BajaNomad

Some Interesting Facts About the Baja Peninsula

Bajatripper - 9-24-2016 at 11:26 AM

Came across this website that has "10 Curious Facts..." Unfortunately, it's in Spanish so there's that. Among the facts mentioned are these:

The second-longest straightaway (road with no curves) in the world is the stretch of highway that runs from north of La Paz through Ciudad Constitucion and up to La Purisima--the longest being in Saudi Arabia.

Mexico has around 200 naturally-occurring oases, 184 of which are in the peninsula, and 171 of those 184 are in Baja California Sur.

Both states share the title of having the least number of municipios at five each. Ensenada is the largest municipio in Mexico and Mulege is the second-largest. In contrast, Oaxaca--the state with the most municipios--has over 500.

I was sorry to find out that BCS in no longer the least-densely populated state in Mexico, having been supplanted by Colima.

For more such interesting tidbits, here's the webside:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDKHDTRA858#t=391.979913

fishbuck - 9-24-2016 at 01:28 PM

I love that straightaway... at about 100mph or so. And then it's still long. And I've been passed there doing a 100.

chippy - 9-24-2016 at 02:31 PM

Funny the claim of 2nd longest staight highway in the world doesn`t make any list I`ve seen.

willardguy - 9-24-2016 at 02:35 PM

how about the most discussed 23 miles of dirt road in the world?:lol:

TMW - 9-24-2016 at 02:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
I love that straightaway... at about 100mph or so. And then it's still long. And I've been passed there doing a 100.


I was going south of Constitucion on it at 70mph and a highway patrol car passed me and keep going. 4 suits in it. I didn't see it until too late, thought I had a ticket for sure.

C205Driver - 9-24-2016 at 04:01 PM

. . .Willard nailed it!. . .

Here is an intersting fact about Baja

Howard - 9-24-2016 at 04:14 PM

The further south you go the better and colder the beer tastes. :biggrin:

Joselito - 9-24-2016 at 04:25 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
I love that straightaway... at about 100mph or so. And then it's still long. And I've been passed there doing a 100.












:rolleyes:

Barry A. - 9-24-2016 at 06:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
I love that straightaway... at about 100mph or so. And then it's still long. And I've been passed there doing a 100.


But, but, you miss so much at that speed. to me the charm of Baja CA can only be really seen at very slow speeds, like on the old dirt tracks, but then that's just me. :yes:

Bajatripper - 9-25-2016 at 07:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.  
Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
I love that straightaway... at about 100mph or so. And then it's still long. And I've been passed there doing a 100.


But, but, you miss so much at that speed. to me the charm of Baja CA can only be really seen at very slow speeds, like on the old dirt tracks, but then that's just me. :yes:


Totally agree that the old road was a much more interesting speed to see the peninsula. That said, that stretch of highway north of La Paz really, really sucks and 100 MPH still ain't fast enough, in my opinion.

edm1 - 10-11-2016 at 08:01 PM

What's the rush?

I've been passed a million times doing 45mph in my land boat through that straightaway. It's true :-)

Howard - 10-11-2016 at 08:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bajatripper  
Came across this website that has "10 Curious Facts..." Unfortunately, it's in Spanish so there's that. Among the facts mentioned are these:

The second-longest straightaway (road with no curves) in the world is the stretch of highway that runs from north of La Paz through Ciudad Constitucion and up to La Purisima--the longest being in Saudi Arabia.

Hey David, could you please post a map of that stretch of highway in Saudi Arabia?
:biggrin:

[Edited on 10-12-2016 by Howard]

mulegemichael - 10-11-2016 at 09:00 PM

was stopped by the federales there just outside town headed toward la paz....just shook his finger at me..nice guy.

ehall - 10-12-2016 at 04:59 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Howard  
The further south you go the better and colder the beer tastes. :biggrin:



I hope to test that theory some day soon.

StuckSucks - 10-12-2016 at 04:39 PM

http://jalopnik.com/5963917/the-longest-straight-roads-in-th...



The desert is pretty boring. So why not drive straight across? The stretch on Highway 10 in Saudi Arabia from Haradh to the border is 162 miles. Congratulations for building the most boring road in the world Saudi Arabia!

mtgoat666 - 10-12-2016 at 04:49 PM

It is a verified and undisputable fact that there are many, many facts about baja. Some say that the number of facts about baja is infinite.

StuckSucks - 10-12-2016 at 04:50 PM

David K - 10-12-2016 at 05:15 PM

That long road was built in the mid 1950s... Pavement was to quickly follow! The same was true of the road south of Ensenada to San Quintin.

In each case, the money (and asphalt) ended long before the straight graded roadbed. In the 1960s, the pavement northbound from La Paz had barely reached 100 miles and southbound from Ensenada, ended in 72 miles.

Skipjack Joe - 10-12-2016 at 06:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.  
Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
I love that straightaway... at about 100mph or so. And then it's still long. And I've been passed there doing a 100.


But, but, you miss so much at that speed. to me the charm of Baja CA can only be really seen at very slow speeds, like on the old dirt tracks, but then that's just me. :yes:


And me.

basautter - 10-12-2016 at 07:53 PM

Great info! Thanks for sharing:bounce:

David K - 10-12-2016 at 11:29 PM

See the Old Highway, mostly to the west of the new one on this 1962 map by Howard Gulick (Lower California Guidebook).



While the pavement originally passed just north of El Crucero (Ciudad Constitución, now), it was so poorly installed, by 1966 the pavement had deteriorated and started closer to Santa Rita. Repaving occurred around 1970 and a new route to the gulf was bulldozed through from Colonia de la Toba (Ciudad Insurgentes, now) to Ligüí then north by Loreto to meet the former main road to La Paz near Bahía Concepción.