Felicity Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Istel is the founder of Felicity and the town’s longtime mayor, having been elected, almost 30 years ago, to an apparent lifetime term. The vote was unanimous: Istel voted for himself and so did Felicity’s other resident, Istel’s wife, Felicia. The town, established in 1986, consists of the Istels’ home and a half-dozen other buildings that the couple built on 2,600 acres in the middle of the desert near Yuma, Ariz., just off Interstate 8. At the north end, up an imposing staircase, sits the Church on the Hill at Felicity — inspired by a little white chapel in Brittany — that Istel built in 2007. The church is gorgeous and serene and looks eerily out of place, though less out of place than the 21-foot-tall stone-and-glass pyramid on the opposite end of town. The pyramid is there to mark the exact center of the world.
Istel is the founder of Felicity and the town’s longtime mayor, having been elected, almost 30 years ago, to an apparent lifetime term. The vote was unanimous: Istel voted for himself and so did Felicity’s other resident, Istel’s wife, Felicia. The town, established in 1986, consists of the Istels’ home and a half-dozen other buildings that the couple built on 2,600 acres in the middle of the desert near Yuma, Ariz., just off Interstate 8. At the north end, up an imposing staircase, sits the Church on the Hill at Felicity — inspired by a little white chapel in Brittany — that Istel built in 2007. The church is gorgeous and serene and looks eerily out of place, though less out of place than the 21-foot-tall stone-and-glass pyramid on the opposite end of town. The pyramid is there to mark the exact center of the world.
According to the French government and California’s Imperial County, the official center of the world lies in the town of Felicia in California’s Sonora Desert. There is no scientific or political reason for the designation, but only the effort of Jacques-André Istel and his wife Felicia Lee (the town's namesake), who founded the town in 1986. Jacques-André made his name and fortune as a famous French-American parachutist and co-founded of Parachutes, Inc., which produced parachuting equipment and opened the first parachuting school in the United States. He is credited as a key figure in popularizing parachuting in America and has been referred to as the “father of American skydiving.” In 1985 he wrote the children’s book "Coe: The Good Dragon at the Center of the World" about a dragon that lived at the center of the world, which served as the inspiration behind the town’s creation

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La Fuente Inn & Suites

La Fuente Inn & Suites

3 out of 5
1513 E 16th St Yuma AZ
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool in their reviews. ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (2,216 reviews)
Great stay

Reviewed on 7 Mar 2026

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La Fuente Inn & Suites
Quality Inn & Suites Yuma

Quality Inn & Suites Yuma

2.5 out of 5
1691 S Riley Ave Yuma AZ
The price is AU$124 per night from 8 Mar to 9 Mar
AU$124
8 Mar - 9 Mar
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (1,193 reviews)
It was impossible to sleep because the fridge in my room sounded like an idling semi truck! And it sounded like elephants moving about above me.

Reviewed on 6 Mar 2026

Quality Inn & Suites Yuma
Ramada by Wyndham Yuma

Ramada by Wyndham Yuma

3 out of 5
711 E 32nd St Yuma AZ
The price is AU$119 per night from 10 Mar to 11 Mar
AU$119
10 Mar - 11 Mar
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this motel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in their reviews. Popular ...
8/10 Very Good! (1,005 reviews)
Limpio y muy silencio, estupendo lugar para relajarse.

Reviewed on 7 Mar 2026

Ramada by Wyndham Yuma
See all 245 properties in Felicity
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Bee-utiful Little House

Bee-utiful Little House

Yuma AZ
Stay at this holiday home in Yuma. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, laundry facilities and an in-room coffee maker. Popular attractions Yuma County Foothills Library and Fortuna ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (40 reviews)
The host was very welcoming. The place was very clean and nicely decorated. The amenities definitely met our needs. Would definitely stay there again.

Reviewed on 1 Mar 2026

Bee-utiful Little House
Your Desert Getaway in Sunny Yuma, AZ

Your Desert Getaway in Sunny Yuma, AZ

Yuma AZ
Stay at this holiday home in Yuma. Enjoy laundry facilities, patios and air conditioning. Popular attractions Arizona Historical Society Sanguinetti House Museum ...
10/10 Exceptional! (7 reviews)
Everything about our visit was perfect… Very nice and very clean! A great backyard with a grill and places to sit and relax. Kitchen is well equipped, and beds were comfortable. The home is decorated very simplistic but quite nicely done. We will definitely stay here again as our travels to Yuma ...

Reviewed on 25 Feb 2026

Your Desert Getaway in Sunny Yuma, AZ
Vista del Valle

Vista del Valle

Yuma AZ
Stay at this holiday home in Yuma. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, a garden and laundry facilities. Popular attractions Arroyo Dunes Golf Course and Desert Hills Municipal ...
10/10 Exceptional! (141 reviews)
Kitchen was equipped well. Rooms were very clean

Reviewed on 1 Jan 2026

Vista del Valle
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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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