BajaNomad

best shower

rancho guillermo - 2-13-2018 at 09:59 AM

Love reading all the great stories and trips. 4 X 4, Moto's, camping etc. So after a couple days or weeks, when it is time to clean up..what is your best memory of that shower that brings us back to life...
Hotel, on a boat, beach, where ever..

Problem with some showers is that they only fit one person..

IMG_0535.JPG - 195kBIMG_0578.JPG - 203kB

tobias - 2-13-2018 at 10:19 AM

Great thread idea. I always hit
Malarrimo in GN
Don Chano in mulege
El Moro in Loretto
El litro in Todos Santos

I like my showers like I like my women : cheap and hot

David K - 2-13-2018 at 10:20 AM

OK, the first photo is easy, Rancho Grande, Gonzaga Bay (Ensenada de San Francisquito)... but where are you in the second? That is very cool looking!

Best showers in Baja are ones that work!
Baja Cactus, El Rosario
Las Hamacas, Bahía de L.A.
La Huerta, San Ignacio
and even $12/night Posada del Angel in La Purísima...



TMW - 2-13-2018 at 10:52 AM

I remember the bad ones more than the good ones. The only really good one that comes to mind is at Baja Cactus in El Rosario. Probably because of the way it is built. As long as the water is hot and it doesn't leak out onto the floor I'm OK. The hottest shower I've taken was at the La Joya camp out toward La Bufadora. There was one water faucet and the water was from the hot springs so whatever the hot springs temp was that's what you got.

tobias - 2-13-2018 at 11:01 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
:) As long as the water doesn't leak out onto the floor I'm OK.


picky picky, good luck finding a shower curtain at the places I frequent ;-D

Howard - 2-13-2018 at 11:10 AM

DK's photo with that shower curtain brings back memories of the movie Psycho!

I forgot where but I have had Baja showers that gave off a little charge of electricity when showering.

willardguy - 2-13-2018 at 11:18 AM

best shower? the Hot Fox av. Ruiz in ensenada;)

TMW - 2-13-2018 at 11:23 AM

The two worst for leaking water onto the floor were the Desert Inn in Ensenada and the hotel by the bus station in Vizcaino. The Desert Inn in Loreto I had a real hard time opening and closing the sliding glass door on the shower. I thought the showers at Pete's Camp in San Felipe were good, price was right at least.

PeregrineA1 - 2-13-2018 at 11:31 AM

I think is was the Villa Vita in Bahia de Los Angeles (it was definitely Bahia) in 1993, before shore power came to town. If you took a shower when the generator was running and were standing on the drain inlet, then grabbed the faucet to adjust....let's say it was shocking.

My favorite was the cinder block, open to the sky, solar heated showers at the old camping beach at Punta Chivato. Nice October evening, clear sky, a Pacifico, and a warm shower.

David K - 2-13-2018 at 11:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
I remember the bad ones more than the good ones. The only really good one that comes to mind is at Baja Cactus in El Rosario. Probably because of the way it is built. As long as the water is hot and it doesn't leak out onto the floor I'm OK. The hottest shower I've taken was at the La Joya camp out toward La Bufadora. There was one water faucet and the water was from the hot springs so whatever the hot springs temp was that's what you got.


One of the most disappointing was one at another L.A. Bay 'hotel' that uses an instant-hot water heater unit rather than a typical water heater tank. It was either scalding hot or ice cold with no possible way to mix more cold water in, or to adjust down the flame that 'fries' the water as it passes through the European style water heater.

The shower drain at the motel in Lopez Mateos was clogged but I didn't know until I was well underway soaping up, and there was no lip on the floor so the water flooded into the rest of the small room so quickly, I barely got rinsed!

Baja Cactus (El Rosario) has great, huge-sized (in some rooms) showers with glass doors. The water is pressure bumped so it is nice with unlimited hot water. However, in the past, water could leak out from under the heavy glass door. On my latest visit, that has been fixed.

David K - 2-13-2018 at 11:40 AM

Quote: Originally posted by PeregrineA1  
I think is was the Villa Vita in Bahia de Los Angeles (it was definitely Bahia) in 1993, before shore power came to town. If you took a shower when the generator was running and were standing on the drain inlet, then grabbed the faucet to adjust....let's say it was shocking.

My favorite was the cinder block, open to the sky, solar heated showers at the old camping beach at Punta Chivato. Nice October evening, clear sky, a Pacifico, and a warm shower.


Years ago, I was told that the swimming pool light was not grounded and it was considered a death trap should anyone turn on the light... (no doubt an unfair rumor!

However, another old Villa Vita horror story was that because it had the town's only walk-in food storage cooler that when someone died, it is where the body was kept until authorities from Ensenada or ?? could pick it up! This was an old story told me many years ago... so just for your entertainment. Many have reported a good time at Villa Vita and no food illness or pool electrocutions!

