Sorry all.. I wanted to post this sooner... but life gets hectic.
My father-in-law and I took a trip to San Juanico to do some maintenance on our property, deliver a quad to a friend, and enjoy some Baja time.
We left San Diego on Dec 26. Crossed at Mexicali West at around 10AM. FMM process was super simple. They take credit card now.. that's new since
June 2025. We only needed the 7 day free version.. which went fine.. unlike previous trips where I was told "lo siento.. necisito pagar"...
No problems with inspections or paperwork at the border, other than the standard registration check for trailer and off-road vehicles. But it was
extremely cursory. The road to San Felipe was great, no issues. El Chinero checkpoint.. no issues. Fueled up before we left town (I think it's a
Chevron now?). MEX-5 was good heading south, except for the guy who missed the big curve in the road. Not sure he was OK? Bummer. Stopped at Rancho
Grande in Gonzaga. Restaurante was closed -- bummer -- so we just got some snacks from the cooler, and kept going. HUGE pothole, across the entire
road LITERALLY just past the entrance to Nuevo Coco's. Then a detour off the road for .5KM where they are rebuilding a bridge. And a few boulders
near the road just past that.. but as always, a nice quick trip over to MEX-1.
Headed south. No issues, the military checkpoint before Jesus Maria was easy. Everyone was very friendly. "Adelante", and on our way. just before
Villa Jesus Maria, there's a ~1KM detour off the road.. rebuilding a bridge and a lot of road area. The detour is in good condition, though.
We literally got the last available room at Terra Sal. Oddly busy, IMO.. but happy to get there. As always, clean, affordable room. Good food/drink
at the restaurante there. Easy trailer parking in the back of the property. Definitely my go-to in Guerro Negro.
The next morning, on the road. San Ignacio checkpoint was also super simple. No concerns. Friendly people. The "long way" around, was pretty
simple. A few potholes and things to avoid just south of Loreto. Cheap, decent tamales at the Ley Express in Insurgentes held us over for the drive
back up to San Juanico.
San Juanico is San Juanico. It's our home away from home. Work on the property, work on the UTV, some fun exploring, some great time with our local
friends. A fresh dinner of camarones from my fisherman friend was amazing. Waves were non-existent. Being there for nuevo año was fun. At 8AM, the
party was still going strong. Lots of locals in cowboy hats cheered me on as I drove past them at 2nd point on my way into town to find my friends.
Getting ready to leave and head back state-side is always a bummer. We stayed at Terra Sal again. Our waiter friend was fantastic, as always.
The drive home was basically un-eventful. Every checkpoint asked us where we were coming from. "Oh, San Juanico.. vacaciones?? buenas olas???" Then
a quick stop in Gonzaga to see some friends... the rest of the trip was easy peasy. Even though I was transporting what might have been considered
"questionable" items (they weren't)... we had no issues at any military checkpoint, or at the border... We did stop at Hotel el Parador at the BDLA
turnoff for breakfast. Good huevos rancheros.. limited menu, but a nice option to have. Rooms looked great. I'd totally stay there on a trip down if
the timing worked out.
The north-bound border crossing at Mexicali West, on a Saturday evening, was BRUTAL. 2 hours, 40 minutes... But not because of anything except slow
processing. I'm thankful for audible audio books.
After I got home, I was asked multiple times about how we were treated as americans, with the ongoing tensions, etc...
I think I'll say that this was one of the least stressful, easiest, friendliest trips that I've had in a while. As always.. be respectful.. watch the
road... don't drive at night, etc.
One of the best things of the trip, which is NOT necessarily baja related.. was spending quality time with the father-in-law, and getting some old
stories, some memories, some new details about a great 77-year-old life, lived to the fullest.
[Edited on 1-18-2026 by aburruss]BornFisher - 1-18-2026 at 01:24 PM
WTG guys, sounds like a great trip with good times and no issues. Great write-up too!!Ateo - 1-18-2026 at 03:07 PM
Thank you for taking the time to post. Sounds like a fun trip. Thanks for sharing, brother.bill erhardt - 1-18-2026 at 03:47 PM
Great trip report! I usually make the trip north to Amerika once a year for a month or so. For the past few years I've crossed at San Louis rather
than Mexicali. I find it much easier and have never had a delay as long as yours. I'm heading east or coming from the east, but even if I were going
to/from San Diego I would drive a few more miles for the easier crossing than at Mexicali or crossings farther west.aburruss - 1-18-2026 at 04:41 PM
Last time I crossed at Mexicali East, I only had one car in front of me. I think this long line was due to the fact that it was on a weekend at the
tail end of the Christmas/New Years break, and probably a lot of people heading back north for work. *shrug*David K - 1-19-2026 at 12:01 PM
Thank you!
How did you get to San Juanico from San Ignacio (which road)? How was that route? Where does the pavement end now, if you went via the Lagoon road?Ateo - 1-19-2026 at 09:17 PM
David, Sounds like he went the long way.mtgoat666 - 1-19-2026 at 09:34 PM
Thank you!
How did you get to San Juanico from San Ignacio (which road)? How was that route? Where does the pavement end now, if you went via the Lagoon road?
Dk,
Pavement end point on lagoon road has not changed for several years…David K - 1-21-2026 at 11:43 AM
Goat, I read that it now extended to the lagoon but wanted to confirm.
Ateo, maybe but I wanted clarity.
😊 AKgringo - 1-21-2026 at 01:59 PM
Not all Nomads think that more pavement is better. The un-paved parts of Baja are what make me want to explore more!aburruss - 1-21-2026 at 07:09 PM
I did go the “long way”. With a trailer it’s the better route. Last time I took a trailer on the north road, I lost two tires, and it ended up
taking me longer than actually setting cruise control and going the “long” way. And my camping BBQ got destroyed!! Last summer the road was
miserable. I don’t think it’s been graded or anything since. As much as I love the north road and that way in, it’s Well worth it to save the
damage to my gear and go around. And honestly, the drive between mulege and Loreto is far from the worst scenery in Baja. David K - 2-26-2026 at 11:51 AM
Thanks for that! A paved highway from San Ignacio south to Cd. Insurgentes (to Mex. 1) was proposed way back in the 70s...
Alas, businesses in Santa Rosalia, Mulegé, and Loreto had a fit at losing income from truckers and travelers to La Paz that would naturally take the
shorter and no-steep-grades route.
Jump ahead 50 years and just the San Ignacio Lagoon to San Juanico 66-mile gap remains unpaved, of the 195 miles from San Ignacio to Insurgentes.
