Food and Fun!!

Half the fun of staying in San Carlos is exploring and discovering all that it has to offer. A plethora of great restaurants, outdoor activity companies, and places of relaxation await you. Once you arrive, go to the office and pick up some of the tourist information such as “San Carlos: food, fun, and more…” This booklet comes with a decent map of where a variety of points of interest and businesses are located in San Carlos and Guaymas. The San Carlos Tribune contains the local Event Calendar, Restaurant Reviews, Fishing and Golfing tournament information, Clubs and Organizations, Business Directory, travel information with maps, mileage, and travel advice, and a Tide Calendar in addition to stories.

Food

Restaurants in San Carlos are great. The ones listed below are just a few of our favorites:

• Mar de Cortez: This is a restaurant at the Condominios Pilar, located south of Bahia Delfin. If you do not want to drive into town to eat, you can take a stroll next door. It is very good, and often has great deals.
• Taqueria Stands: There are a number of taco stands along the main road in San Carlos. These are quite enjoyable as they are fresh and fast. We have never in the past five years had a problem with the “turistas,” stomach ailments from local food.
• Toro’s Restaurant and Bar: Located at the Best Western Hacienda Tetakawi, this small hotel restaurant is surprisingly good with a great atmosphere in cozy room with lots of windows overlooking the sea.
• La Palapa: Located off the main strip, this restaurant is exactly what it sounds like. Great food and drinks under a palm-roofed palapa on the beach. What could be more relaxing? (See the San Carlos food, fun, and more map for a general idea of its location)

You also have the wonderful option of staying in our gourmet kitchens and cooking your own feast of seafood, served with fresh salsa and tortillas, cold beer with a lime, and perhaps some guacamole and chips as an appetizer. You can buy your own meal supplies from three decent venues:

• Alejandro: Alejandro has sold fresh food for over 20 years at Condominios Pilar. He is a fixture along the beach and now visits Bahia Delfin, yelling from the sea wall that he has fresh produce, salsa, and tortillas. The neighbors flock when he arrives. He parks his truck full of goodies, including homemade tamales, taquitos, and chile rellenos in the parking lot at the Condos Pilar, next door to Bahia Delfin. His food may be a little pricey, but he is delivering it to your doorstep. Make sure you check his prices and his math adding up the total. As long as you go in with a budget and stick to it, you will be rewarded with the best tortillas in the area! /li>
• Santa Rosa Carneceria: The best grocery selection in San Carlos can be found at Santa Rosa Market. They carry top quality beef, pork, chicken, hamburger, chops, ribs, sausage. They also stock national and imported groceries, fruits, and vegetables, dairy, soda, beer, bottled water, US newspapers. The weekend special is "Carnitas". They are open everyday 8:00 am - 9:00 pm on Blvd. Beltrones, the main road into San Carlos. If you head into town, Santa Rosa is on the right side of the road next door to an Extra convenience store, and across from Rosa's Cantina. A tortilleria is just a few stores further where you can watch them make fresh tortillas by hand. The parking is very tight at the grocery, so park at the Extra or on the side of the road. (See the San Carlos food, fun, and more map for a general idea of its location)

• Leys: The big supermarket, Leys, is in Guaymas. Located in a shopping center on the left side of the main road shortly after you go into town, it is easy to see as you drive. Turn left at the traffic light. Be sure to obey the traffic cops, if any. There are security guards posted in the parking lot who help you park and guard your car for no charge. (See the San Carlos food, fun, and more map for a general idea of its location)
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Taking food to Mexico: Permission to bring fruits and veggies to Mexico depends on who you get at the border if you get stopped. Denial occurs very, very rarely (one customs person in Guaymas at the airport once took my fruit from me).
• Bringing food to the United States: Brochures listing what you can or cannot bring back are available at the border. Prepared or cooked foods are usually okay.

Music

There is live music in Guaymas and San Carlos, but the music and the venues change. Check the Event Calendar in the Tribune, or ask the guys at the front desk what they have heard of for the most up to date information. Listed below are some local music regulars:

• Mark Mulligan: With a style like Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, and Jim Croce, this “tropical-folk” musician lives and frequently plays in San Carlos. Visit his website for event info.
• Concerts: The Performing Arts Council (PAC) presents a series of musical performances by professional artists. Proceeds from concerts benefit local schools in the area of music and music education. Phone: 226-1484. Email: sancarlosconcerts@yahoo.com

Fun

By Land
• Hike • Horseback ride • Tennis • Golf • Bike Ride

In the Water
• Scuba Dive • Snorkel

On the Water
• Fish • Whale Watch • Sail • Wind Surf • Kite Board • Water Ski

In Town
• Art classes • Art Shows and Sales • Spanish Classes
• Wellness: Massages, Facials, Reflexology, Herbal & Hydro therapies, Natural Healing, Detoxification, Nutritional and Herbal remedies, rebuild or strengthen Immune System.
• Exercise and Fitness: Full Gyms, Yoga, Pilates, Cardio-Kickboxing, Jazzercise.
• Boutiques/Gift Shops

Surrounding Areas
• Delfinarium • Guaymas • Empalme • Pearl Farm

San Carlos is a top notch location for all of the activities listed above. For contact information for any of the activities, visit the Yellow Pages at the Viva San Carlos website.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The condos are very secure and safe. There are vendors who bring items like newspapers around, and shrimp/vegetables/tortillas. The food and newspaper vendor are 100% okay to deal with. The souvenir vendors change constantly, but they will stick to the beach. There are not a lot of them, and they will desist if you say, “No gracias.”

If you want pesos, I strongly recommend you plan to use your ATM card at the Banamex bank in San Carlos; your exchange rate on your own bank card will beat any currency exchange shop either in Mexico or here. If you feel you want pesos before you go, Ambassador Jewelers on Speedway and Swan sells pesos. You can also use American dollars in San Carlos without too much hassle at a rate of generally 10 pesos to 1 dollar. People in Guaymas prefer pesos, but it depends on the shop.

There are two gift shops that really stand out in San Carlos. Lourdes Gift Shop is a small, yet full gift shop with the most reasonable prices on the strip. Very nice selection and nice people located just a few doors down from Santa Rosa Market. Kiamy’s Gift Shop is a little more expensive, but it has the most unique treasures!!! From jewelry, to your normal tourist stuff, to home décor, it is located on the right side of the main road as you are heading into town. With an understated sign, it is easy to miss across the street from a larger, more obvious Kiamy’s Gift Shop. Make sure you try to bargain the price if you think an item is overpriced as most things are for tourists. If they do not want to bargain, that is common in San Carlos.

There is a lot of information about San Carlos on the web, so explore.

If there is anything you need, email us. There is wireless access to the web provided in our condominiums. We strongly discourage direct-dial long distance calls on the phone, as we seek reimbursement. It is expensive and a hassle. Local calls are free.

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