Camping in El Faro, Michoacan

The Drive

For the three day weekend, seven friends and four dogs loaded up for a drive to the beach. Based on Emily’s recommendation, we camped at El Faro de Bucerias in the state of Michoacan. The drive was almost five hours from Guadalajara. 

First we drove through Colima and then into Michoacan. Here we took the curvy two lane highway into the hillsides along the coast. The views  were beautiful overlooking the sandy beaches and crashing waves. We didn’t get stopped by the federales or the autodefensas, a regular occurrence in these areas but we drove in the daytime. 

Arriving in El Faro, we followed Emily’s instructions. We saw the main road and took a left down a dirt road. Luckily we picked the correct road,which was just basically a path in the sand, because we made it to the camping area on the coast. 

Our Camping Site

We camped right on the beach under the shelter of the palapas. The accommodations were basic, just pitch your tent wherever for $60 pesos, or about $3.00, a night. Across the sandy path, the family that owned the place offered basic bathrooms and outdoor showers. 

The ladies at the outdoor kitchen served breakfast. They also let us plug in the water kettle to make pour over coffee in the morning. Nothing like sipping coffee while watching the morning waves. 

On our last night, we had a campfire with a carne asada. A huge palm branch made for perfect kindling and Axel cooked up a huge Sonoran steak. We prepared quesadillas and guacamole. And we ended the evening singing Happy Birthday to Emily and enjoying homemade cake from Mary. 

Beach Time

The waves crashed hard in front of our campsite in the middle of the bay. Walking down the beach to the south, the surf was much calmer. In this area, there were many people swimming and playing in the waves. Further down the beach, the jagged rocks created a few inlets and small bays.

In the other direction, the rocks cut off the beach. Climbing up and over, there was another small sandy area. Sitting on the huge boulder, I had a great view of the whole beach and bay, perfect for some quiet reflection.

The beach area of El Faro was chill, a few dozen families and friends camping for the weekend. We relaxed, sipped drinks in lounge chairs, played with the dogs and took naps in the sand for two great days.

On Monday, it was time to head back to Guadalajra. The drive back felt faster than the arrival, even as we entered the rainy and cold city. I certainly enjoyed the quiet, sunshine, good friends and a weekend out of town.