Day at Playa Bagdad, also known as Bagdad Beach, Mexico

Bagdad Beach, also known as Playa Bagdad, is the sort of place you really wouldn't believe exists, until you've had the opportunity to visit it for yourself. I've been to many beaches in the U.S.A., on both coasts, and nowhere in the U.S. will you find a beach like Bagdad. It doesn't have the circus atmosphere that's contained in Venice Beach, Daytona Beach, or Coney Island, as Mexican culture just doesn't include that aspect of life, but it's the closest thing to a beachside carnival to be found in Mexico. Playa Bagdad is located at the extreme eastern end of Mexico Federal Highway 2, which terminates at the Gulf of Mexico Coast in a parking lot, with a large statue of Christopher Columbus centered at the termination of the highway.

Left: Bagdad Beach starts where Mexico Federal Highway ends, at the statue of Columbus. Right: Shady palapas greet the tourists at Playa Bagdad.

I asked my friend Rogelio Rincón what the significance of the Columbus statue was, since Columbus had first landed on Santo Domingo Island, many miles to the east. He told me that the statue had been first erected in Matamoros, but was moved to Bagdad Beach to promote tourism. I didn't see the connection, and I still don't, but you can't deny that there's a large statue of Columbus at towering over the parking lot. Oh yes, there's also a Mexican Marine base, where you'll see uniformed marines at attention carrying M-16 assault rifles; I give them a friendly wave and move on.

Left: Palapas line the shore at Playa Bagdad and provide welcome shade from the hot gulf sun. Right: Looking north, with the beach to the right of the photo. A dog, a vendor, and many small restaurants frame the photo a the left.

If you're visiting Bagdad Beach for the first time, you should start at the statue and fan out north or south, as the statue is in the center of the community. If you head north, you'll encounter many fish restaurants, motels, tourists and sport fishermen, and if you head to the south, you'll be greeted by more fish restaurants, but fewer tourists and sport fishermen, but many commerical fishermen, as the commercial fishing community is found mainly south of the statue. The beach in the vicinity of the statue is perhaps the best, as the sand is extra smooth, and many palapas have been erected on the beach to shade you from the sometimes brutal gulf coast sun.

Left: Rodolfo and Elena show the photographer some of the huge shrimp that are caught by commerical fishermen and then are shipped fresh to Bagdad Beach. Right: These two sisters were visiting Playa Bagdad from Tampico, and were enjoying a breezy, outdoor ride along the beach. When I asked them why the others riding in the car weren't outside, they told me that "They weren't stupid enough to ride outside." Only at Bagdad Beach...

Playa Bagdad is a popular destination for Mexicans from all over the state of Tamulipas, and I understand that it receives visitors from neighboring Nuevo Leon as well. On the day we visited, we talked to folks from nearby Matamoros, and other places like Cd. Victoria and Tampico, who had come to Bagdad Beach to take in the sun, the sand and the beach, and to spend a day with their families, relaxing and frolicking on the lovely beach. Unlike many beaches in the U.S., Playa Bagdad is family oriented and is devoid of the circus atmosphere and weird culture that's usually associated with many popular U.S. beaches. Instead of freak shows, you'll find families relaxing on the beach, playing in the water, barbecuing food, socializing with each other, and enjoying the lovely gulf coast scenery. If you're looking to view "hot" babes wearing skimpy bikinis, you've come to the wrong place, as that's a general taboo in Mexican culture. If you're a surfer, you've come to the wrong place, as the gulf coast waves are very placid and there are no rocky outcroppings to funnel the waves into a surfer's paradise. There are more restaurants specializing in seafood than you can believe, but you won't find a fish taco, as that's strictly a dish found in Baja California.

Left: This is a convenience store, Bagdad Beach's answer to 7-11, where we purchased cokes, but all sorts of other merchandise can be purchased. We never did catch the name of the place, as it seems to be un-named. Right: An interior photo of the un-named convenience store.

I did a bit of research on the Internet, and I learned that Bagdad Beach was founded in the early 1860s, and it served as an important port for the Confederates to export cotton, as the Port of Brownsville, just north of the border in Texas, was blocked, at the time, by Union warships. (Texas was a Confederate state during the American Civil War.) After the war, the town shifted its focus from a cotton shipment point to a fishing village. Today, the town, if you care to call it as such, is a magnet to tourists from all over the state of Tamulipas, and sports many businesses that cater to tourists, such as motels, restaurants, convenience stores and, not surprisingly, beach vendors! Playa Bagdad is also home to many small-operation fishermen, who live in semi-private camps that line the shore, who catch mostly tuna, yellowtail and shrimp.

Left: Small, family-owned and operated fish restaurants line Bagdad Beach. Right: A game of volleyball is underway in the surf at Playa Bagdad, as a commerical shrimp boat poses in the background of the photo.

You'd think that since Playa Bagdad has such an idyllic location that it would be awash in commercial developments, and that retirement ghettos catering to gringos would be sprouting all over the landscape. That isn't the case, as there is only one local developer that is trying to develop a tract of land near the beach, but he seems to be having a lot of trouble, as the development appears to be in a state of disarray, with little activity present. Bagdad Beach is not a town, as could be described as a loose community of beachside shanties, motels, convenience stores, restaurants, fishing camps and ramshackle homes, all within a block or two of the beach, stretching perhaps four or five miles, north to south.

Left: We photographed this group of guys drinking beer and barbecuing fish on the beach. Right: ATVs are a part of the fun at Bagdad Beach.

As I mentioned, Bagdad Beach hugs the beach, and its spread out several miles north to south. If you head north, from the Columbus statue, you can drive along a de facto road along the beach, past restaurants and small motels, toward the U.S. border. Soon, the development is left behind, and then its just sandy dunes to your left, and the Gulf of Mexico to the right. On any nice day, and practically every weekend, you'll find people relaxing on the beach, playing in the water, grilling food on barbecues, and most of all, fishing. Sport fishing is one of the most popular activities at Bagdad Beach, and you'll see many people fishing with nets and conventional fishing tackle. We noticed that many of the fishermen, after catching a fish, immediately clean it and take it back to their family waiting on the beach, who immediately throw it on the grill to convert into a tasty treat.

Left: Talk about relaxation on the beach, as these guys drink beer while the kids play in the sand. Right: A torta vendor plies his trade, at Bagdad Beach.

You can drive as far north as the abandoned lighthouse, just south of where the Rio Grande River disappears into the gulf. No, its not the Mississippi River, as the Rio Grande just sort of becomes a wide lagoon, and enters the gulf through a narrow channel. I find it interesting that this 1800 mile long river is really so small, yet so famous, and the fact that it has defined the international boundary for many years.

Left: Families relax, play, and enjoy the gentle waves at Bagdad Beach. Right: Sport fishermen are getting ready to put out a net into the gulf.

Left: The lighthouse at Bagdad Beach, just south of the international border. The lighthouse is definitely in a state of disarray. Right: Ron, Rogelio and Jerry check out the Rio Grande River, as it enters the Gulf of Mexico. Yes, the Rio Grande is in the middle of the photo, and you can clearly bsee the sandbar that its formed as it enters the gulf, outlined by the white breakers. It's truly inspectacular!

Baghdad Beach is the sort of place where you can throw away any expectations about a Mexican beach community, such as Acapulco, Cancun or Mazatlan, as this is a no-frills, down-home place that caters to the locals, and shuns the jet-set crowd. Many would describe Bagdad Beach as run-down, down-and-out, nothing to do, or just plain trashy, but I love the way it is, and the tourists, residents and fishermen love the community. I love it too!

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