Baja 5-25: Missions & More. PART 6 (San Francisquito)

Report continued from Part 5: https://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=101820



We have an easy drive from El Mármol back to Mex 1 and turn south towards Cataviña and Laguna Chapala, making a small detour to Rancho Santa Ynez.

The area is all very desolate, with no traffic, and a bit sad. Nothing new to report at Cataviña, and still no Pemex station other than the couple of independent vendors that sell gas from cans filled in El Rosario. At Santa Ynez, the gate to pass for Mission Santa María was closed. If needed, an alternative is to simply drive in the arroyo to where the road from that gate joins in.

Dave and I were pretty worn out from the hiking at San Fernando, El Mármol, and El Volcán... and we just wanted to press on, see more stuff, but get to Dave's beach casa closer to San Felipe. We turn onto Mex 5 for the northbound leg of the trip.



We go the 22 kms (14 mi) to the new Coco's Corner, which is at historic Las Arrastras (gold grinding mills, in the arroyo just south of Coco's). Coco passed away in 2022, just over a year after moving his home & business to this spot. His assistant continues the business, selling beer and sodas. Read more about Las Arrastras, here: https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/las_arra...


Coco's Corner, km 179.5

Las Arrastras, see round mill, bottom of above photo]/b]


SAN FRANCISQUITO, west of Km. 179

On May 4, 1769, Padre Junípero Serra said mass at the deserted church at Calamajué, sent letters that required his attention back to Mission San Borja, and traveled to San Francisco. Serra said the mail 'went a little after midday' (meaning he traveled that afternoon) to his next camp. On May 5, he left early and traveled the 'most tortuous road' to Mission Santa María, arriving at half-past eight. Considering the distance and terrain, he must have left well before sunrise!

The entire Serra diary (English and Spanish): https://californiamissionsfoundation.org/writings-of-juniper... (the above quotes are on page 57 of the first volume)

Over time, the name of this spring was modified to San Francisquito as we can see on old maps, back to the 1880s. https://vivabaja.com/maps/

Howard Gulick (Lower California Guidebook author) included it on his maps and placed it just north of Las Arrastras. This waterhole was so important, the name was applied to the arroyo (modern topos renamed Las Arrastras); the bay it empties into (usually called 'Gonzaga', which is actually just the smaller harbor, north of Alfonsina's); Molino de Lacy (which was originally Molino San Francisquito); the Pioneer Mine (Mina San Francisquito); and the landing at today's Punta Final Resort (orig. Puerto de San Francisquito). San Francisquito was so major, but in modern times, all but forgotten.


The Gulick, Lower California Guidebook's 1958 map

Now, where the water surfaces moves about, due to flash floods that move the sand and more recently, the construction of Mexico Highway 5, which exposed the water table by the nearby bridge (~Km. 178). The CaminoRealBaja.com team even included a photo of that pool as being the semi-destroyed spring. Fortunately, Howard Gulick took photos during a 1959 trip with his associates at the natural pool that was Pozo de San Francisquito (at least where it was in 1959).

Dave and I pulled off the highway just south of said bridge and walked down into the arroyo sand, armed with the Gulick photos to try and match where they were taken. We saw the distant hills in the photos and knew we were near, and I finally found a water hole.


29° 33.135'N, 114° 20.643'W

It was a bit south of where the old photos showed, but I was happy! However, Dave was determined to find the same rocks as seen in the 66 year old photos. I was so worn out, I sat and let Dave explore... and he found it, EUREKA! 29° 33.154'N, 114° 20.680'W

New trees and brush made recreating the exact photo spot impossible but there was no mistake, Dave found where Howard Gulick took the photos, where the pool of water was in 1959.

1959

2025
29° 33.154'N, 114° 20.680'W

2025

Compared to the 1959 photo, the elephant tree in the middle is new.

Mex 5 is on the other side of the boulders. The waterhole today is to the right (south) and the 1959 photo spot is just to the left.

This was on the west bank of the arroyo, near San Francisquito.

Next stop, Gonzaga Bay!



Trip Report continues with Part 7: https://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=101853



[Edited on 5-19-2025 by David K]

Satellite Views

Overall area of San Francisquito:


A bit closer of where the water is surfacing, past and present:


A friend made this on Facebook. The other water source, on the left, is where water was in an earlier image:

The 1959 photo location is by the boulders, midway between the red arrows.

Two more 1959 photos by Howard Gulick:

Junípero Serra, on the overland expedition from Loreto to San Diego, arrived at the water of San Francisquito on May 4, 1769. Here is that place mentioned (as San Francisco), midway between Calamajué and the Santa María mission.

Quote: Originally posted by Pablito1

David Thanks for the Las Arrastras article. You explained a lot to me about the area and a lot about the Grosso family. Back in the 1980s Papa Fernandez told me that Arturo Grosso was the person that constructed the road to San Felipe. Also I had no idea that Mama Espinoza was of the Grosso family. Anyway thanks.

Quote: Originally posted by surfhat

Every time I pass south through Catavina, I always find it refreshingly life enhancing and make a point to stop and walk around to breathe in that pure as it comes desert air. Staying a night for the first time in fifty years at the Hotel Santa Maria a couple of years ago will have me returning, as sure as I do at their sister hotel in San Quintin on their sand dollar beach every year. I will make a point next time to take a mile hike to a cave painting site out the back. I stopped by in early March for a bathroom break and found the wind was howling like a muther and kept going to their sister hotel in the San Quintin Valle. Next time! I have never found the Valle de Cirios sad in any way. I hope it remains as incomparable as it has always been for me. Spending a night a mile off the road camping among the house sized boulders has been the quietest spot I have ever experienced. Hearing my own blood cursing through my veins was a first for this ocean lover who has always parked by the waves. I was completely, or mostly, haha, sober that night as the campfire flames reflected off the boulders. What a show! Peace love and fish tacos. Now back to the topic.