Big Bear-SQ-BoLA-San Rafeal-San Francisquito-San Ignacio.

Ok here goes my first trip report on Baja Nomad.

Nothing new to report between Big Bear and San Quintin except I got put therough the XRay at TJ crossing. My first time and it took an hour. Everyone very professional and nice but when I pulled into the machine they asked me to exit my vehicle and had me stand behind a brick wall where I couldn't see what was going on. No big deal but most of my cash was in the car. No prob but next time I will take the $$ with me just because. They XRayed me cause I had this tent on top of my car.




The roads were good and traffic not too bad. Provisioned in Ensenada and headed south. Stopped at my favorite mariscos stand "Mariscos Compadre" next to the Pemex on the road to Punta Banda just off the Hwy. Great stuff and killer Gratinada.
Off to San Quintin. Pulled in to the Mission Santa Maria for the night. Woke up to a beautiful sunny day on the beach.

Well, I'm actually back from the trip but will have to do my report in bits and peices as time allows.

SQ to BoLA was beautiful drive. Desert is so green. Lots of potholes and some new pavement just before the turnoff as I'm sure all are aware of. Stayed the night at Los Vientos. New owners William and Rosa are super nice and the restaurant is fantastic. Not cheap here but I think the nicest place in Bahía and beachfront restaurant with AC and amazing food worth the price of admission IMO. Here are shots looking at SOC from the pool and under the beachfront palapa.

Quote: Originally posted by bobrehfuss

Well, I'm actually back from the trip but will have to do my report in bits and peices as time allows. SQ to BoLA was beautiful drive. Desert is so green. Lots of potholes and some new pavement just before the turnoff as I'm sure all are aware of. Stayed the night at Los Vientos. New owners William and Rosa are super nice and the restaurant is fantastic. Not cheap here but I think the nicest place in Bahía and beachfront restaurant with AC and amazing food worth the price of admission IMO. Here are shots looking at SOC from the pool and under the beachfront palapa.

Ok now to the real report......

Headed from Bahía to Playa San Rafeal. The road was Baja tough but doable with no 4wd needed but clearance was nice cause it was rough in a few places. I think it took me about 4 hours but I stoped a lot, explored a couple side roads and travel slow to prevent unnecessary spillage of the road soda. The desert was as green and full of flowers as I've ever seen which just made the journey that much more the destination. Upon arrival at SR I was greeted by the ever present Francisco who this time insisted I call him Pancho instead of his usual "Corre Camino". He welcomed me, pointed out a couple of palapas on the beach and told me I was welcome to use either or camp anywhere I wanted on the beach. During my stay he visited a couple of times, introduced me to some fisherman from Guerrero Negro who were camping/launching on the beach and trap fishing for cabrilla. They had two pangas and actually had a refrigerated semi down there that they loaded their catch in each night when they returned. They left the same day I did back to GN and the semi departed with 3.5 tons, yes tons, of fish bound for sale in TJ. For those of you into fish they were targeting goldenspotted bass aka extranjero. On the second day the teenage son of the fisherman, who stayed on the beach looking after things while the boats were out fishing, went snorkling on the point and gaffed a couple octopi and gave them to me. I love pulpo so I returned the favor with a package of venison that I brought with me. I stayed on the beach 3 days and 2 nights with beautiful weather and a huge sky full of stars. I fished the beach but couldn't connect with the big fish feeding on the massive schools of bait fish because they were either too far out or when they were close I couldn't keep up with them. There is a beautiful lagoon about 100 yards from the beach that is full of mullet and pargo. The pargo were hungry and willing to play which was pretty fun and a first for me to see or catch fish in land locked lagoon.

The road to Playa San Rafeal



Some shots of the amazing desert scenery between BoLA and SR





First glimpse of water after leaving Bahía.

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Beachfront palapa and campsite



The neighbors




Beautiful lagoon




A group of Kyakers that I met in SR. They had left from BoLA and were on a three week trip to Mulege. A few days later we met again in San Francisquito.

