This was such a fun last minute getaway that we did with our friends! It felt like a real weekend getaway since we had to use our passports (hah), even though Ensenada was only a few hours away. We got a lot of recommendations from friends but only ended up doing a few on the list. We had such an awesome campsite that we wanted to hang out there and found a great spot on the beach to relax and surf.
Trip Overview:
Dates: July 8 – July 10, 2022
Permits and Fees: The fee for this campsite was $17/night.
Campsite: Playa Saldamando
Dogs: Allowed
Getting to Ensenada and Back:
Entering Mexico from the US was extremely easy. No waits in the lines and smooth entry. However, on the way back into the US we made the mistake of not signing up for Sentri. Sentri is like the equivalent of TSA Pre-Check for driving across the border. One person in our car did not have TSA Pre-Check so we thought we wouldn’t be eligible. We found out later that we could have dropped him off at the walk-through entrance (which is much quicker), driven ourselves through the Sentri line, and then picked him up on the other side. Taking the normal line through the border took us a grueling 8 hours, which we will NOT be doing again! We’ll definitely be going back to Ensenada but on the next trip make sure we’re more prepared.
The Campsite:
Playa Saldamando was a great first time campsite to visit the Ensenada area. We watched a lot of videos on beach camping but weren’t familiar with the area or how camping would be, so we decided to go with an established campsite. Communication with the campsite host/manager was great. There are 30 sites and the property has 24/7 security. Gates are closed between 10 PM and 6 AM. The host said he would give us a prime spot, which we weren’t sure if that was just something he said to everyone, but we really did feel like we had one of the best sites! Nowhere in the states would you be able to find a beach site with a view like this so easily and where you’re not camping cramped up next to your neighbor. The toilets were really clean and apparently there are showers, but none of us showered that weekend. 😉
Perfect amount of space for our group of 6, with 2 cars. We couldn’t get over how good our view was!!
Short walk down to the beach straight from our site. The beach is rocky though and it would probably be hard to swim there.
Each site comes with a ramada, table, and a fire ring. We ended up not spending as much time in Ensenada because this felt like our own private beach. Instead of eating dinner in town, we went to a few taco places, bought meats at a grocery store in town, and came back to our campsite to grill.
Restaurants and Bars:
*Restaurant Puerto Nuevo #1 – lobster and hand made tortillas, rice and beans (so good for so cheap!)
Sin Fronteras Brewing – we tried going here but there was a private event going on
*La Guerrerense – sea urchin, scallops, tostada and ceviche tostadas – so good!! (Anthony Bourdain quoted this spot as “the best street food in the world”)
Mariscos el Gordito – mixed cup (canpechana cocktail) and clams
Flor de la Calabaza – breakfast and chilaquiles
La Hoguera – steak and salsas
Birrieria’s La Guadalajara
Casa Frida – tequila and wine
Mercado Negro
Activities:
Beach – our camp host told us not to swim in Playa Hermosa due to contaminated waters from all the hotels; he told us after the fact but we had already gone to the neighboring beach of Playa Pacifica and surfed there – not sure if this one was also contaminated D: but we were all okay!
Ensenada Town
Tips:
- Sign up for Sentri!!! This will save you SO much time driving back through the border into the US.
- Bring US cash.
- Our friend got pulled over on our drive back towards the border for tinted front windows. The police were asking for $400 but our friend said he only had $200 in cash and they accepted that.
When to Go:
You really could visit Ensenada year round and get good weather. The warmest months are July through September. We went in July and didn’t think it was too hot, and loved the temperature just hanging out at night around our campfire. It was also a perfect temperature to go into the water at the beach. The rainiest months are December, January and February.
What to Pack for Car Camping:
Check out our post on the 10 essentials recommended for car camping.
- Tent: For car camping, we use our Go Fast Camper (GFC) Superlite tent.
- Sleeping pads
- Sleeping bags/bedding: We use these sleeping bags but when we’re feeling bougie we pack a ton of soft blankets and nice pillows 🙂
- Camp chairs
- Lighting
- Camp stove and fuel: We sometimes bring our charcoal grill if we have enough space in the car, but mostly love cooking with our Blackstone Grill.
- Cooler: Yeti, always! unless we bring our Dometic
- Water jug
