Travel. Baja California. Mexico.
La Fonda, Surfer’s Delight— Baja California, Mexico | To-Do List
La Fonda offers an affordable respite from the hustle and bustle of San Diego and Tijuana — with great surfing!
Story by M.E. Law with Rick Schettino
How an impromptu trip to La Fonda, Mexico turned into free lodging five minutes’ walk from the beach — the holy grail for digital nomads!
In the summer of 2019, Rick was traveling back to his home state of Florida from Toronto where I live. About halfway, something happened that sent us both on an unexpected detour to the little pueblo village of La Fonda in Baja California, Mexico. La Fonda sits between Tijuana to the north and Ensanada to the south.
Being in need of a remote music producer to mix a song he had recorded, Rick called on our good friend Derek Wille. Derek is a brilliant multi-instrumentalist and professional producer who left the Big Apple years ago to live on the Baja peninsula.
Check out the lyric video for the song “Morning Gloria” that Rick and Derek worked on together, posted at the end of the article.
Derek regaled Rick with tales of his idyllic life in Baja — the freedom from bureaucracy, the proximity to the Pacific, and most importantly, the dirt-cheap real estate. He invited us to come to visit for a few days to see for ourselves.
The next morning, Rick left Chatanooga, Tenn., and headed for Baja Mexico.
Not long after he arrived, he landed a sweet house-sitting gig and a week later I flew down from Toronto to join him.
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La Mision: population — 1,058
Derek and his partner Stacie DiTata’s home lies in a dusty, gated community just a few minutes from La Fonda in a village called La Mision.
Stacie is a gorgeous bundle of positive energy and boundless creativity. Her clothing designs are one-of-a-kind works of art. My dream is to someday purchase an entire wardrobe curated from her collection! And Derek, in addition to his musical brilliance has a biting intellect and a sly, dark sense of humor.
The roads inside the gated community are not paved. We found ourselves bumping and grinding along a deeply rutted road, past stunning luxury homes resplendent with colorful mosaics, lush gardens, and behemoth SUVs. In stark contrast, surrounding the community were decrepit dwellings seemingly held together with rusty nails, spit, and a prayer.
I was awestruck upon entering their home!
The living room is gigantic, with high ceilings, terra cotta tile floors, a massive fireplace (probably big enough to roast an entire cow!), and a balcony overlooking the river valley. There’s also a studio where Stacie creates her masterpieces, plus a substantial kitchen and laundry room.
The finished basement includes master and guest bedrooms and a second studio where Derek produces music.
Here’s the kicker… Derek gleefully told us their monthly rent was just US$500!
We were intrigued, to say the least. We wanted to see more.
La casita pequeno del mar
Through a serendipitous timing coincidence, Derek landed us a dog-sitting gig fust a few doors down. The owners got called away on an emergency and needed someone to watch after the house and their cute little dog, “Pip.” We and Pip were staying in a modest little casita attached to the main house.
Free lodging! And just a five-minute walk from the beach! We’ll take it!
I was in heaven the next morning as I made my way to a sizable but almost deserted beach. Our feet barely saw the inside of a shoe for the rest of our stay!
One of the main attractions on this particular beach is horseback riding. You can rent a horse and enjoy a gallop on the beach. One foggy day during my leisurely beach walk I heard a muffled thudding sound coming toward me. I had to scurry out of the way of an oncoming steed as it dramatically emerged from the heavy mist. It was a beautiful, almost cinematic scene. I will never forget it!
The Baja wildfires
Prior to my flight, a text notification woke me at 6 am. It was 3 am in Baja when Rick texted several photos and videos. The hills around La Mision were engulfed by a wildfire! Rick grabbed his valuables — van, guitar, computer, briefcase, and Pip — and evacuated to the beach.
The fire was raging in the surrounding hills and had reached the perimeter of the coastal village. The blaze crept to within a hundred yards of the casita. Thankfully it stopped before it crossed the road.
Had the wind changed direction, the fire would have crossed the main road and devoured the entire coastal village. It would have been a disaster of epic proportions.
Vacation rentals in La Mision
Although we aren’t aware of any motels or hotels, vacation rentals are very affordable in La Mision. There are several La Mision vacation rentals on Airbnb. (No affiliation. We just like use it a lot.)
Lodging in La Fonda
The village of La Fonda, just north of La Mision, has a small grouping of hotels, restaurants, and bars atop a cliff looking down on a gorgeous beach with brilliant sunsets. It’s a favorite stop for coastal travelers. There’s also a seaside campground that’s popular with surfers.
Hotel La Mision
Hotel La Mision in La Fonda, a five-minute drive from our casita, became a weekly haunt. Each weekend, Derek and his band delighted the clientele with gorgeously rendered covers of rock, pop, and jazz classics. (This was pre-pandemic.) Both Rick and I had a blast sitting in with the band for a couple of numbers each. What a treat!
The food at Hotel La Mision is beautifully prepared and delicious. It had a decidedly Mexican flavor, albeit, slightly Americanized for the ex-pat palate, and the portions were generous. The restaurant is elegant and airy, with a gorgeous balcony overlooking the ocean.
Below the restaurant at the edge of the cliff is a large, sunny outdoor patio with a taco bar. The tacos are delicioso, the cervezas are muy frio, and the margaritas are refreshing and potent.
