woman came by every morning to clean and restock. The showers were individual stalls on the other side of the restrooms, and offered hot water. Not lukewarm water – I mean actual hot water! That first shower felt GLORIOUS! We also did a load of laundry while there, which was a huge plus.
While this isn’t necessarily an amenity to the campground, it’s worth mentioning that a quick car ride (or 15 minute walk) to Carreta De Mariscos Badass-Street Seafood is a MUST. Located near the Oxo closest to the gated community of Punta Piedra, this street cart might be missed if you’re not looking for it. Ran by three brothers and their mother, the Bada family makes the BEST ceviche and shrimp poppers. Make sure to swing by!
The Cost
At first, the manager asked for $20/night, which is pretty steep as far as Baja standards go. According to some of our research, you could negotiate the price per night down to $10, so we did what any budget-conscious full-time family would do – we asked for a discount given that we were planning to stay there from Wednesday through Sunday. We also mentioned that a group of vans would be cruising in around Friday, and that they’d likely leave for a cheaper campground if the cost wasn’t flexible. (Hey, you do what you gotta do!) The manager offered us $50 for four nights, and would give our van life friends $10/night when they rolled in. Not ideal for us obviously, but we agreed.
After paying, we parked near the front entrance to use the restroom. There were two men trying to fix a truck next to us, and the manager had just walked up to help. The men weren’t having any luck, so Steven offered to jump their battery with our portable TACKLIFE Car Jump Starter. (This piece of equipment has been essential in our travels!) It worked right away… and the manager told us that he’d give us $10 back for helping them out. Score!
Overall, the four nights and five days spent at Clam Beach RV Resort were fantastic. We felt safe and secure at this site, and the amenities – along with the beach of course – made our stay that much better. While we visited Baja during the low season and had no trouble finding a campsite, it might be necessary to reserve a spot depending on the season. You can do so here. We highly recommend this campground if you’re planning to travel through Baja!
