Cerritos Beach was high on our list of Baja destinations, thanks to the many friends who had visited and fallen in love with the area. We can see why they loved it…because we loved it too!
About Cerritos Beach
Cerritos Beach (Los Cerritos) is 30 miles north of Cabo San Lucas and 10 miles south of Todos Santos. Located in the little farming town of El Pescadero, it has a charming mix of farmland, little restaurants and shops.
Cerritos Beach is very rustic and small but is rapidly growing. In most parts water is trucked in, solar power is heavily relied on, and dirt roads are the norm. However, people have started bringing in power lines to more and more areas and some are even doing underground electricity.
Where We Stayed
During our time at Cerritos Beach, we stayed in the beachfront boondocking lot, a large sandy parking area where RVs can dry camp just steps from the ocean. It was a great spot for our 42-foot rig, and we loved being so close to the beach and camping alongside friends. Our kids even played soccer in the lot!
At the time, we paid just 200 pesos per night for our RV. The lot also serves as daytime beach parking, so it can get pretty crowded at times, while other days there's plenty of room to spread out.
One thing to keep in mind is the sand. Depending on the time of year, some areas can get deep and soft, although we've generally been able to find spots with more compacted sand suitable for parking our big rig.
An Update on Beachfront Boondocking
A lot has changed since we first camped here! A beach club and several restaurants have opened between the parking lot and the ocean, giving the area a completely different feel.
There are now paid showers, a water station, an inflatable jumper for kids, and even some RV spots with hookups. Prices have also increased since our original stay.
While the location is still hard to beat if you want to be close to the beach, it's not necessarily the peaceful boondocking experience it once was. Between music from the restaurants and generator noise, this might not be the best choice if you're hoping to fall asleep to the sound of the waves!
RV Parks and Campgrounds at Cerritos Beach
If you'd rather have hookups and a few more amenities, there are several small RV parks around Cerritos Beach worth checking out.
Owned by friends of ours, Camp Cerritos is a great option for RVers who want to stay on the beach side of the highway without boondocking. They offer 14 spacious sites for rigs up to 36 feet, along with a community palapa and kitchen featuring hacienda and ocean views. You'll also find outdoor showers and restrooms, satellite Wi-Fi, a lending library, and more than eight outdoor workstations. It's an especially appealing setup for anyone working remotely while traveling.
More good friends of ours own Camp Itchy Feet! This property offers five RV spaces with various hookup options and can accommodate rigs up to 46 feet. There's also a pool, hot tub, and several apartment units on-site, making it a great option if you're traveling with friends or family who don't have an RV.
Other RV Camping Options
There are several other campgrounds in the area, depending on your rig size and the type of experience you're looking for.
Casa Caravan — Another option to explore in the Cerritos Beach area.
Cerritos Boutique RV — Keep in mind that this park doesn't accept children under 12.
Camp Canada — Another local camping option worth looking into.
Clay Cactus Campground — A quaint, rustic option for smaller rigs with solar. Check availability before heading over.
If you'd prefer to stay across the highway, a little farther from the beach and closer to the mountains, check out Rancho Escondido RV. It's run by friends of ours and offers more room to spread out, along with water and sewer hookups.
No matter which option you choose, Cerritos Beach is a pretty special place to spend some time in an RV. Just be sure to confirm current rates, hookups, availability, and rig-size restrictions directly with each campground before arriving!
The Beach
Cerritos Beach is one of the only swimmable beaches in the area and is the best surfing beach in Baja. The water is a comfortable temperature year round, (although some prefer wetsuits in the winter months) making it perfect for lots of water activities. You can rent surfboards and boogie boards, as well as take surfing lessons from one of the many surf shops at the beach. Beach massages are available from the massage therapists who are set up on the sand as well! There are beach chairs and umbrellas for rent in the main area, and thanks to a few pop up cocktail stands, you can easily grab a drink if inclined.
What to do
The town of Todos Santos, a more upscale and established area, is just a 20 minute drive away, so we enjoyed exploring the city, visiting the Hotel California, and browsing at the many cute shops there. There are many highly rated restaurants in Todos Santos, but we didn’t get to eat at them this time. Check out our Todos Santos reel HERE.
We got see a baby leatherback turtle release, which was incredible! Check that out HERE. There are turtle releases EVERY DAY Dec 10- Feb 28 at sunset and occasionally in March at sunset. You can get more info HERE.
The local Instagram page for Visit Cerritos Beach is always posting special events in their stories, so give them a follow to stay in the loop of what’s going on! They also have an Instagram highlight of “where to stay” in case you have friends or family members coming in to visit who aren’t RVers. You can find links to some nice lodging options there.
There are several other beaches close by that have a completely different feel and are unique if you want to venture to another beach. San Pedrito is another popular surfing beach, but it is more for skilled surfers as opposed to newbies. Cerritos is the best place to learn. Playa Las Palmas is another beach that is really special. You take path lined with wild, gorgeous palm trees that ends at the beach. Wild horses live here and are often hanging around! They aren’t friendly and shouldn’t be approached or fed. They are really cool to watch from a distance. The water at this beach always seems to be a bit warmer and we love playing in the waves here.
