Hotels and Camping

Guerrero Negro [1] has a handful of modest hotels and motels, most of which are located along Boulevard Zapata.

Under US$50

Just off the main drag, the 14 rooms at Motel Las Ballenas (tel. 615/157-0116, US$25) are a pretty good deal, with TV and private bath, although the bed coverings are a little scary. Pets may be allowed in a couple of rooms, depending on who’s at the desk. Las Ballenas has Wi-Fi, too.

Near Malarrimo Restaurant, the Motel San Ignacio (tel. 615/157-0270, US$27) offers 24 basic rooms with a relatively late checkout time (1 P.M.).

Also in this category, the newly constructed Baja Misión/Brisa Salina B&B, Hostel, and Camping (Emiliano Zapato, tel. 615/157-0288) adds a fresh look to Guerrero Negro’s somewhat outdated image with 14 rooms priced at US$30 per night (with breakfast for an additional US$3). This place also has reasonably priced camping spots and hostel-style accommodations for travelers on tighter budgets.

Adjoining Malarrimo Restaurant, Hotel Malarrimo (tel./fax 615/157-0250, www.malarrimo.com [2], US$45–50, no pets) rents standard rooms with a small TV, chair, and two beds that rest on hard wooden platforms. Sloped, beamed ceilings, yellow stucco walls, and a cactus decor add a cheerful touch. Bathrooms have old plumbing but plenty of hot water and good pressure. Threadbare towels, bare lightbulbs, and a few empty sockets remind you that this is Baja. The hotel offers free wireless Internet in its restaurant area.

Built in 2006, Hotel Los Caracoles (Calz. de la República, tel. 615/157-1088, www.hotelloscaracoles.com.mx [3], US$45–65) has 13 rooms, with 5 more in the works. You can access the Internet from the lobby only; the first 20 minutes are free. This hotel is located north of Boulevard Zapata, along one of the first cross streets as you approach the town from Mexico 1. The owner is a retired manager from the saltworks.

More or less across from Los Caracoles and at approximately the same price point, Cowboy Hotel (Zapata, tel. 615/157-2765, http://hotelcowboy.com/ [4], US$45) opened in 2009 with 14 rooms and plans to expand. Showers are hot, parking is secure, Wi-Fi works, and pets are negotiable for an extra 100 pesos. The adjoining Asadero Cowboy restaurant draws a crowd for tasty tacos. Both businesses are cash only. There is an ATM in the Pemex next door. Rooms here get booked during the whale-watching season.

US$50–100

If you don’t need to load up on supplies in town and don’t mind paying a bit extra, the Desert Inn (formerly La Pinta, tel. 615/157-1304, toll-free U.S. tel. 800/800-9632, www.desertinns.com [5], US$85) has a hotel near the state border and Paralelo 28 monument, off Mexico 1.

Camping and RV Parks

The best spot for coastal camping near Guerrero Negro [1] is inside the Parque Natural de la Ballena Gris, where you may be asked to pay US$5 per day to park.

In town, Malarrimo RV Park (tel./fax 615/157-0100) has 40 sites with hookups and dump stations for US$18 up to 35 feet, US$20 over 35 feet, or US$14 for campers and vans. Tent sites cost US$12 per person. Rates include access to restrooms with hot showers.

The ejido-owned Benito Juárez RV Park (tel. 615/157-0025), just south of the state border, has 18 hookups (US$7–9) with restrooms and shower facilities but no shade. This place seems to be open sporadically, but probably can be counted on in the high season.