DanO - 2-13-2018 at 12:07 PM

The shower in the room at La Fonda that is the closest to the beach has a nearly full length window that looks out onto the beach. Years ago I was staying in that room with my wife, and was out front surfing with some friends. During a lull, one of them pointed up to the hotel and said "hey, check out that chick taking a shower!" I looked up and realized that he was pointing to my room and that the chick taking a shower was my wife. I waved to her, she waved back, and then, suddenly realizing that we could all see her, she ducked out of sight. After the surf session my buddies and I went up to the restaurant for lunch, and when my wife walked out onto the patio to join us, they gave her a standing ovation.

AKgringo - 2-13-2018 at 12:11 PM

Last year, Ged Dave and I were not able to get rooms at San Miguel Commondu, but they arranged for us to stay in the church annex.

The plumbing in the annex was not hooked up to the water supply anymore, but we were shown where to shower in the gardeners tool shed. There was a floor drain, and a shower head on the wall which was supplied by running a garden hose over from a spigot in the yard!

How badly do you need to rinse the dust and sweat off? We used it! And there were no mints on the pillow!

del mar - 2-13-2018 at 12:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by willardguy  
best shower? the Hot Fox av. Ruiz in ensenada;)

(.Y.) :yes:

4x4abc - 2-13-2018 at 12:41 PM

one important thing I learned in Baja - I bring my own shower head with decent water flow. Improves life in Baja dramatically

ncampion - 2-13-2018 at 01:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
one important thing I learned in Baja - I bring my own shower head with decent water flow. Improves life in Baja dramatically


We also do that also, especially when camping, as campgrouunds frequently don't even have shower heads, just open pipes.

del mar - 2-13-2018 at 01:14 PM

I bring dozens of em.

Bajazly - 2-13-2018 at 01:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  



Baja Cactus, El Rosario







In 2014 my co driver and I stayed here on the way to Coco's to get in the car the next day. We arrived at the Baja Cactus at about 1 in the morning and they gave us a room I believe Bryce hadn't claimed. First order of business was a shower and like DK said, this shower was to die for, almost literally because when I reached up to adjust the angle of the shower head, it felt like about 60 or 80 volts running thru my arm. Nothing too bad but it did wake me up.

carlosg - 2-13-2018 at 01:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Howard  
...I forgot where but I have had Baja showers that gave off a little charge of electricity when showering.


I DO remember where I had more than tingling experience with a shower: "Cuesta Real" in Mulegé... that was quite a wake up call...

PeregrineA1 - 2-13-2018 at 01:41 PM

I know of at least two people that were conceived in the shower at Pete's Camp. Adults now......

That's a pretty good shower.

David K - 2-13-2018 at 01:58 PM



BAJA CACTUS, EL ROSARIO:



[Edited on 2-15-2018 by David K]

rancho guillermo - 2-13-2018 at 02:04 PM

Very Good David...Rancho Grande is first photo. Second shower was camping North of Punta Chivato..The beach around the point..I believe 2009/2010. I have also taken many "Black Solar Bag" showers. They all are good. (photo is beach we camped on.)

Love the photo of the Beer can shower head.

rancho guillermo - 2-13-2018 at 02:07 PM

forgot photo

IMG_0554.JPG - 128kB

ehall - 2-13-2018 at 02:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
one important thing I learned in Baja - I bring my own shower head with decent water flow. Improves life in Baja dramatically



Ive worked on a few to get a decent shower.

David K - 2-13-2018 at 04:20 PM

Where is that shower at Punta Chivato... is it in the area of the last photo?

rancho guillermo - 2-13-2018 at 04:34 PM

Yes David...it WAS....back up to the left in the photo. Above tide line. At that time..there was also some old outhouses, but again it was a while back.
Not sure if the water came from the houses above the beach or what...One correction...earlier I thought it was 2009/10 it was really 2005.

MulegeAL - 2-13-2018 at 04:48 PM

"Big Pink" in Catavina.

Where the "agua es caliente, see!"

(If you get any water!)

advrider - 2-13-2018 at 07:10 PM

+_10 on Baja cactus, good showers and comfortable beds!

sanquintinsince73 - 2-13-2018 at 07:16 PM

Any shower at La Chorera in San Quintin is a good shower. Don Alvaro's mother-in-law heats up a big olla of water with firewood and then pour's hot water into a 5-gallon bucket for you. She built a few concrete shower stalls outside her little "store" and you step inside and just pour water on yourself with a small bowl.

watizname - 2-13-2018 at 09:46 PM

Quote: Originally posted by rancho guillermo  
forgot photo


the old Chivato shower was under the palms in the photo. That was the best baja shower ever. Meany Shaw has a real good facsimile at his house on shell beach now, only it's inside.

hombre66 - 2-13-2018 at 11:21 PM

Worst shower: Bunkhouse at Rancho Sta Inez, brown water at a trickle and no shower head and a very peculiar texture to the shower pan.

