Mex/Baja Any Caravans to Baja coming up?

[scuba66]

I am hopeing to get away before too long and do some sightseeing and diving down there. Will be my first trip to that part of Mexico. Would be nice if a caravan was in the works.
I have the travel guide by Mike Church ordered but I have yet to receive it. What is the price range for RV spots? My tenative plan is to head down Mex 5 then 1 to Cabo Pulmo.
If no caravan planned, anyone heading down around March or April?

[TOM CRUMP]

Scuba, I have not been to Baja for years, but it is like no other place on the Planet, A land of contrast, stunningy beautiful, sparsley populated, a desert surrounded by ocean. Cabo Pulmo reef is now a National Park. The Church's guide is a good reference. Here is a Baja travelers forum, loaded with info. BajaNomad Forums - "Peace, Love & Fish Tacos" Have a great trip

[Jim Foster]

There is a WBCCI caravan the full length of Baja and back starting 2-28-07.
Here is a link.
WBCCI Caravans - Fun, Fellowship, Adventure

[2airishuman]

hi scuba66...

did you come to the topsail rally 3 weeks ago?

we were very close to p-cola.

we've had some off channel chat about a baja trip, but no set plans.

someone on the left coast (biged? or uwe?) take a short trip into baja each year,

but it's only a sampler...like 3-4 days, i think.

you should be able to search the archives here and find their trips...

i've read the church's books too, they are apparently down there NOW working on the details for the next edition.

anyway i'd be interested in 3-6 weeks in late march and april or even early may...

cheers
2air'

[scuba66]

Hello,
Thanks for the link Tom, I will check it out. The February departure would be a bit too early for me.
The April/May time frame sounds good. I have not been to any rallys. I am pretty new to Airstreams. My Grandparents had one in the early 70's. I was about 5-6 years old when I first saw it. From what I am told, I told my Grandmother, "this things not big enough to sling a cat in". Not sure where I got that line at such a young age.
I plan on staying down there for about a year and doing some diving. So, at least you would have company on the way down. Maybe we can geet a couple of other travelers by then to keep the caravan intact once the turn North is made. I will keep in touch, I have quite a few things to accomplish before I leave to prepare for an extended stay abroad.
Thanks Again for all the feedback,
Ray

[uwe]

Originally Posted by scuba66

What is the price range for RV spots? My tenative plan is to head down Mex 5 then 1 to Cabo Pulmo.
If no caravan planned, anyone heading down around March or April?

Mex 5 pretty much ends somewhere between San Felipe and Puertecitos. From there, it is a very rough, often severely washboarded dirt road towards Mex1. I would not dream of towing through this area, unless 2mph is an acceptable speed.
The area south of Puerecitos is very beatiful, though, ina strange sort of way. It is where the desert meets the bluest sea I have ever seen...the contrast of dry and wet is extreme, and the vistas and isolation is quite good for the soul. 4x4 is not absolutely required, but a locking diff, and ground clearance is a must.
For towing, I would recommend crossing at Mexicali, then taking Mex3 W to Mex1 South, or just stay on I-8 and go to the Tijuana crossing, catching 1 south from there.
Baja is definitely worth a long visit - the further south/east you go, the better it gets. Don't forget that you need visitor's visas for Baja California Sur.

[scuba66]

Hi Uwe,
Thanks for the info. The area south of Puertecitos sounds very interesting! Wouldn't mind a little faster travel speed but I sure would like to see it. Your description really has me motivated to give it a shot. Besides, when you think about sea yachts cruise at about 5 - 7 knots, slow does not seem too unbearable. I think I averaged about the same speed coming back from Montgomery Alabama to Pensacola after Hurricane Opal in 1995. Its slow! Would love to hear more details about this route.
Thanks,
Ray

[uwe]

Originally Posted by scuba66

Hi Uwe,
Thanks for the info. The area south of Puertecitos sounds very interesting! Wouldn't mind a little faster travel speed but I sure would like to see it. Your description really has me motivated to give it a shot. Besides, when you think about sea yachts cruise at about 5 - 7 knots, slow does not seem too unbearable. I think I averaged about the same speed coming back from Montgomery Alabama to Pensacola after Hurricane Opal in 1995. Its slow! Would love to hear more details about this route.
Thanks,
Ray

Hey Ray,

It's doable with a trailer, but unless you want to end up with scrap metal after your trip, it's adviseable to lower the tire pressure to the minimum you can get away with, and drive very slowly. Same for your truck. I did it in a Jeep a few times, and basically ended up with broken springs and u-joints every time. On the bright side, they have very creative welders in every little town down there. "Taller Mechanico" is what you're looking for.
I wasn't kidding when I said 2mph....
There is little to no fuel supply after Puertecitos until you get to Bahia de los Angeles, and it's in plastic jugs and barrels most of the time. Bahia is great, nature and scenery is mesmerizing. Further south from there is 4x4 only - towing definitely out. Best perhaps to leave the trailer in San Felipe, and make it a 3-day side trip to Bahia and back in the truck and sleeping bags. Bahia Luis Gonzaga and Coco's Corner are definitely a treat...Alfonsinas Airstrip and beach are a great place to get some fresh local fish and have teh bbq of your life... There's much more, best to get Google earth and check it out.

