Tent Camping in Mexico

Balneario's usually charge 40 to 80 pesos for entrance, and about the same for camping, as they charge per person. Church's "Traveler's Guide to Mexican Camping", is the bible for camping in Mexico. Along with RV spots, they have some balnearios listed also. Pick up the Guia Roji maps, the red book, and you will be covered for anywhere you want to go. For software, MS Streets and Trips 2013 is my favorite.

Thanks everyone for the great information here. We really appreciate it!
Keelhauler1 - good idea. We have friends in Placencia.
qtla9111 - We don't know if we will be going through Nuevo Leon, but will keep this in mind if we do!
robatthelake - Great information! Thanks!
rocmoc - Still going through the Kevin and Ruth blog - interesting, and good info on the costs and places. The deal with the surfer sounds unfortunate. Sounds like precautions we take anywhere are the norm.
Mexicowanderer - We will look up The People's Guide to Mexico. Thanks!
Vantexan - Not sure what the Church guide is....
daveB110 - In 7 years, that is not a bad average at all. We have more problems than that every year here in our part of Oregon. I have assisted on a homicide case here where a person killed one and wounded another because he wanted "their" camp space. The rest of the camp ground was empty. Melaque sounds quite tame compared to our area...
fugawibill - What are the costs like at a Balneario compared to a regular camp ground? Sounds interesting. Our favorite times in Mexico were when we were with the local people :)

Check to see if the town you want to stay in has a Balneario. Many of them allow tent camping. Is also a good way to mix with the locals.

Here is a good listing: Mexico Balnearios

Where we were, north of Melaque, Jalisco, two men tenting were awakened by thieves who slashed their tent, held them up at knife point stealing money, a cell phone and car keys, and escaped with their car. They were much later apprehended because of their use of the cell phone. We had camped there for 7 winters with that incident the total single problem to tent campers there, and that was Mexicans stealing from Mexicans. You should have no problems.

Look at each listing in the Church guide for the tent shaped symbol. Indicates tenting allowed at that park.

Rocmoc's point is IMHO right-on-the-mark. A PRINCIPAL goal.

When I camp I -never- do so without first checking with a local family if the area is "safe" or not. I am not going to pay a damned fifteen dollar or twenty dollar fee to pitch a tent every day either. RV'ing is one thing, camping is another.

Probably the best book written on camping in Mexico is

The People's Guide to Mexico

written by Carl Franz, Lorena Havens and Steve Rogers.

A new edition just came out. Most Mexico camping books advise me to go to where I do not want to go. The People's Guide does not try to do that. It guides you to how to camp, successfully.

Check out the "Travel with Keving and Ruth" blog, http://www.travelwithkevinandruth.com/ They took a great tenting trip this last winter thu Southern Mexico and points further South. You will have to flip back thu the blog to find the trip.

You do have to beware of your stuff left at a tent campsite. A couple of years ago when we were staying in a campground a couple of hours South of Puerto Vallarta a surfer from the USA showed up at the campground in a shook up state. He had been tent camping on the beach a little further South. He was out surfering and when he returned most all of his stuff was gone. He asked to stay at the campground in his tent and was still there when we left a few days later. Believe he was waiting for help from home. We are even cautious when we leave our locked RV.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

Every RV Park that We have visited in Mexico has Tent Camping areas and sites. They also all have acceptable to excellent Toilet facilities and Clean up Sinks.
On long weekends thousands of Mexican City Dwellers flock to the Beaches to Camp. Very few have RV 's ,most are in Tents !
You will have no problem finding a place to pitch Your Camp!

Just a note: Mexican Campgrounds typically charge a flat rate for RV's with two persons! Tent Campers are charged by the Person. For this reason RV ers are often asked to vacate the beachfront sites at Xmas because They can squeeze twenty or more people into those sites, which means a whole lot more Profit for the Park,!

It also creates much more wear and tear on the Toilet Facilities Etc.

You're probably not coming through Nuevo Leon, but we have several excellent state parks with palapas and electric at very reasonable prices. Other states I'm sure have state parks as well such as Chihuahua.

Lots of beach camping opportunities in Veracruz and southern Tamaulipas.

Most campgrounds have areas to erect a tent. Ask for less expensive no hookup price. Places like Emerald Coast has 100's of tent sites. Catemaco is good, Palenque, Mahahual.
Belize- Go to Placencia.