Everything to know about San Felipe, Yucatán, México

“Our story here started when my dad decided to retire. He was looking for a place where he could escape the crowds and get away from the noise of the city.

His dream was to watch us growing up in a place where he could feel safe, where we could be in touch with nature, and where we, as youngsters, could learn values and principles.

That’s exactly what he found here 40 years ago, and the rest is history. He started building his house (which he later turned into the hotel), we moved here, and adopted the town’s pace and traditions. We are now part of the town, me and my sister have made our family here, and for us, this is home” says Jesciel, Mena Fly Fishing Co-Founder.

San Felipe, Yucatán is located  160 miles (3 hr 30 min driving) from Cancún and 122.9 miles (2 hr 30 min driving) from Mérida, Yucatán.

With only 2,000 inhabitants, San Felipe, Yucatán is one of Mexico’s hidden gems. It’s colorful streets (wooden hand made houses), peaceful atmosphere, breathtaking sunsets, warm people and delicious food, makes this place simply unmatchable.

The whole area offers a sub-humid warm climate, with an average temperature of 25.6 °C. Anyways, the best season for San Felipe Tarpon Fly Fishing is between April and October.

San Felipe, Yucatan has an extremely privileged location. The combination of its climate and its geological and hydrological characteristics makes it one of the main nesting areas in Mexico (for birds, fishes and land animals).

The great extension of mangroves are a refuge for a great variety of species, (which eventually go out to the sea):

• Fish: tarpon, grouper, snapper, corvina or sea bass
• Sea life: lobster, octopus, rock shrimp, sea turtles
• crustaceans and molluscs, sea turtles, pink flamingo, crocodiles
• Migratory birds: countless species, sticking outt the beautiful Pink Flamingo
• Land animals: raccoons, armadillo, spider monkeys, ocelots, white-tailed deer, panthers and jaguar.

The main activity in town is the comercial fishing (grouper, lobster and octopus), and activities related to this industry. Very few people are into agriculture and even less people into tourism.

It’s worth to say that even when tourism doesn’t play a significant role in town, there are plenty of things to do in San Felipe during your free days, or in case you’re traveling with non-anglers (family or friends).

San Felipe has only 3 hotels, being Hotel San Felipe De Jesús the one with most amenities, the only with estuary view, and proudly home of Mena Fly Fishing Lodge. Other accomodation options are renting local people’s rooms or houses.

Quick recommendations when visiting San Felipe, Yucatán

1. Exchange money (dollars to pesos). Very few places accept credit cards so consider that the easiest way to cover personal expenses outside Mena Fly Fishing services, is cash (we do accept cards).
2. Bring a jacket. Even when there’s a very warm climate, the temperature can suddenly change.
3. Plan in advance. We can make everything work, however, we need some time. Remember that San Felipe is a fishermen’s town, with a very laid-back atmosphere, so a lot of things that you can get very easily back at home, may not be as easy to get here. For example medicine, dietary restrictions, technology, gear.