BajaNomad
Not logged in [Login - Register]

Go To Bottom
Printable Version  
Author: Subject: Old fort or water cistern?
defrag4
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 3-26-2020 at 10:57 AM
Old fort or water cistern?


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]




Driving the PanAmerican Highway
https://www.facebook.com/homeonthehighway/
View user's profile
defrag4
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 3-26-2020 at 10:59 AM


Beautiful view from up there though





Driving the PanAmerican Highway
https://www.facebook.com/homeonthehighway/
View user's profile
David K
Honored Nomad
*********


Avatar


Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline

Mood: Have Baja Fever

[*] posted on 3-26-2020 at 12:13 PM


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



"So Much Baja, So Little Time..."

See the NEW www.VivaBaja.com for maps, travel articles, links, trip photos, and more!
Baja Missions and History On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bajamissions/
Camping, off-roading, Viva Baja discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vivabaja


View user's profile Visit user's homepage
Pacifico
Super Nomad
****


Avatar


Posts: 1299
Registered: 5-26-2008
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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...




"Plan your life as if you are going to live forever. Live your life as if you are going to die tomorrow." - Carlos Fiesta
View user's profile
defrag4
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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!




Driving the PanAmerican Highway
https://www.facebook.com/homeonthehighway/
View user's profile
David K
Honored Nomad
*********


Avatar


Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline

Mood: Have Baja Fever

[*] posted on 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.




"So Much Baja, So Little Time..."

See the NEW www.VivaBaja.com for maps, travel articles, links, trip photos, and more!
Baja Missions and History On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bajamissions/
Camping, off-roading, Viva Baja discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vivabaja


View user's profile Visit user's homepage
John Harper
Super Nomad
****




Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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]
View user's profile
defrag4
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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?




Driving the PanAmerican Highway
https://www.facebook.com/homeonthehighway/
View user's profile
mtgoat666
Select Nomad
*******




Posts: 17335
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline

Mood: Hot n spicy

[*] posted on 3-26-2020 at 07:21 PM


almacén, it looks like.



Woke!

“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we

View user's profile
defrag4
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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





Driving the PanAmerican Highway
https://www.facebook.com/homeonthehighway/
View user's profile
defrag4
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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




Driving the PanAmerican Highway
https://www.facebook.com/homeonthehighway/
View user's profile
John Harper
Super Nomad
****




Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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]
View user's profile
Phil C
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 564
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: N. San Diego County/ Loreto Centro/Lopez Mateos
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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.
View user's profile
defrag4
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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:




Driving the PanAmerican Highway
https://www.facebook.com/homeonthehighway/
View user's profile
bajarich
Nomad
**




Posts: 463
Registered: 1-13-2005
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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.
View user's profile
mtgoat666
Select Nomad
*******




Posts: 17335
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline

Mood: Hot n spicy

[*] posted on 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!





Woke!

“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we

View user's profile
philodog
Nomad
**




Posts: 163
Registered: 10-9-2010
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 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.
View user's profile
BajaRun
Nomad
**




Posts: 222
Registered: 2-25-2012
Member Is Offline

Mood: Just Cruisin'

[*] posted on 3-28-2020 at 08:52 AM


It looks quite large. Do you have estimated dimensions ?
View user's profile
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4165
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 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




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
David K
Honored Nomad
*********


Avatar


Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline

Mood: Have Baja Fever

[*] posted on 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.




"So Much Baja, So Little Time..."

See the NEW www.VivaBaja.com for maps, travel articles, links, trip photos, and more!
Baja Missions and History On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bajamissions/
Camping, off-roading, Viva Baja discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vivabaja


View user's profile Visit user's homepage

  Go To Top

 






All Content Copyright 1997- Q87 International; All Rights Reserved.
Powered by XMB; XMB Forum Software © 2001-2014 The XMB Group






"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez

 

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes

 

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn

 

"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law







Thank you to Baja Bound Mexico Insurance Services for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.







Emergency Baja Contacts Include:

Desert Hawks; El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262