LukeJobbins - 2-14-2018 at 08:25 AM

Butt naked with no one around for miles in the middle of nowhere with my last pot of water heated up on a stove trying to get “clean” enough to reenter society after weeks of camping and no showers.

norte - 2-14-2018 at 08:51 AM

Pictures of Motel showers? SOme people need to get out more often...Of course there are some Politicos that like Golden Showers.;)

rancho guillermo - 2-14-2018 at 09:00 AM

LukeJobbins....I hear you.
I have taken those showers in Baja and the High Sierras...
Of course I had anti-freeze in my system to help..
Nothing like some Tequila to help...

TMW - 2-14-2018 at 11:38 AM

When all else fails jump into the ocean. For soap to lather use a dish washing soap. Besides the salt water will keep the mosquitoes away.

willardguy - 2-14-2018 at 12:20 PM

worst shower the Old Mill when all there was was that old wooden water tank supplying the trickle.....the Old Pier had hot saltwater showers that were fine.

TMW - 2-14-2018 at 03:07 PM

What ever happened to the Old Pier Hotel? I stayed there many times during the late 80s and early 90s.

Cliffy - 2-14-2018 at 04:37 PM

The shocking possibilities of a shower at the Villa Vita were well documented in the late 70s by my group who spent several days there.

BajaTed - 2-14-2018 at 05:06 PM

A hot shower at Coyote bay was an all day ordeal
1. Hook up water tank trailer and disconnect propane tank.
2. Drive to well head in Mulege
3. Wait in line (sometimes)
4. Get lunch and propane
5. Drive back to bay
6. Fill water tank and hook up propane tank
7. Fire up water heater.
8. Wait for hot water, tell baby wipe stories (TMI)
9. Relish the hot water and feel great
10 Have a cup of Earl Gray tea

bajabuddha - 2-14-2018 at 05:40 PM

Moskva with Uncle Dumbbald... it was warm and... golden.... :O

MMc - 2-14-2018 at 06:34 PM

Many, many years ago, we camped in San Ignacio, between the Lagoon and town. The campground that was there had a wood fired water heater. We had spent some time camping up north and wanted to shower. I fired up the water heater and when off to make camp. About an hour and a half past, my wife and I wandered over with towels and shampoo looking for a nice hot shower.
Just ahead of us are two young women with the same idea. It was late afternoon and we wanted to make sure we got our showers before the sun went down. As we sat and waited we realize that these two young ladies were going to consume all the hot water. They showered very quickly and complained of no hot water. My wife went over and got in the shower, tried hot water first, and received cold water, she tried the cold water and it came out hot. There was enough hot water for me to use too.
We always found it ironic that the C in English is cold while in Spanish it stands for caliente.

Cliffy - 2-14-2018 at 07:31 PM

On all of my African safaris the shower water has always been heated with a wood fire started around 4AM by an unseen unheard camp staff.
The shower stall however always ranked 8 out of 10 for style, quality and cleanliness.

Pacifico - 2-14-2018 at 10:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by watizname  
Quote: Originally posted by rancho guillermo  
forgot photo


the old Chivato shower was under the palms in the photo. That was the best baja shower ever. Meany Shaw has a real good facsimile at his house on shell beach now, only it's inside.


Yup! I remember the old shower, open to the sky where you had to pull the rope to turn the water on. Great memories of camping at Chivato between 1984 and 1990!

MMc - 2-14-2018 at 10:43 PM

Not Baja. In the 70's Puerto Escondido, we would surf in the morning and come back to camp. The shade around the shower started at knee level and was neck high on a 6' man. You would look across camp while showering. Different times.

wilderone - 2-15-2018 at 09:05 AM

I travel with a couple sink stoppers (rubber plugs) so I can fill the sink at a gas station and at least wash my hair or have a TPA bath really quick if I'm going to be in civilized society - otherwise the bath tub is a 1 gallon water container cut in half. Some disposable washcloth products already have soap - nice too.

David K - 2-15-2018 at 09:26 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
What ever happened to the Old Pier Hotel? I stayed there many times during the late 80s and early 90s.


It so reminded me of a setting for an Alfred Hitchc-ck movie!
Last year during my guidebook research, I saw no compelling signage pointing to it. It was probably in the 1980s that I last drove by the Old Pier, on my way to the Old English Cemetery from The Old Mill.

Marc - 2-25-2018 at 09:10 AM

El Capitan in SF. Although the water pressure seems to have dropped a tad last 2 years.

redhilltown - 3-3-2018 at 06:42 PM

I second that the showers at the Desert Inn in Catavina are pretty darn good. But the ultimate "desert" shower is in Saline Valley in California at the hot springs...standing in the middle of freakin nowhere with all the wonderful natural hot water you could ask for.