 San
Felipe, part of the municipality of Mexicali, is a small town
on the northeast side of the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez),
120 km south of the US border in the Mexican state of Baja
California. Its population approaches 20,000, and can increase
by as much as 5,000 during holidays and at the peak time of
'Snow Bird' residency (retirees and vacation homeowners).
The geography of the area attracts a large number of visitors.
Within a short drive, an intrepid explorer can experience
almost any environment imaginable, from fecund sea life to
desert austerity, from palm canyons to the autumn snow crests
on the shoulders of the tallest mountain peak on the peninsula.
Temperatures in the area are equally as variable, ranging
from a winter lows of 4°C at night to summer highs of
48°C in the hot afternoons of July and August.
The Bay of San Felipe is a semicircle of blonde sandy beaches.
The bay itself is three meters above sea level and at low
tide the water can recede as much as 2 km.
Historically San Felipe has been dependent on
the shrimp and fishing industry. But as the Mexicali-San Felipe
highway improved over the years, the town has come to rely
more and more on tourism. The prosperity arising from the
tourist dollar has enabled San Felipe to grow and acquire
an expanding list of modern ammenities, including high speed
internet, fresh medical and dental facilities, contemporary
store fronts and gas stations, and many other embellishments
normally found in larger cities.
As with many cities and towns of our global community, San
Felipe has become involved in several ecological issues, supporting
the protection of the endangered vaquita whale, sea
turtles and the diminishing supplies of seasonal shrimp.
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