Mulege Mexico
One of our most popular stops on tour is Mulegé.
Mulegé is a small Mexican town located on the Sea of Cortez, south of Santa Rosalia, north of Loreto and situated at the entrance to the Bay of Conception. This is a date palm oasis, settled by the Spanish 300 years ago and built beside the Mulegé river. The name Mulegé is derived from the Cochimi language meaning “Large ravine of the white mouth.” Significantly, Mexico achieved their only victory during the Mexican-American Conflict (1846-1848) at the Battle of Mulegé. On October 1, 1847, the United States Marines and Sailors invaded Mulegé and fought with Mexican militia. The Mexicans held fast, and by afternoon the Americans returned to their ship and departed.
A tour of the Mission Santa Rosalía de Mulegé, founded in 1705 by the Jesuits, is a must see. The beautiful stone building we see today was started in 1766 and replaced the original structure. Behind the mission is an overlook where you have an excellent view of the river valley and date palms. Another worthwhile stop is the 100 year old state penitentiary, a unique jail without bars, where prisoners could go out to work during the day and return every evening. Escape attempts were rare because if someone did escape, other prisoners pursued the escapees to bring them back to jail, otherwise all of the tenants would remain locked up as punishment.
Depending on what days of the week you are visiting, there are some great restaurant options including Don Johnson’s Hotel Serenidad, which is famous for the Saturday Night Pig Roast which has been a tradition for over 30 years. The evening includes one margarita, a roast pork dinner, and entertainment for about $16 US per person: this is a fabulous evening not to be missed! Whether it's the historic “Los Casitas”, operated by Javier Zuniga; or Eduardo’s Chinese food, served only on Sundays; or Ray’s Place just outside town which serves up great seafood, when you include 4 decent grocery stores, a good Laundromat, 2 gas stations and a bank machine, Mulegé truly has it all.
We normally stay at Villa Maria Isabel RV Park, located on the Mulegé River, owned and operated by our friend Maribel. Another excellent option is “Hacienda de la Habana” - Ray Lima’s secluded RV Park beside his restaurant. You can also park your RV at the Hotel Cuesta Real and the Hotel Sereindad.
The people of Mulegé are wonderful and always optimistic despite having been victimized by 2 devastating floods in the last 5 years, including “Hurricane Jimena” on September 2, 2009. Not surprisingly, they were up and running and rebuilding within a month of the most recent disaster. Mulegé is a real treasure and you will be glad you made the time to visit!
Dan & Lisa Goy
Surrey, BC
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