Coyote Cal's Hostel
Coyote Cal's is legendary place in the northern part of Baja. This hostel has accommodated some of the most famous individuals from the baja race scene. Not only is it a convenient place to stay for those passing through, it also has a bar and restaurant for weary travelers to relax and recharge themselves while on their own adventures.
Directions
If you are approaching from the north through the dirt road from Santo Tomas you would think Coyote Cal's is in the middle of nowhere. While this is semi-true, it is easier to access this hostel from the south through the road from Ejido Erendira. The road is paved from the junction with highway 1 to the actual town of Erendira, from there it is a wide and accessible dirt road which should be passable in any type of car. There aren't many amenities here so stock up on fuel and supplies before you head out to the cost.
The Rooms and Hostel
The hostel is exactly that - a hostel. The rooms are bare but functional and clean. Most rooms share a bathroom and shower with other rooms. During our stay we chose a room with two bunk beds that could sleep four. It was just my friend Tony and I so it worked. I couldn't imagine sharing that small of a space with any more people, it would have been too crowded. The room did have a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean and we slept with the windows open to listen to the sound of the waves as we slept.
Our room was $30 per night per person. It got more expensive from there if you wanted a private room.
Bar and Restaurant
The bar serves all types of drinks from margaritas and beers to pina coladas and everything in between. I recommend getting the diablo margarita - it was phenomenal! Roxanna was the bartender during the day and she was super friendly. After she left, Tomas took over and he was also great. If you needed anything these guys got the job done. The drinks cost roughly $5 per beer and $10 per mixed drink.
At night the owner starts a fire in the courtyard and everyone staying there meets up for a few drinks and to share the stories from the day. What I really liked about this was it brought together people from different backgrounds and interests. We were there on adventure bikes and others were travelling through on dirt bikes and and pre-runners. The stories were endless.
We decided to eat dinner there as we just wanted to relax and enjoy ourselves. We ordered the thai curry with lobster and coconut rice. The meal tasted delicious but it wasn't prepared fresh. The wife of the owner is Thai herself and pre-cooks the meals during the week and it is heated up for the guests. Dessert consisted of coconut pineapple ice cream which was delicious but the portion size was small. Another tidbit of information is that the owner does not purchase the ingredients locally. He travels back to the states and buys his meat there. Unfortunately, if you are looking for locally caught lobster, this is not the place to get it. Dinner was roughly $15 per person.
The restaurant also offers breakfast. We opted out of eating there as there was a restaurant in San Vicente called Mi Ranchito we wanted to try. Check out the review of that restaurant.
Pros and Cons
PROS-
- Excellent location.
- Friendly staff.
- Clean rooms.
- Secure parking.
- Meticulously maintained property.
CONS-
- Expensive compared to locally owned businesses.
- Shared rooms and bathrooms.
- Dinner not made fresh.
If you have any questions about Coyote Cal's or any other place in Baja, please leave a comment below or send us an email!