(Before you envy me too much, it did include some dentistry. A crown of mine had come out yesterday, and I found an English-speaking dentist a short walk from our campground. I was in and out in just a few minutes. )

For dinner, we went across the street to a seafood restaurant just before dark. I had a delicious shrimp caldo or soup, and Kelly had a perfectly sauteed fish filet with a very fresh Mexican salsa.

But even better than the food was the music. A large table of Mexicans, from their late teens to their 50s or more, were enjoying themselves while two silver-haired singers/guitarists sang one love song after another. I particularly liked it that one of the musicians was a woman. Both she and the man had lovely voices, as did some of the people at the table. The music went on the whole time we were there, maybe an hour. The songs were mostly love songs and judging by the amount of singing along, they were well-known favorites.

Such magic moments! We listened to the music combining with the gentle lapping of waves, while the sky darkened. Such times of alegria, or joyous liveliness, seem to come more often in Mexico. That’s a big part of why I’m so glad to be back in Mexico.

Music, Sunset, and Dinner in San Carlos, Sonora is a post from: Mexico with Heart - Living, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico

On a recent trip to the region, my husband Kelly and I noticed that although there are so many foreigners there, it’s still entirely possible to enjoy the flavor of Mexico. For example, one evening we had dinner at a restaurant right on the water. Magical! Another evening in San Carlos, we ate at a restaurant that was a training school for cooks and restaurant staff. It was great fun to watch the energetic and enthusiastic young Mexicans, and the food and service were excellent!

What’s the appeal of San Carlos and Guaymas?

For one thing, they are a short one-day drive from the border at Nogales, Arizona, itself one of the easiest entry points into Mexico. (You do the entry paperwork a ways south of the border.)

For another, there are many activities such as fishing, hiking, boating, and so forth.

And the winter weather is glorious! I gloated every time I looked out my window at the roses in bloom just before Christmas.

The large picture shows a bit of the San Carlos shoreline. Here’s a tranquil boating scene:

And the sunsets are glorious!

Guaymas offers you a chance to get the feeling of a regular Mexican city, as well as to do some shopping for things not available in San Carlos, if you are staying there.

Some time ago, we spent our first Mexican Christmas in Guaymas. Kelly and I parted for a couple of hours and bought each other a delightful and amusing set of gifts from the market and little shops.

All in all, a very nice region.

San Carlos and Guaymas is a post from: Mexico with Heart - Living, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico

On a recent trip there ourselves, my husband and I enjoyed wireless internet access from our motorhome and being right across the street from a beach where you could walk for miles, or should I say kilometers?

There are several RV parks to choose from in the San Carlos and Guaymas area. We stayed at the Totonaka RV Park, and walked through the Hacienda Tetakawi next door, which looked quite similar, though its back area was not in use. Since we travel with a dog who needs his exercise, that might have been handier, but as it was, we mostly just took our dog over to the beach.

A very high-quality place outside of San Carlos is the El Mirador RV Park. Another place that we plan to try sometime is between San Carlos and Guaymas, in the Miramar area. It’s part of the great old Hotel Playa de Cortes.

San Carlos RV Parks is a post from: Mexico with Heart - Living, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico

There are quite a few places to stay, with more being built.

The list of choices includes the San Carlos Plaza, which is a convention center as well as a hotel. The Fiesta Hotel is on the beach. The Best Western Hacienda Tetakawi is right across the street from the beach and near some restaurants we greatly enjoyed. The Paradiso resort and beach club is in a particularly lovely setting, though the whole region has such great scenery that locations are generally very nice.

There are numerous condos in San Carlos as well, and many of them can be rented by the week… but you may want to stay longer! We met some Americans who own a condo there and rent it out most of the high season, using it themselves mainly in the hotter summer off-season.

San Carlos Hotels and Resorts is a post from: Mexico with Heart - Living, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico