Camping in Baja California, Mexico was certainly a first for us, but luckily there are many resources on where to stay in the area. The best by far is the Traveler’s Guide to Camping Mexico’s Baja by Church & Church. The book gives you a rundown on everything you need to know about each region, as well as many recommended campgrounds and RV parks throughout Baja California.
Our plan was to find a location near Ensenada for our first stay. As we drove along Hwy 1, we marveled at the most gorgeous scenic views. Fortunately for us, these panoramic views are home to Playa Saldamando, a primitive campground that faces the coastline. According to our map, we were about 30 minutes south of downtown Ensenada (also known as “Zona Turistica”) — so this would be an ideal location for us. Immediately, we knew that we HAD to check it out.
The Campsite
The first thing you’ll note — besides the view — is that the entrance to the campground is gated, and has security on site 24/7. You can access the property from 6am to 10pm. As I mentioned earlier, the views from each campsite are stellar. There are 30 campsites here, and most are suitable for rigs up to 32ft. If you’re driving past the campgrounds on the Tijuana/Ensenada toll road, you can spot these easily — each campsite is lined with white painted rocks. The sites also have a ramada for shade, a table, a fire ring and a barbecue ring. If you’re traveling with a big group with multiple rigs, Playa Saldamando also offers very large sites.
One great thing about most campgrounds — both in Mexico and the U.S. — is that the manager will allow you to drive through to check out the sites before committing to a stay. Given that we were visiting during the off season, we had the entire campground to ourselves! We decided to settle in closer to the main entrance as there’s a small beach right down the hill below us. It offered up some beautiful views, but the beach itself is very rocky and not ideal for swimming.
Amenities
The bathrooms are just a short walk from most of the campsites. The facilities look like an outhouse, but with a working toilet. Most of the bathrooms didn’t have any toilet paper, so be sure to bring your own.
We got excited after reading some reviews that this location also had hot showers. Yahoo! Well, not quite. While there are showers on site, the hot water wasn’t working during our stay. Soooo… we all took ice cold showers. Probably the fastest showers we’ve ever taken, too! ?
One important thing to note about Playa Saldamando is that it’s considered dry camping. There isn’t any water, sewer or electric hookups on site. This might be a deal-breaker for some, but we’re used to boondocking.
Also, the property manager has firewood for sale up at the front for $5/bundle. Pets are allowed on site but must remain on a leash.
If you’re visiting Ensenada but not camping, Playa Saldamando also has cute little bungalows for rent on site for $45-85/night depending on the size. All appear to have fantastic views, but no pets are allowed.
Cost
Camping in Baja is pretty reasonable, depending on where you’re looking to stay overnight. The sites here are $17/night if your vehicle has four people or less. It’s an additional $3/person if you have more than four people. If you’re traveling in a motorhome, it’s $19/night (with the same rule and cost applying to the number of people). While this is a bit high considering there aren’t any hot showers available, it’s still a gorgeous location with clean restrooms.
Finally, I should note that I’m not sure how busy it gets here during the high season, which is April through June. It might be worthwhile to call the property manager at Playa Saldamando at 646-118-5974 or reach out on Facebook here ahead of time if so.
Overall, if you’re looking for some epic oceanfront views at a reasonable cost for a night or two, we recommend staying at Playa Saldamando!
