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bajaric
Senior Nomad
Posts: 612
Registered: 2-2-2015
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Seems like those areas would be pretty safe. Best thing is to ask the locals to see what they think about staying in a particular area. Some areas
are known for clandestine activities, mainly along certain stretches of coastline, on back roads that can be used to bypass the military check points,
and remote areas with hidden water sources. Thus the safest areas are inland areas in the desert, away from transportation routes.
Personally, when I camp in remote areas I always try and find a side road that is out of sight of the main road, and pick a spot with two avenues of
escape, so that in the highly unlikely event that some hostile persons show up in the middle of the night I can hop in the truck and bail without
getting boxed in by another vehicle. Paranoia? Perhaps. I have never had an unpleasant incident when camping in remote areas, other than hearing a
truck rumble by in the middle of the night, way out in the middle of nowhere....
Of course, I am a large male, so being female adds another dimension to it. And, by camping out of sight in remote areas you basically are completely
on your own, no cell phone signal, no one around to render assistance in the unlikely event of some kind of trouble. I would think it better for a
woman to stay in established paid camp grounds and go on day hikes for a little added security. Plenty of awesome day hikes in the areas you
mentioned. The native flora and fauna in the Catavina area is outstanding, like a botanical garden, only created by nature.
Final tip, carry plenty of water, even on travel days. Getting lost, getting stuck, and running out of water can result in a highly undesirable
outcome.
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 2-9-2004
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8 days is not very much time. Maybe not try to go as far as Catavina. If you go in mid-March, you'll get to do some whale watching near Guerrero
Negro or San Ignacio. Whales would probably still be around late March around Bahia Magdalena.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64545
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Bahía de los Angeles is a shorter drive than Cataviña is and the desert vegetation is more spectacular (tallest boojum trees)... plus the amazing
view of the bay and all the islands!
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3687
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Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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Aw come on David, don't let your LABay obsession get in the way
Quote: Originally posted by David K  | | Bahía de los Angeles is a shorter drive than Cataviña is and the desert vegetation is more spectacular (tallest boojum trees)... plus the amazing
view of the bay and all the islands! |
From the junction it is 41 miles to LABay and 64 miles to Catavina
In the broad scope of "The Baja" 23 miles is hardly a ripple
And the cirio/boojum array in Catavina is best in the world
All the flora and granite in Catavina is world class
I agree LABay is worth the detour, just meeting Bety is worth the drive
But Catavina is just head and shoulders above the rest of the desert.
Of course, if the obsession is seeing blue water, than LAB is good
But the beaches are bleah and the town is also pretty bleah.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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It is more of a boojum obsession with me! The L.A. Bay road and the San Borja side trip are off the charts for boojum beauty!
Cataviña has the boulders, and that makes it an impressive place!
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Cancamo
Nomad
Posts: 345
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Rental car insurance usually does not cover damage when driven off the pavement. Read the fine print.
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bajarich
Nomad
Posts: 464
Registered: 1-13-2005
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Stay off loose sand unless you have a way of extricating yourself. I have helped push or pull a lot of rental cars out of the sand. You need to be
able to air your tires down and re-inflate them.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3687
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Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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It also voids if you have a cerveza
Take "The Road Less Traveled" and enjoy
You will be just fine
Note, several of us mentioned sand
You will generally encounter it only close to the beach and in sandy washes
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Good evening CiriosGirl-
Please let us know if these answers are helpful, or if you are seeking different/additional information.
\"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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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Your biggest danger is contracting the virus on the flight to Loreto. Or back.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17430
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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#1 risk: covid.
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
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Lengua
Nomad
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Registered: 9-13-2011
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Be Prepared , Sat phone ,Garmin In reach device and if by chance you need to defend yourself - bring what you need...
FYI , Highly unlikely you'll have any issues......
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5860
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Six days since posting, and 33 replies so far, but the original poster appears to be a "one and done" newbie!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Mother of Dragons
Nomad
Posts: 313
Registered: 4-30-2019
Location: California
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Mood: Waiting
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I have driven solo several times through different parts of Baja and I’m a woman and have never been worried or had any run ins.
Just use common sense and you may run into another solo female/ or people along the way and caravan with them between towns.
U2U me if you have any questions on driving alone as a woman.
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eguillermo
Nomad
Posts: 113
Registered: 10-10-2008
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Carrying bear mace
I've had a can of bear mace stowed deep in a box on every one of ten or so trips down as far as Insurgentes.
Common sense suggested that if the checkpoint guys found it, I'd have to give it up/pay a fine. My prepared statement was "It's for lobos or coyotes
that come into camp." Which actually does happen in some of the places I camp.
In reality, I bring it inside the tent when I'm remote and alone. My brightest light and a blast of that would be first means of defense in a bad
situation. After that, the best I got is aluminum fly rod cases to swing 
All that said, in my ten or so trips I've camped out alone on dirt roads or islands in the Cortez for what is easily over 100 nights and have not had
the slightest issue.
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9375
Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by Lengua | Be Prepared , Sat phone ,Garmin In reach device and if by chance you need to defend yourself - bring what you need...
FYI , Highly unlikely you'll have any issues...... |
I've traveled with a sat phone, and have an InReach Mini.
We only do this because we go out in the middle of nowhere, with no one around. Especially, when we go on long, multi-day trips on the boat we take a
sat phone.
I don't think someone sticking close to the highway needs either.
Don't bring weapons.
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3463
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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Naive. Out of touch. Lulled into a false sense of security.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17430
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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What weapon are you carrying?
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
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CiriosGal
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: 11-8-2020
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I'm a little overwhelmed by the amount of activity here. What a cool forum! Especially glad for those of you who shared candid travel advice, photos
and names of folks who I might reach out to.
Not a one and done newbie 😝
Should I decide for certain to make the trip, it will not be for another 4 ½ months. Hopefully there will be fewer daily covid cases than we're
seeing nowadays. I'm going to wait a few more weeks before booking so I can let the cost and idea of soloing sink in a little more.
I've ordered "Hiking Loreto"... Also spent some time studying Google Earth. Sounds like travel in Baja is no more dangerous than driving/ camping
alone in *middle of nowhere* Arizona, Nevada or Utah.
Also, I'm good with the driving risks.. I've driven a lot of roads for work and play here in the states. 2wd, SUVs and 4x4s on sand, large rocks,
bedrock, sidewall hazards. A few good memories of getting stuck (or tearing off the muffler in a civic 🤭)..My biggest fear is encountering a group
of people out in the desert who either don't want a tourist around or didn't want to be found.
You can find a catalogue of some of my past travels here: www.flickr.com/photos/walksonrocks/albums
.
[Edited on 11-15-2020 by CiriosGal]
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BajaNomad
Super Administrator
Posts: 4980
Registered: 8-1-2002
Location: San Diego, CA
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Mood: INTP-A
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Firstly, guns - and as noted, knives, bear mace, etc - are illegal. She said she's flying in too Lee. Even if you're driving, you risk jail time
if/when caught.
Not good luggage for a plane, but baseball bats and machetes (viewed as farm equipment) have been mentioned by members here in the past as something
they bring for road trips.
YMMV
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting:
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