Rancho Grande

Route 5 from Mexicali to where it dead ends into Route 1 is one of if not the best highways on the Baja and south of Puerticitos one of the most scenic, a total of nearly 300 miles.
Rancho Grande RV park is on the beach of Gonzaga Bay. Rancho Grande area has 3 commercial enterprises 1) Rancho Grande Market (this market has about anything you could want at fair prices) 2) Pemex station (this station has reasonable prices for regular and low sulfur diesel. The diesel is behind the station and is a little tight for large trailers, but accessible) 3 Alfacinos ( this is an established expat community with a restaurant. (Good food but a little pricey) Hotel ($125 USD) and a low tide north south air strip and a newer east to west all weather landing strip. The access is gated with an attendant. All you need the to say is “restaurante”, drive to the end then turn left for about 1 km and you will dead end at the restaurants the hotel.
To camp at Rancho Grande RV first go to the store (they speak pretty good English) and pay for your camping. Next go across the the gated road to the south of the air strip, show the guard your paid receipt and drive the mile long improved dirt road and pick out the palapa of your choice. FYI to drive to Alfacinos you will have to go back to the highway and through their security.
I think you will find this to be the best dry camping in all of Baja. Unfortunately you will be off the grid here there’s no WiFi or cell service except at the store.

Tent camped here for just one night on a road trip headed further south. If it wasn’t unseasonably cold, I would have stayed another three days.

Pay at the store across the street for access to the road in. We paid $350 pesos bc we had two cars. $250 for the first car, and $100 for the next. Never mind it was just two people. Asked the guy how much for one car with 10 people, and he said $250. That’s Mexican logic. xoxo

We didn’t have the RV this time, but plenty of room for any sized rig and a nice smooth road in.

Palapa to break the wind. Everyone has their own little pit toilet across from the parking lot. The place was clean and well taken care of.

Dogs loved it, quiet at night, views and sunsets and sunrise to die for.

We will definitely return in warmer weather.

For 250 pesos, $13 USD or $18 CDN all you get is a palapa, garbage can and pit toilet. The camp spots and beach were very clean and we had no problems fitting out 26’ rig in the spot. Each site has its own outhouse a decent distance from your camp so no smell. The sites are adjacent to the beach but in our area there had been a large D9 working that had pushed a lot of the sand and gravel up towards the campsite. The operator was very polite and gave us some good travel tips. We stayed during a Mexican holiday so it was quite busy but everyone was very polite and behaved. No cell coverage.

We enjoyed our week stay here. Great palapa with a concrete floor. Right on the beach. 250 pesos per night with no services other than an outhouse and trash collection but the view is incredible. Enjoyed some great days paddling out to the island, saw whales, enjoyed the quiet nights under the stars. The name of camping area is Rancho Grande and not Alfonsina's which is next door. Saw an option for paid wifi at 30MB 15 pesos for 30 minutes. You probably need to buy at the well equipped little store across the street on Hwy 5. No cell service in the area.

(Note that Alfonsina's is actually a community of full-time residents, this review is for the camping palapas immediately south of that community).

The dirt road directly behind the Pemex will take you to Alfonsinas, a bar, restaurant and I suppose fancy campo, as campos go. But there is no camping there (campo translates, as far as I can figure, to "some land a guy owns and rents out to people who then build small housing there but still don't own said houses").

So instead, if headed south take the next dirt road on your left. That will lead to a series of palapas (some improved but head further down to the empty ones). Apparently the cost is $10 / night (and you can share if you want), but we stayed from late afternoon to just before noon the next day and no one showed up to ask for money (and there was nowhere to just leave money).

Though Alfonsina's is off limits to camping, there is nothing stopping you from making the mile plus trek down the beach (or road behind the houses), to her bar and restaurant. The beach is tougher, but of course more beautiful. You will see whale bones.

And the store across the street from Pemex is a treat this far south into the Gulf's coast.

The road ceases to be pavement much further south of Gonzaga Bay, but if you make the trek and have any trouble, look for Jose at the tire shop (llantera) just as you hit Mexico 1. As of this writing, that's a good 25 miles of doable but rough terrain.

Enjoy!