El Golfo de Santa Clara

This is a Colorado River Adventure membership park, so sites directly fronting the beach are reserved for members. As RPI members, we lucked out with a site a bit further back that still afforded us a great view of the beach right out the front window.

Many CRA members spend the entire winter season at El Golfo, or even the entire year. They were a very friendly and welcoming bunch. Even though we were there as the winter season was winding down, there were still activities going on. During the winter months, there is a full complement of things to do, including cookouts, darts, exercise, karaoke, and so on.

Many members have ATVs and enjoy rides into the desert and down the beach, even all the way down to Puerto Penasco. Because the area is as of yet undeveloped, ATVs are permitted on the beach. In fact, we were there right before Semana Santa (Holy Week) when the El Golfo beach is a popular destination for Mexicans and Americans. At this time of year, the beach is more like a racetrack, with ATVs running up and down into the wee hours of morning. The rest of the time, the beach and the area in general are reportedly a lot quieter.

As our first foray into Mexico, we were disillusioned with the town of El Golfo de Santa Clara. Perhaps too many Hollywood movies in the back of our mind, our thoughts of Mexico leaned toward cobblestone plazas with Mariachi's playing under starlit skies.

At a minimum, the description of the town as a small fishing village conjured up quaint and picturesque images. The reality of El Golfo de Santa Clara is far from these expectations. We found mostly ramshackle homes amidst dirt streets with stray dogs and a surprising abundance of garbage. The poverty was apparent, although there are signs of improvements as the long-talked about coastal highway comes to fruition.

We found that this town was typical of other small, undeveloped towns we visited along the coast. Fishing is the major livelihood. Small stores, restaurants and taco stands are scattered about. The people are unpretentious, family- oriented, happy and make the most of what they have.

Therefore, we did the same - taking in El Golfo de Santa Clara for what it was. We visited the little markets and did buy some produce, meat and fish. We ate in a "regular" restaurant (we had some excellent fish and shrimp at El Delfin restaurant), at a couple taco stands and at the local Michoacan ice cream place. By the way, we had no problem with any of the food we bought or ate out anywhere we visited in Mexico. We were careful to wash produce in purified/bottled water.

The garbage in town and on the beach was perhaps the biggest surprise. We now realize that in many small towns, the only place to dispose of garbage is to set aside a piece of desert as a dump, with some loose attention given to burning the trash every so often. Otherwise, it is left is blow around in the breeze. Apparently, there has not been any historical focus on garbage.

There now appears to be a culture change in the works, perhaps similar to the "don't be a litterbug" campaigns many of us remember in the US. The state and municipal governments have signs posted encouraging people to keep the beaches clean and the bigger towns have trash receptacles along the streets. It will still take time.

So what happens as tourism develops? Some good and some bad things we think. After El Golfo we were off to Puerto Penasco, or Rocky Point as it has been billed by the Americans.

More on our Mexico RV Travel

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