BajaNomad

Old fort or water cistern?

defrag4 - 3-26-2020 at 10:57 AM

Went out sailing from Puerto Escondido near Loreto. I noticed this huge stone/cement structure up on the hill, trying to figure out what it is. Any clues?

My wife and I hiked over to it, looks like it used to have a metal roof but it’s long gone and just an empty structure now, with no apparent windows or doors.







Dropped pin
Near Loreto Municipality, Baja California Sur
https://goo.gl/maps/WyXB1VsLze2Ucxrc6



[Edited on 3-27-2020 by BajaNomad]

defrag4 - 3-26-2020 at 10:59 AM

Beautiful view from up there though

David K - 3-26-2020 at 12:13 PM

Not an old fort... That would be San Bruno, north of Loreto. Nice photos!

Pacifico - 3-26-2020 at 12:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Not an old fort... That would be San Bruno, north of Loreto. Nice photos!


??? It is way south of Loreto...

defrag4 - 3-26-2020 at 12:59 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Pacifico  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Not an old fort... That would be San Bruno, north of Loreto. Nice photos!


??? It is way south of Loreto...


not a fort yet... bout to start rappelling supplies down into the middle, get myself a few machine gun turrets and post up for FIN DEL MUNDO!

David K - 3-26-2020 at 04:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Pacifico  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Not an old fort... That would be San Bruno, north of Loreto. Nice photos!


??? It is way south of Loreto...


Yes, I saw that. The only fort in the region still visible, is San Bruno. It is about 15 miles north of Loreto.

John Harper - 3-26-2020 at 05:24 PM

It looks relatively recent, good cement work (and patches), anchor bolts to fasten the roof supports (?). Look maybe even galvanized? Are those supports box section steel?

Beautiful view, someone thought they had a great idea.

John

[Edited on 3-27-2020 by John Harper]

defrag4 - 3-26-2020 at 07:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by John Harper  
It looks relatively recent, good cement work (and patches), anchor bolts to fasten the roof supports (?). Look maybe even galvanized? Are those supports box section steel?

Beautiful view, someone thought they had a great idea.

John

[Edited on 3-27-2020 by John Harper]


yep they were steel supports, looked like they were ripped/cut off from some possible steel roof beams at some point, sort of look like a few of them were twisted, maybe hurricane?

mtgoat666 - 3-26-2020 at 07:21 PM

almacén, it looks like.

defrag4 - 3-26-2020 at 07:21 PM

If someone was trying to build a house here I couldn’t blame them, amazing spot, no civilization in sight save some sailboats way off in the distance

defrag4 - 3-26-2020 at 07:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
almacén, it looks like.


seems possible, i imagine its ranch land, why no door though? i am going to have to return with a ladder and climb up in the thing to find out

John Harper - 3-27-2020 at 06:03 AM

Quote: Originally posted by defrag4  
why no door though?


Yes, suggests a cistern as a possible answer. But, how was it to be filled?

John

[Edited on 3-27-2020 by John Harper]

Phil C - 3-27-2020 at 07:47 AM

Local fishermen call it a pila. It is used as a landmark for the southern boundary for the newly created no fishing zone south of Nopolo.

defrag4 - 3-27-2020 at 11:56 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Phil C  
Local fishermen call it a pila. It is used as a landmark for the southern boundary for the newly created no fishing zone south of Nopolo.


i did notice a shiny new no fishing sign on the beach while we were hiking out to it, the pila nickname leads me back towards my original idea that its was used for water

getting water up on top of this hill would be quite an impressive feat though, maybe thats why its abandoned :lol:

bajarich - 3-27-2020 at 12:39 PM

My guess is it was a pila, and just possibly water was trucked up there to fill it. Not unlike the pilas that are used in other housing developments where there is no water, either that or for livestock.

Maybe someone was planning to develop the land there and the project never happened.

mtgoat666 - 3-27-2020 at 01:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by defrag4  

getting water up on top of this hill would be quite an impressive feat though, maybe thats why its abandoned :lol:


mechanical pumping of water is indeed an impressive feat, if you have never seen water pumped!

philodog - 3-28-2020 at 08:47 AM

It's definitely a pila. The inside is lined with concrete to make it watertight and there are pipes at the bottom for draining it. I asked the same question years ago and got no definitive answer.

BajaRun - 3-28-2020 at 08:52 AM

It looks quite large. Do you have estimated dimensions ?

4x4abc - 3-28-2020 at 11:50 AM

the Pila is part of a failed real estate project
water, gravity fed, was supposed to come from one of the many Sierra La Giganta Arroyos.
Same way Puerto Escondido gets its water

just check the dozer traces at the bottom of the Arroyos and you get the idea
and notice the 130 ft wide entrance path towards the beach
somebody was planning something big

David K - 3-28-2020 at 03:45 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaRun  
It looks quite large. Do you have estimated dimensions ?


It is here: 25° 46.336'N, 111° 18.336'W
It is approx. 90 feet x 32 feet
The access road to it is at Km. 89+, between the road to Puerto Escondido and Ligüí.