Off to Punta San Francisquito. Thanks to Nomad, C205Driver for all the great info.

The road between SR and SF was a little rougher but still doable. Again the desert was just spectacular.

Arrived SF to find every room occupied. A group of guys pre running the Baja 1000, a couple guys from Canada riding to Cabo and a family from Michigan on their first baja adventure. Not exactly what I was expecting but I was camping so I didn't need a bed and there was plenty of beach.

The next morning everyone was gone by the time I got out of bed and for the rest of my stay it was only Juan and Loenel (father and son that manage the place) and Rosa, a local from Viscaino that lives at SF and runs the restaurant 9 months out of the year.

It's RUSTIC, lol, but got cabanas with beds, bathrooms with water (sometimes) and a restaurant with Rosa making some of the best food in Baja. She made some of the best birria I've had and she whooped those octopi, that I traded some venison for at San Rafeal, ranchera style that was out of this world.

It was windy every afternoon and evening. They told me that it was always windy there. Mornings were nice and great fishing down the beach on a reef for triggers, leopard grouper, sculpin and skipjack.

Rosa had cold Pacifico and great food ready each day when I returned from fishing. Her, Juan and Leo were great company and it was nice enjoying dinner and swapping stories in the evenings.

Each morning I saw turtle tracks coming from the water, the hole they dug to lay eggs and their tracks back to the sea. Another first for me. Each day I saw turtles swimming close to shore. All of the nests but one were discovered and plundered by coyotes.

Some more desert pics







The road to San Francisquito

My campsite and the view up and down the beach.



Couple fishy pics and one crabby.

Offf to San Ignacio via El Arco. Well this route is easier than the road from the north but still Baja rough and doable. With that being said I did manage to break my rear differential and roasted an axle somewhere between BoLA and El Arco. Fortunately it held up until I got back to Big Bear so it didn't affect my trip only my wallet, lol.

I know I must be sounding like a broken record but the desert was alive, wow!







[Edited on 11-22-2017 by bobrehfuss]

Made it to Ignacio Springs B&B and enjoyed a nice bed in one of their yurts. After a nice breakfast the next morning which happened to be Dia De Muertos I headed to San Ignacio to see the sights. That night it was a full moon kayak on the river.

My yurt




Mission and Alter





Full moon rise over the river

Well, with one week left my plan was to head to Laguna San Ignacio, then down to San Juanico, through La Purisma to Bahía Conception then home. However due to technical difficulties (my back) I ended up spending three days flat on my back in bed at Ignacio Springs then took the next three days limping home. Well, I guess I have another trip planned for next time.

I did manage to stop in to La Lobera on my way north and that was pretty cool.

La Lobera and the pacific coast.









Sunset at La Lobera and the beautiful Pacific.

Bravo!

Thanks DK

Hi Blanca, yes I'll make it to your side soon for a visit

Paco, all fish were taken from shore. My first sardinera and skipjack from the beach.

Here's a pretty cool sunset that I got around Colonet on the way down.

Hi Bob,

Thanks for sharing such descriptive report (BTW: I sent you a U2U)...

My family and I are planning on finally taking that same Central Baja Loop during Spring Break.





This upcoming 2018 Spring Break for our kids starts a week before and also ends a week before it does in Mexico's Semana Santa:





...and that's when will head out there for two weeks so we hope we do NOT find any (or many) crowds in the area during our second week. I avoid Semana Santa like the plague... its just overwhelming and unsafe, thus I'll cross my fingers for our drive back north... we'll encounter much of the heaviest traffic for that main weekend: Jueves Santo (March 29th), Viernes Santo thru Sunday the 31st... trying to make it home by Saturday...

[Edited on 12-14-2017 by carlosg]

Quote: Originally posted by bobrehfuss

Yes Fall is here...now bring on Winter! I live in Moonridge. If your ever dropping in let me know and maybe we can get lunch? My office is just a block from the airport. bobrehfuss@yahoo.com