[scuba66]

I see what you mean. Looks like Willie E Coyote and Roadrunner country.

[geezernbabe]

uwe is on the money about the road from Puertecitos south. We have been going down that road since about 1975 and went to Alfonsinas last May. That road is not a good place to take a nice trailer. We tow a jeep trailer when we go that route and still air down the tiers on both the jeep and trailer and that road still sucks. That said it is a beautiful place and the food at Alfonsinas is great. You might think about leaving your trailer at a SAFE place in San Felipe and going down overnight they have rooms to rent there that are ok.

[scuba66]

Thanks for the info. A side trip to this area sounds very interesting. Any safe place recommendations in San Felipe? Did you see any diving activity in that area when you were there?

[geezernbabe]

We have a lot north of San Felipe in a development called El Dorado Ranch. They had an RV park but closed it. I do not know if there are any more RV parks in San Felipe but a net ckeck might find one. The Ranch is on the web also. The most I have done is some light diving in the Sea of Cortez but it was real nice.

[PYandre]

It's probably too late to help the original author of this thread, but in case anyone else is reading this, I will add my two cents. I have a home in Loreto, Baja California Sur, but I tow my 21' Sovereign down here every year from Nevada. I'm in Loreto now, but will be leaving for Nevada (via Tijuana) in a week or so for Christmas. At the present time, the main highway 1 is in good condition all the way to Cabo San Lucas. Side roads that are in the area where the hurricanes passed (between Loreto and Cabo) are still in pretty rough condition and one should always inquire locally before trying to navigate them, especially if towing a trailer. The best road atlas that I have found for the Baja is "Baja California Almanac", published by Baja Almanac Publishers, Inc., 5130 E. Charleston Blvd, Suite 5-52, Las Vegas, NV 89142 (www.baja-almanac.com). It contains 55 pages of detailed maps showing every highway, road, trail, etc. in the Baja and it is a must for anyone traveling off the main highway. With all of the recent drug related shootings at the border, I think it is worth mentioning again that you should NEVER DRIVE AT NIGHT any where in Mexico. Also, be sure to cross the border early enough in the day that you can get yourself safely south of the border and into a campground for the night. I agree with a previous writer that the Mike & Terri Church, "Traveler's Guide to Camping Mexico's Baja" is the best camp ground guide that I have found to the Baja, especially if you take advantage of their web site to get the most recent information available. In January/February of this year (2008), I did a 5,000 mile trip with my Airstream around central and southern Mexico and at that time, did not know about the Church Guide (there is a separate Church guide to 'mainland' Mexico) and bought another guide, which I don't even remember the name of because I ended up throwing it out because it was useless. If you are coming from the eastern US, I highly recommend crossing the border at Tecate, Mexico and driving through Mexico's wine country. Not only is it more scenic, there are far fewer hassles crossing there than at Tijuana and you avoid the traffic and stress of driving through TJ, epecially if you have never done it before. Mexico 1 and 3 take you to Ensenada where you link up with the main highway heading south towards Guerrero Negro and Cabo San Lucas. If anyone wants more information, please let me know.

[rmmm68]

We found your comments very interesting and helpful. We are thinking of driving from SanDiego to Cabo after Christmas, in our Durango, without our Airstream. We are concerned about crime and tourist safety and plan to travel beyond the first 100 miles south of the border, the first day. We are having difficulty getting factual info on crime and tourist safety, south of Santo Tomas.

Do you have a recommendation for our first night destination?

Can you shed any light on daytime travel security issues for the area Ensenada and south to Cabo?

[Diesel1]

Originally Posted by rmmm68

We found your comments very interesting and helpful. We are thinking of driving from SanDiego to Cabo after Christmas, in our Durango, without our Airstream. We are concerned about crime and tourist safety and plan to travel beyond the first 100 miles south of the border, the first day. We are having difficulty getting factual info on crime and tourist safety, south of Santo Tomas.

Do you have a recommendation for our first night destination?

Can you shed any light on daytime travel security issues for the area Ensenada and south to Cabo?

The "Old Mill" in San Queitan(sp?) about 120 miles south of Tecate is a very good first night stop. Adios , John

[Jim Foster]

When Lynn and I traveled south of the border down the Baja, we never stopped until we are in San Quintin. Next stop would be Gurrero Negro. Next overnight would be Santa Rosalia or Mulege (Santaspak Beach or El Cayote Beach) with a quick stop in San Ignacio for a picnic lunch in the square and a look at the mission. Traveled the length of Baja several times in our dune buggy, but never towing.

If you don't like the landscape where you are in Baja, just wait a few miles, it will certainly change. We did lots of back "roads" (on the AAA map, the lines sometimes mean that someone went that way once.)

Enjoy your trip, and remember that "Manana" does not always mean tomorrow, but rather, sometime in the future.