Where to eat at Cerritos Beach
Cerritos Beach has some really fun places to eat, many with that laid-back Baja beach-bar vibe we love!
Some of our favorites include Shakas, Barracuda Cantina, Don Nacho, and Big Fun Beach Club. They're all great spots to grab a bite, enjoy a cold drink, and soak up the beach atmosphere.
Shakas is especially fun for happy hour, with drink specials from 4–6 p.m., frequent live music, and multiple TVs for watching sports.
Barracuda Cantina has relocated right to the beachfront and regularly hosts live music and events. Next door, directly on the sand, Big Fun Beach Club has a large food and drink menu, regular specials, volleyball lessons, and open play. It's also become a popular spot for kids' birthday parties, thanks to its playground equipment and family-friendly atmosphere.
Another great beachfront option is La Tuna, which opened a Cerritos Beach location after originally starting in El Sargento. The incredible ocean views, great food, and friendly service make it a popular spot.
For margaritas with an ocean view, check out Cerritos Beach Inn on the south end of the beach. It's right on the water and also offers food specials.
If you're looking for coffee, breakfast, or somewhere to catch up on work, Same Same But Different Cafe and Baja Beans are both great options with Wi-Fi.
Want a more local, budget-friendly experience? Restaurants on the beach side of the highway tend to be more expensive than those in nearby Pescadero. Head into town for a more rustic, authentic Baja experience and typically lower prices. Carnitas Miguel and Pollos y Costillas are two places worth checking out!
Cell signal and Wifi
Cell signal is strong with Telcel, and many of the previously mentioned restaurants have decent wifi (under 10mbps). ATT and other providers defaulted to the throttled Telcel signal, which was ok for calls and texts but not much else. Once we had Starlink on our second trip down, it worked perfectly. We also switched cell phone carriers to T-Mobile and got great service in Baja.
Other necessities
There are several grocery stores and many convenience stores in town, although the product offerings are small. The biggest and best place for groceries is Salgado's on the main street in El Pescadero. All of the fancy high end conveniences of Cabo are less than 45 miles away if anything major is needed (Home Depot, Costco, Walmart etc.). 2024 update: A new grocery store opened on the beach side called Mercado del Sol, and it is very well stocked! If you are a boujee shopper and enjoy more specialty items, check out Agricole. It’s kind of like the Whole Foods of the area. It isn’t cheap, but you can find organic and gluten free options here as well as a large wine selection. I really like their salsa, which is reasonably priced!
Right across the street from Salgado’s in town is a huge water supply store where you can refill 5 gallon jugs, 60 gallon water bladders, or your entire RV’s water tank (I recommend you drive there in your smaller vehicle first to make sure you can navigate the smaller streets.)
Propane refills are available nearby in Todos Santos at Baja Gas and Oil (there are locations in the Cabo area as well if you are down there).
If you are boondocking like we did and need your tanks dumped, there is a honey truck that comes around Cerritos Beach Club every so often. You can text him on WhatsApp at +52 612 139 2218 and he came out the next day (although he was about two hours late, so be flexible!) His name is Christian!
My favorite laundromat is Titi Lavandaria. You drop off your laundry and they usually tell you it will be ready in a day or two. I’ve never lost any items at Titi, which is rare for Mexico!
If you need a vet for your pet, Marisa Metaca is in Pescadero and can be reached at +52 612 220 5982
Emergency and Medical Services
Dial 911 in case of an emergency. You should know Spanish or have a translator with you. The closest hospitals are in Cabo and La Paz, and there are lots of them in these cities. You can also find any type of specialist you may need in both locations. The cost of healthcare in Mexico is very affordable. Sharp International Patient Services will help you get back to the U.S. in an emergency. It doesn’t matter whether or not you are a Sharp Patient. The 24-hour hotline is 888-265-1513.
St. Jude is a clinic in Todos Santos that we have used before and received excellent care there.
We use Smile Up for dentistry needs in Todos Santos. They are very affordable and bring in na children’s specialist about once a month. You can make an appointment by contacting them on Facebook.
Our future in Cerritos Beach
A lot of growth is happening in Cerritos Beach right now, and property prices are going up, up up as it’s being viewed as the new up and coming hot spot in Baja. We certainly can see why, as we fell in love with it too. People are buying up lots, opening up shops and really developing the area.
We actually decided to jump on the bandwagon and felt like we couldn’t leave without making a little piece of this paradise ours, so we purchased a lot with our good friends, the Smiths! We bought a half acre lot that we will divide and each get 1/4 acre. It’s up on a hill, with incredible views of the beach and surrounding mountains.
Mexico is a cash society, so we plan to develop the land slowly, with the goal of putting a fence, driveway, road (yes, we have to put in a road!) some utilities and one day a house that we can use and rent out when we’re not there. It will be done step by step, as we save money to put towards it, and we can’t wait to work on this project with some of our very best friends by our sides!
Summary
If you ever get the opportunity to visit Cerritos Beach, we can’t recommend it enough! You can drive down in an RV like we did, or fly into either San Jose del Cabo or La Paz. The locals are friendly and welcoming, and it’s a place that many fall in love with. It’s our new winter home, and we hope to see you there!
