THE CUBE COMMUNITY
Town and Village
Delicias The pueblo Delicias (Delights) is the last outpost on the highway before you arrive at the Cube, a distance of about four miles beyond the tiny village. Probably fewer than 500 people live here, and even fewer in Summer. Yet the village has one — and, occasionally two — cafés, a farmer's market, a used tire shop, a brickyard with plumbing supplies, a small grocery and liquor store, a community center, an elementary school, a policeman, and a dump. A diesel generator distributes electricity for a limited time after dark with power lines on poles. A well provides slightly brackish water. The settlement probably originated from a nearby sulfur mine and grew when the Highway was paved in the 1970s.
Dining in Delicias Delicas is the community hub for the residents of the beach campos in the area. In the past, there have been several roadside eateries in the village, but many have fallen by the wayside. From October to the beginning of June the two remaining Cafés— Taco Tuesday and Anicetos are open, but not all days of the week. As might be expected, Taco Tuesday is only open Tuesdays and serve only chicken of beef tacos. If you want a sip of beer you need to bring your own. Anicetos offers hearty Mexcian fare including chile rellenos and shrimp tacos and features a nice outdoor bar in the back where they make a decent margarita.
Amazonas Autoservicio Amazonas, at the South end of the poblado has beer and snacks, and a quite a good selection of staples including tortillas and some limited produce produce. It also supplies drinking water and propane refills. The beer selection is limited to Tecate (the default beer of Baja) and occasionally Heineken. Perishable items like milk and butter are best purchased in San Felipe, or brought with you from America.
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[above, left] 1. Aniceto's outdoor bar; 2. Autoservicio Amazonas, the primary source of ice, propane, drinking water, beverages and basic necessities; 3. Fresh produce for sale at the farmer's market in Delicias, held every Wednesday morning, except during the Summer months
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Farmer's Market Every Wednesday from 9 am to noon a farmer's market is set up in the Delicias poblado. This is a recent and welcome addition to the services and amenities of the village. There you can purchase fresh produce, baked goods and other groceries that are usually unavailable except in San Felipe. Like many of the amenities in the area, the farmer’s market is closed from June to September.
The police There is a modest police presence in the village of Delicias staffed by officer Román Madueña and a receptionist. The police station is located in the center of the village about two blocks from the highway. Their phone number is 01 200 124 9008, or moble number 686 110 2456. Their email is del_puertecitos@hotmail.com, or cnc_sanfelipe@hotmail.com.
The village dump If you continue West of the dirt road beyond the police station you will eventually arrive at the Delicias dump. When you leave the Cube with all the garbage that you have accumulated during your stay, that is where you will need to put it. The dump is about three miles from the highway so it will take about 20 minutes to arrive, driving carefully on the narrow rutted roadway. The journey is surprisingly scenic however, with many ocotillos and suguaros in view and mountains in the background. One of the locals lives at the dump in a little shack and it is polite to give him a tip for taking care of your rubbish. There is plenty of room to turn around after you have dumped your load.
[above] Officer Román Madueña at the Delicias police station located one block back from the highway on the left on an unpaved road running West from the North corner of Anicetos Cafe; [below] Twin white arches and a traffic circle mark the entrance to the town of San Felipe, which offers much more that will be available in the poblado
BAJA 1000
Route of the Baja 1000 off road vehicle race which took place November 12–16th, 2014
San Felipe San Felipe is the nearest town of any size too the Cube. With a population of about 16,000, it etc etc. It is a slow-paced town with a modest business district fronting the sea—the Malécon. Many of the back streets are unpaved. There is some development to the North of town catering to the American expats, but the town's principal activities are shrimp fishing and the tourist trade. San Felipe is where you’ll want to stock up on provisions if you will be staying at the Cube for a weeks or more. It’s a long way to town, so you can make a day of it and do all your shopping at once. There is a Calimax as well as DJs market and La Vaquita. The general layout of the town with its amenities is shown on this map.
San Felipe has many cafés and restaurants, mainly on the Malécon. if you like casual outdoor dining we recommend the Morena Café at the South corner of the seafront street for fish and shrimp tacos and seafood cocktails. Rice and Beans at the other end of the strip looks like a bit of a dive, but their cooking is great and they make a wonderful shrimp omelet. And then there are all the little roadside and alleyway taco huts too numerous to mention mostly on the main routes leading out of own.
SHRIMP FESTIVAL
The festival usually takes place in early November.
[from the official San Felipe Shrimp Festival website] “The San Felipe Shrimp Festival is the most important gastronomic event of San Felipe, which has an impact mainly on Cities of Mexicali, Tijuana, Ensenada, Los Angeles, San Diego, Southern California and Yuma Arizona, It takes place on the Malécon, the beachfront street in the town with live music. Dancing and food contests will be throughout the festival. At the Shrimp Festival, you’ll be able to sample fantastic shrimp and seafood meals, browse and shop at the stands filled with unique local products, take in the live music and entertainment, and simply have a great time with friends at the heart of downtown San Felipe.”
[above] 4. Calimax, opened in 2014, is a few blocks past the arches driving circle en route to the Cube; 5. Across the the street from Calimax, and three blocks North and down a dirt road, is Pescaderia Panchita, a good place to buy local fish and shrimp; 6. Part of the shrimp fishing fleet at the harbor. During shrimp season, starting in September, you can sometimes buy shrimp from the dock
PHOTO: MENZIES MOTORSPORTS
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