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by Jim Foster

When Lynn and I traveled south of the border down the Baja, we never stopped until we are in San Quintin. Next stop would be Gurrero Negro. Next overnight would be Santa Rosalia or Mulege (Santaspak Beach or El Cayote Beach) with a quick stop in San Ignacio for a picnic lunch in the square and a look at the mission. Traveled the length of Baja several times in our dune buggy, but never towing.

If you don't like the landscape where you are in Baja, just wait a few miles, it will certainly change. We did lots of back "roads" (on the AAA map, the lines sometimes mean that someone went that way once.)

Enjoy your trip, and remember that "Manana" does not always mean tomorrow, but rather, sometime in the future.

Jim,

I was told that "manana" meant not today. I agree about your observation of the roads on the AAA map.


Bill

[PYandre]

I typed a long response to your first questions that some how I accidentally lost when my finger went astray. If you did not receive it, let me now and I'll answer it again. With regards to travel security issues, I have been driving up and down the Baja for eleven years and have never had any kind of problem, BUT I follow a few simple rules and everyone I know who does things has never had a problem. The most important one is: 'Don't drive after dark'. That has been true even before the current problems at the border. Mexican truck drivers and farmers and even car owners are notorious for not having functioning tail lights and it is very dangerous to come over the top of a hill at high speed and not see the 10 ton truck in front of you. Likewise, the cows and horses like the warmth of the sun warmed pavement at night and you never know when you will come across one of them spread out on the road. The other problem between Tijuana and San Quintin is that it is pretty heavily populated and there is a lot of pedestrian traffic on or near the road as well as a lot of vehicular traffic. You have to drive very defensively in these areas and that is much easier to do in the daylight. Now, with the drug problems, I have been told that some travelers have been 'hijacked' on the highway between Ensenada and Tijuana, even on the toll road. All of the incidents that I have heard about have occured at night. I always time my border crossing so that I am across the border before noon and then I have plenty of time to get at least to the San Quintin or El Rosario area. I have NEVER had even the inkling of a problem and I don't know any one else in Loreto who has either. A little common sense goes a long way. Would you drive through East LA after midnight? Once you are south of San Quintin, the traffic is much lighter and less stressful. From there on, I think it will find it rather relaxing. Be sure to know what your driving range is. There is little gas between El Rosario and Guerrero Negro. Be sure to have a full tank when you leave El Rosario. As I mentioned in my first response, www.bajanomad.com is the best source for up to the minute information on road conditons, places to stay and places to eat on the way down the Baja. Let me know if I can answer any other questions you might have. Paul

[PYandre]

It appears my first response has been lost some where in internet space, so a quick shortened version follows: Personally, I don't care for the Old Mill motel, the last time I was there (about five years ago), it was not very nice and it was more expensive than other newer hotels on the highway. They are on the bay and it is popular with fishermen. The restaurant is nice, but a bit over priced in my opinion (I don't like places that only quote prices in dollars when in Mexico). They do have an adequate RV park if you are pulling your Airstream. My personal choice at the present time for a motel is the 'Baja Cactus Motel' in El Rosario. El Rosario is not much of a town, but it is about 10 miles away from the ocean and as such, does not get the cold damp morning fog. Likewise, it has several newly remodeled rooms (see: BajaNomad Forums - "Peace, Love & Fish Tacos" ) and at $350 pesos a night (about $26.00 US at the current exchange rate), it is one of the best bargains on the Baja. It is located between the Pemex gas station and Mama Espinosa's Restaruant, so once there, you can walk to everything you might need in El Rosario. The 'La Pinta' hotel in Catavina (The name has changed, but I can't remember it right now), is a nice hotel, but too expensive in my opinion, I stay there occasionally only because I get a 40% discount as a resident of the Baja. I would not pay full price. The restaurant is pretty good and a good place to stop for breakfast if you have stayed overnight in El Rosario. If you want the 'Old Mexico' experience, just outside of Catavina on the east side of the road is a road that goes about half a kilometer to an old farm house where they serve breakfast outside on some tables. This place is only for the adventuresome (expect flies, chickens, dogs, etc.), but I enjoy sitting outside when the weather permits and waxing nostalgic about the Mexico of my youth 40 years ago. Paul

[tinlizzie2]

Originally Posted by scuba66

I am hopeing to get away before too long and do some sightseeing and diving down there. Will be my first trip to that part of Mexico. Would be nice if a caravan was in the works.
I have the travel guide by Mike Church ordered but I have yet to receive it. What is the price range for RV spots? My tenative plan is to head down Mex 5 then 1 to Cabo Pulmo.
If no caravan planned, anyone heading down around March or April?

Hi we just did that trip last year and also used the Churchs book i hope u got the updated one the other one isnt much good almost all of the campgrounds are closed..Cabo pulmo is nice but it is very windy on that side..Cabos is expensive we paid $565 a month for a sit ebut it was awesome.There is one cheaper spot at 375/month but it is a dirt campground very dusty..But overall the weather tops it all beautiful everyday......
The drive is intresting be sure your vechile is all good....