The charming La Mision Hotel offers meticulously clean suites with free wifi and room service. The hotel is also child and pet-friendly, with an attentive staff. The rooms are on average, around $100 per night.
Location: Km.59.28 Carretera Libre (Tijuana-Ensenada, La Misión, 22711 Rosarito, B.C., Mexico
Phone: +52 646 155 0333
There are a few other hotels and restaurants in La Fonda as well including Poco Cielo Hotel, Gary’s La Fonda Hotel, and Alisitos Beach Hotel.
Surfing Baja at Alisitos Campground (aka K58)
A stone’s throw from the hotel, the Alisitos K58 Campground sits atop a bluff overlooking the ocean. “K58” is on the kilometer marker before the La Fonda exit. The campground is a favorite hangout for surfers.
K58 isn’t really much of a campground. It’s essentially a dirt parking lot within walking distance from La Fonda restaurants and shops. But it offers super-cheap, no-frills, seaside camping (cold showers and rusty restrooms). It also has a board shop with rentals.
With the beach literally a stumble away, surfers sleep in their vans at night and surf all day. They don’t seem to mind the lack of amenities.
For the more adventurous types, exciting ultra-light plane rides along the shores of La Fonda can be chartered for a reasonable fee.
Vacation rentals in La Fonda
There are also plenty of super-affordable vacation rentals in La Fonda on Airbnb for as low as $50 per night. I’m sure other sites such as VRBO also have plenty of listings as do local agencies.
Dining near La Fonda, Mexico
Aside from the Hotel La Mision, there are a couple more dining experiences that we can recommend if you’re willing to take a little road trip.
Del Valle Cafe, La Mision
Del Valle Cafe is a coffee house located atop a hill close to our casita in La Mision. It’s less than 10 minutes drive from La Fonda. The menu includes sandwiches, wraps, soups, and fresh salads. Pizza is also available next door.
The cafe features live acoustic music which often packs the house. There’s both an indoor and an outdoor stage. This cozy venue seems to be a beloved community hub in La Mision.
Location: Free Road KM 62.5, 22910 La Misión, B.C., Mexico
Phone: (801) 809–5949
La Hacienda (in Villa de Juárez, Baja)
Most Sundays, our friends Derek and Stacie drive to Guadalupe wine country for the brunch buffet at a restaurant called La Hacienda. We tagged along and the experience ended up being a real treat and one of the highlights of our stay. The scenery alone makes the 30-minute drive well worth the time.
The all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch costs about $10 and features an incredible full buffet with a massive variety of delicious main courses and side dishes, an omelet bar, a quesadilla bar, horchata, fresh juices, and seemingly endless varieties of fruits and decadent desserts. (Photos above)
The dining area is a mix of bohemian chic and old-world elegance shaded under the lush canopy of the giant trees, fringed by huge Boston ferns. Some of the massive oaks adorning the grounds are purported to be at least five hundred years old.
We enjoyed our meal while being serenaded by a dapper hombre passionately plucking Mexican classics on an ethereal-sounding harp. As we quietly absorbed the ambiance of this unassuming oasis, we buzzed with sensory overload tinged with euphoria and gratitude. Good food and great company have that effect!
After stuffing ourselves silly we wandered around the grounds, enjoying the sights and sounds of the bustling farmers market. There were vendors offering local wine, fresh produce, jams and jellies, baked goods, candies, and handmade jewelry.
When we returned to La Mision, we contentedly waddled back to the casita for a much-needed siesta!
La Hacienda should be near the top of your Baja travels to-do list.
Location: La Hacienda is way off the beaten path off highway 3, approximately a 25-minute drive from La Mision.
Santos Degollado 444, 22766 Villa de Juárez, B.C., Mexico
Phone: +52 646 155 3160
Do we recommend La Fonda?
When people think of surfing in North America, they generally think of California and Hawaii. However, we spoke to some of the surfers who said that they enjoyed better surfing for far less money in La Fonda. So, if surfing is your thing, Playa La Fonda might be one for your to-do list.
Otherwise, we recommend experiencing Baja and its breathtaking coastal vistas and awe-inspiring desert scenery village-by-village. Maybe don’t spend too long in one place (unless you’re at a luxury resort).
In the end, we decided that La Fonda was a great place to visit — especially with free lodging — but a long-term stay on the picturesque Baja coast was not for us.
We packed up our belongings and headed north along the scenic coastline. After a several-hour wait to get across the border, we headed for San Diego and Del Mar, California. Those stories are coming up!
Be sure to follow us for more adventures!
Tips for Baja travelers
- Only eat at the best restaurants and drink only bottled beverages. There is little or no sanitary regulation of restaurants in the area. Don’t be a victim of Montezuma’s Revenge.
- No matter how nice it is outside, don’t leave your doors and windows open if there are no screens. A small scorpion found its way into the casita and Rick stepped on it. Youch.
- Stay out of trouble! You won’t enjoy the experience of being arrested in Baja. Our new surfer friends said they were constantly harassed by police.
- Wifi and cell service can be sketchy in the area. We have 3 phones all on different networks each with a mobile hotspot. We still had trouble with the internet sometimes.
BELOW: “Morning Gloria” was mixed by Derek Wille at his studio in La Mision, Baja California, Mexico. It starts out slow and then gets groovy.
