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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Short stay at Hotel Maru, Sta. Rosalillita
Took an extra-long President Day weekend trip south to visit whales and friends.
I left Thursday 2/12, but only got as far as Santa Rosalillita on the Pacific coast. I had a late start, and arrived after dark after dodging
livestock on the road-- not smart, and I don't recommend it.
Here's what I would have seen if I had arrived in daylight:
I approached the town via the road to Escalera Nautica, which is easier to navigate after dark, then drove thru the dirt back to the hotel. The steep
concrete road leading into town is hard to see at night- it's very dark out there!
On the bright side: the stars are amazing!
I realized the next morning, the hotel color is hard to miss!
I parked alongside the local's trucks and lobster traps. Never met the owners- their teenage son (?) and his friend took my pesos and helped me into
the room.
Here's the Maru room I stayed in- small, reasonably clean, but no hot water while I was there. (I left early, so didn't ask if this was normal or...?)
I was up at dawn with the fishermen and continued south after chatting with a couple of locals about the local fishing "cooperativo" and the
empty/non-functional Escalera.
Small church next to abarrotes store.
Road up the hill, out of town- would be a tight squeeze for more than 1 vehicle.
Made it out to Hyw. 1, thru the Pta. Prieta military checkpoint, gas at Jesus Maria, bug spray at 28th parallel, and out to the lagoon in time for
breakfast on the patio of the interpretive center, with the group going out on the boat to see whales.
(Note: apparently, telling the guys at military checkpoint and agriculture station you are from Sta. Rosalillita means you get to go thru immediately-
no checking my truck, no request to pay 2 pesos for bug spray...)
All in all, I would stay here again. The hotel is simple, quiet, inexpensive, and it's nice to wake up right on the water.
However, I was not able to meet the owners, so wasn't able to ask about dinner (BajaBlanca had mentioned they would be willing to cook/prep a meal).
So be prepared to prep your own meals, and/or get some basic food at the abarrote store next to the church.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Frank
Senior Nomad
Posts: 861
Registered: 6-5-2005
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Is it time to leave yet?
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Thanks for report. I think we will give it a shot this summer while on our surf fishing trip.
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Maron
Nomad
Posts: 458
Registered: 4-14-2014
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Nice report, thanks for the info.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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Thanks, good to know info.
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Yes, it was south of Pta Prieta & Sta Rosalillita turnoff, and north of Jesus Maria- in the long stretch between curvy hills.
Quote: Originally posted by David K  | | As you were south of Punta Prieta and drove on south, I think the military checkpoint you came to was the one at El Tomatal turnoff (between Santa
Rosalillita and Villa Jesus Maria)? I had never seen a checkpoint near Punta Prieta, but I was last there in 2012. |
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64480
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thanks for the motel photos and report! I guess we need to ask them to light the water heater when we check in?
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
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was there a C painted on the tile near the water valve?
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boe4fun
Super Nomad
Posts: 1040
Registered: 1-22-2006
Location: Margaritaville
Member Is Offline
Mood: Circling the drain........
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Umember that "C" can mean caliente too!
Two dirt roads diverged in Baja and I, I took the one less graveled by......
Soy ignorante, apático y ambivalente. No lo sé y no me importa, ni modo.
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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I've seen the impromptu "C" often painted in red, over the right side water faucet, in other small Baja hotels. Don't recall seeing it at Maru.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
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that was the shower that I replaced his valves in the wall. If you look close at the handles I installed them backwards. cold handle on the C/right
side and hot handle on the left. after I finished it dawned on me that C was hot. oh well, it is Baja!
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bajafam
Senior Nomad
Posts: 654
Registered: 9-6-2009
Location: Northeast AZ, Bahia Asuncion, BCS :)
Member Is Offline
Mood: DLTBGYD
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when we stayed there, we had to ask for them to turn on the water heater. Cozy room, nice folks, would stay again in a heartbeat.
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2744
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajafam | when we stayed there, we had to ask for them to turn on the water heater. Cozy room, nice folks, would stay again in a heartbeat.
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You had to ASK them to turn on the hot water heater?
