Adapted from Sea Kayaking in Baja by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Americans and Mexicans coexist in Puertecitos. The Americans stick to the bluffs running along both sides of town; the Mexicans live mainly in shacks and converted trailer and bus homes along the town's flat, central strip. The Palapa, a rotunda-shape bar on the south beach, serves a limited stock of drinks (Coke and beer, usually) to both groups and comes to life with heated games of pool (on a sloping table) or the occasional cantina-style scrap. A small motel with surprisingly pretty rooms, a gift shop, and a minimal-menu restaurant (with sporadic hours and no beverages — bring your own from the bar) are next door. A PEMEX is just behind this complex; its supply of fuel is unreliable.

Further north of this"Zone Turmstica," along a handful of dusty roads, is the Alfabeta, a grocery store, stocked with canned goods, staples, fruits, vegetables, and snack foods. Letters can be left in a phone booth turned post office behind the Palapa; local residents transport them to the border for mailing. Water and tortillas are sold from houses or trailers in town; ask at the grocery store for directions. The town darkens quite suddenly at 10 p.m. when the generator gets cut. Be prepared with a flashlight if you're not safely tucked away in your tent.

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