San Carlos- A hidden destination

San Carlos- A must travel hidden destination

In one word, it would be “colorful.” Everywhere you go, there are brightly-painted houses, vibrant markets, and friendly locals. Even the natural world is colorful; every evening, the deeply contrasting blue sea and red rock are illuminated by a rosy sunset glow.  Folks, if you haven’t made it down to this part of Mexico yet, you’re missing out. San Carlos is a hidden destination, an ideal place to spend a vacation by the sea, unhindered by crowds, and free to explore in the beauty of the idyllic coast.

This post may contain affiliate links in which we may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

About San Carlos

San Carlos is one of the most beautiful vacation communities in Sonora, Mexico. Vacationing in San Carlos is all about the beauty of the beach and the charm of the culture. Seventy years ago, San Carlos was a cattle ranch with beaches untouched by anyone except a few fishermen. Today, it is a pristine resort village. Once across the border, it’s a straight shot on extremely well-maintained roads. The newness of this community lends to a fresh, clean area making it perfect for a holiday, a wedding, or a family reunion on the beach.

What to Eat

Local food is, of course, an essential travel experience. You think Chipotle is Mexican? You’ll change your mind after you try real Mexican food. The staple in San Carlos is fish, fish, and more fish, but even seafood-haters can find fish-free deliciousness to tempt their palates. We usually go with at least 25 ppl so we have a local lady come in and make homemade tortillas and grill meat for some pretty amazing tacos.

And don’t forget to get coconuts! They average about $3- $6 depending on what you get inside them. These yummy treats are chopped in front of your eyes and filled with yummy goodness from octopus to as simple as chili and lemon.

Things to Do

If you’re hanging out in San Carlos, there’s one place you surely want to be: the beach. You can spend all day on the sand and never get sick of it! You might expect such a beautiful beach to get crowded, but it rarely is. In fact, if you decide to visit in the off-season, it’s almost like staying on a private beach. If that doesn’t make you feel like a celebrity or multi-millionaire, I don’t know what would! It’s your own hidden destination. Be sure to take a walk to the old  Club Med to take a look at this famous historic building.

Other things to do

In the off-chance that you do get sick of the beach, you can go on a fishing tour, or hike the fascinating rock formations. A hike up Tetakawi Peaks will come in handy to burn off all the food you will surely eat, and you’ll be amazed at the sweeping views of the sea and city!  San Carlos is also a fantastic place to go diving, and there are several top-rated dive sites in the area! Not a diver? Never fear! You can get scuba dive certified while you’re there or plan a trip to the hot springs.

Yoga on the beach while the kids make sand art.

At night when the tides have gone out the teens like to torches and take a nice hike out to explore the little island that can only be gotten to by boat during the day but hiked to after the tides. One-time they even took sky lanterns they lit and set flight into the night sky. What a sight that was!

If you would like to visit a hustle and bustle of a little town you can take a 30 min drive over to Guaymas. It has all the excitement of a big city with street vendors with carts and makeshift booths lined up and down the sidewalks with all kinds of wares and tokens of Mexico. They have a great homemade popsicle shop and movies in English at certain parts of the day.

These shoes are a favorite. The kids started a new fad because every time we go our friends, neighbors, family and even random kids at school ask us to pick up these shoes.

Where to Stay

There are plenty of vacation rentals in San Carlos. You have a few options when it comes to staying in this town: rent a house or stay at a resort. If you want to rent a house, check out Hacienda Babbitt. This sprawling villa has six rooms and can accommodate large groups of up to 20 people plus more if people want to bring sleeping bags and don’t mind sleeping on the terrace or in the grass-lined, covered courtyard. The house is within walking distance of the beach and is situated in a secure gated community. You can sunbathe on the terrace in private or on the beach or book a horseback riding along the beach.  If you want to experience fresh tortillas made right before your eyes we can set you up with a local that will come right to the house.

Click on Hacienda Babbitt  to visit their website

The San Carlos Plaza Hotel

Not far away, San Carlos Plaza Hotel is a perfect place to stay if a house rental isn’t your style. This hotel is located on the beachfront and has all the amenities you could need for your stay, including a gym, pool, and bar.

You can also get many VRBO rentals

On the beach by Hacienda Babbitt is Bonifacio’s Cotton Club, a gourmet restaurant on the beach. You can sip cool drinks and listen to live entertainment while enjoying quesadillas or lobster.

If you are thinking of a hidden destination wedding this would be the perfect place. Hacienda Babbitt could accommodate the wedding party while the hotel down the road can host family and friends. All at a reasonable price!

Another great place to eat is the Soggy Peso. This is a fantastic little beach bar restaurant with food and drinks that are almost as good as the cool atmosphere of this open-air shack. If neither of these is for you, head to Bienvenidos, another little restaurant on the beach that offers a variety of local dishes.

San Carlos Weather

Average Air Temperatures (Range)

January – 60-75º  February-60-75ºMarch – 60-77º April – 64-83º

May – 70-85º June – 78-90º July – 80-94º August- 80-94º

September-80-94º  October – 74-88º November- 69-80º December-60-77º

There’s no doubt about it: San Carlos is the perfect place to stay and play on the Mexican coast. It makes for a perfect hidden destination. It’s not far from the border, has plenty to do, is absolutely gorgeous, is easy to travel in and around and if you have a private plane or want to charter one,  you can even fly right on into it. If you’ve not experienced the ambiance and relaxation of Mexico take advantage of everything San Carlos has to offer. And believe it or not, it is a very budget-friendly and safe place to visit.

Just go see all the beauty in the world!

For further information about traveling to Mexico, tolls, marriage license, insurance, passport information, different forms of transportation, and general Mexico information,  check out Mexico Travel Information.

Or check out our Pinterest Travel Board