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vacaenbaja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 640
Registered: 4-4-2006
Member Is Offline
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My experience in Baja plumbing fixtures is: If installed per USA
H is Hot C is Cold. Baja style H is Helado C is Caliente
and finally if I don't get what I had expected C is for CARAMBA!!
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yellowklr
Senior Nomad
Posts: 507
Registered: 4-14-2006
Member Is Offline
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Nice
Derek
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fudscrud
Nomad
Posts: 113
Registered: 6-8-2010
Member Is Offline
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I stayed at Maru's almost two years ago now while on a 3 week solo dirt bike trip. This was the one day I was "under the weather" and Maru made me a
fish dinner and also breakfast in her kithchen since there is/was no restaurant or taco stand in town. She is a nice yet stern lady and definitely the
matriarch.
That being said, I have since stayed at the hotel in nearby Rosarito (9mi So. of the turn to Sta Rosalillita) which is a better room with an excellent
shower and a decent restaurant next door. The name is either Maricios or La Cienega.
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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Marc,
Yes, that is not an unusual practice for some places....keeps costs down....and only takes about 20-30 minutes to get hot water.
In 1994 I stayed at an inexpensive hospedaje beside the Equipales restaurant in Mulege (3 rooms) and the water heater for the communal shower was a
small cast metal tank heated by a little fire underneath.....you had to start and maintain the fire for a while.....for a short shower ....I kinda
liked the experience 
Don't believe everything you think....
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | Took an extra-long President Day weekend trip south to visit whales and friends.
I left Thursday 2/12, but only got as far as Santa Rosalillita on the Pacific coast. I had a late start, and arrived after dark after dodging
livestock on the road-- not smart, and I don't recommend it.
Here's what I would have seen if I had arrived in daylight:
I approached the town via the road to Escalera Nautica, which is easier to navigate after dark, then drove thru the dirt back to the hotel. The steep
concrete road leading into town is hard to see at night- it's very dark out there!
On the bright side: the stars are amazing!
I realized the next morning, the hotel color is hard to miss!
I parked alongside the local's trucks and lobster traps. Never met the owners- their teenage son (?) and his friend took my pesos and helped me into
the room.
Here's the Maru room I stayed in- small, reasonably clean, but no hot water while I was there. (I left early, so didn't ask if this was normal or...?)
I was up at dawn with the fishermen and continued south after chatting with a couple of locals about the local fishing "cooperativo" and the
empty/non-functional Escalera.
Small church next to abarrotes store.
Road up the hill, out of town- would be a tight squeeze for more than 1 vehicle.
Made it out to Hyw. 1, thru the Pta. Prieta military checkpoint, gas at Jesus Maria, bug spray at 28th parallel, and out to the lagoon in time for
breakfast on the patio of the interpretive center, with the group going out on the boat to see whales.
(Note: apparently, telling the guys at military checkpoint and agriculture station you are from Sta. Rosalillita means you get to go thru immediately-
no checking my truck, no request to pay 2 pesos for bug spray...)
All in all, I would stay here again. The hotel is simple, quiet, inexpensive, and it's nice to wake up right on the water.
However, I was not able to meet the owners, so wasn't able to ask about dinner (BajaBlanca had mentioned they would be willing to cook/prep a meal).
So be prepared to prep your own meals, and/or get some basic food at the abarrote store next to the church.
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Personally, I think referring to that place as a hotel is a BIG stretch.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
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I was in the hood the day 15 ready mix trucks showed up with dry loads looking for a place to add water, mix their batches and start pouring that
concrete hill into town. I have a picture on my home 'puter.
[Edited on 2-27-2015 by woody with a view]
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Post 'er up Woody! I'd love to see how they created that steep narrow road from the mesa down to the water. It is quite a "driveway" into town.
| Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view | I was in the hood the day 15 ready mix trucks showed up with dry loads looking for a place to add water, mix their batches and start pouring that
concrete hill into town. I have a picture on my home 'puter.
[Edited on 2-27-2015 by woody with a view] |
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
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being a construction guy i had no interest in seeing the mud go down, much less watching it cure! what really got me was seeing all those trucks
rolling into town. early Jan, 2011.
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