BajaNomad

San Felipe,Gonzaga,Alfonsina

BAJACAT - 3-6-2007 at 08:39 PM

Planning a 5 day trip in late May, looking for input on weather and campsites.


Here are some of the places I will try to visit.

Valle de Gigantes(valley of the Giants)
Puertesitos Hotsprings
Matomi Canyon
Playa Cristina
Gonzaga Bay(#1 choise).
Alfonsina (#2 choise).
And how can I forget COCO'S Korner....:cool::cool:

larry - 3-6-2007 at 08:58 PM

The entrance to Valle de Gigantes was locked when I was there in December---don't know if it was for the day, week, month or longer.

I camped at Campo Beluga in Gonzaga Bay for the second year in a row---it is a beautiful, well kept campground. The price was raised to $15 per night this time.

Dinner at Alfonsinas was the best.

David K - 3-6-2007 at 09:12 PM

If you don't need services and love the beach, then Shell Island (Km. 26) is heaven on earth! http://vivabaja.com/618 (just one of my trips there) plus the drive up Matomi is also shown.

Camping at Nuevo Mazatlan is very nice... see photos http://vivabaja.com/nm and my last time there: http://vivabaja.com/806

Campo Beluga is very nice for Gonzaga Bay... a couple miles south of Alfonsina's.

[Edited on 3-7-2007 by David K]

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Bajaboy - 3-6-2007 at 10:15 PM

I recommend Papa Fernandez' place in Gonzaga...private, protected, and only $5...if you want a good meal, head over the hill for some great food and a priceless view.

Zac

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baja829 - 3-7-2007 at 01:31 PM

Valle de Gigantes is open! Enjoy

Valle de Gigantes

BAJACAT - 3-7-2007 at 09:29 PM

What do you guys mean by that Closed (now open) does somebody owns VDG?


Ps thanks guys for all the sugestion.DK how hard is to find the entrance to Matomi and how hard it is to reach the waterfalls?

bajalou - 3-7-2007 at 10:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BAJACAT
What do you guys mean by that Closed (now open) does somebody owns VDG?


Ps thanks guys for all the sugestion.DK how hard is to find the entrance to Matomi and how hard it is to reach the waterfalls?


VDG is privately owned.

u2u me before you come down and maybe I can point you to some stuff around San Felipe (incl Matomi). I plan to be here all of May and June.

David K - 3-7-2007 at 11:01 PM

If you have a GPS, no problem at all! The road up Matomi leaves Hwy. 5 about 45 mi. south of San Felipe/ 10 mi. north of Puertecitos... just south of the signed road to Campo Los Olivos. Then it is 32 miles up to the rancho...

Go here: http://vivabaja.com/618/page4.html














Back in time: Aug. 1979... that's me jumping into the oasis!



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MICK - 3-8-2007 at 07:18 AM

The turn off to Matomi can be a little hard if they just cleaned the road Last time I was there I couldn't find the entrance ( didn't trust My gps) it is the dip just before a house with a water truck. if you come to that house's driveway you went to far. The gps david has is right on Have fun When you go let me know if I'm at my casa Stop by for a cold one.
Mick

David K - 3-8-2007 at 09:40 AM

ARROYO MATOMI 30°29.42', 114°39.99' (NAD27 Mexico)...

Just south of Los Olivos road and north of the place Mick mentioned... The first photo in my last reply is taken right off Mex. 5.

Thanks 4 the offer MIck

BAJACAT - 3-8-2007 at 10:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by MICK
The turn off to Matomi can be a little hard if they just cleaned the road Last time I was there I couldn't find the entrance ( didn't trust My gps) it is the dip just before a house with a water truck. if you come to that house's driveway you went to far. The gps david has is right on Have fun When you go let me know if I'm at my casa Stop by for a cold one.
Mick
Hey Mick hav you gone back to palomar canyon.?

Thanks BAJALOU

BAJACAT - 3-8-2007 at 10:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajalou
Quote:
Originally posted by BAJACAT
What do you guys mean by that Closed (now open) does somebody owns VDG?


Ps thanks guys for all the sugestion.DK how hard is to find the entrance to Matomi and how hard it is to reach the waterfalls?


VDG is privately owned.

u2u me before you come down and maybe I can point you to some stuff around San Felipe (incl Matomi). I plan to be here all of May and June.
I will do that BajaLou I need all the help I can get I only know San Felipe and thats it.

[Edited on 3-9-2007 by BAJACAT]

BAJACAT - 3-8-2007 at 10:42 PM

David from where you leave H5 to reach matomi,How long will take me, remember I will driving a full size truck,I hoppe it would not be a problem..

David K - 3-9-2007 at 12:19 AM

Allow a couple hours +... it is deep arroyo sand in the lower part and big rocks the last 5 miles... If you look at the map you can see 2 other ways in:

From San Felipe area ('Colonia Morelia' road leaves Hwy. 5 at the El Dorado storage yard, signed... this replaced the road that turns west at the big Rockadile sign a ways north).

From a couple miles south of the sulfur mine via Caņada el Parral (SCORE calls it Azufre Wash).

Better to drive in from the north and exit down the arroyo... all downhill that way!

Letting some air out of your tires will help.

bajalou - 3-9-2007 at 07:09 AM

I agree with David about entering from the north and west nearer the ranch as it's a long hard pull up the soft sand/gravel.

I put this together which shows some of the roads and canyons and other points of interest in the San Felipe area

http://www.communitywalk.com/map/50099

Closing the "Legends" drop down shows more area at a time.

Some of the names of places/roads are in common use, others are just names I gave them.

[Edited on 3-9-2007 by bajalou]

Ken Cooke - 3-9-2007 at 10:14 PM

Please, don't forget Coco's Corner!!


How can I forget.

BAJACAT - 3-9-2007 at 11:38 PM

Coco is Baja legend,visiting him is in my TO-DO list.Right now Im debating wich way to go.Maybe drive H 1 to Laguna chapala and then work from there my way up,or go down H5 to SF and go down and come back via H1?. I will be taking new people(again)to Baja and want to make it easy on them.We will be taking to full size trucks(2000 silverado 4wd2004 dodge ram 4wd)

[Edited on 3-10-2007 by BAJACAT]

Coco is cool!

David K - 3-9-2007 at 11:55 PM



[Edited on 3-10-2007 by David K]

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Ken Cooke - 3-10-2007 at 12:20 AM

BajaCat,

Do you have a tour operators license? :lol:

I would take them down Hwy 1 and then swing back north and stop for photographs, dips in the water, and more photographs. That is the stuff memories are made of... Wish I was going...
Quote:
Originally posted by BAJACAT
I will be taking new people(again)to Baja and want to make it easy on them.We will be taking to full size trucks(2000 silverado 4wd2004 dodge ram 4wd)

[Edited on 3-10-2007 by BAJACAT]

BAJACAT - 3-13-2007 at 07:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Cooke
BajaCat,

Do you have a tour operators license? :lol:

I would take them down Hwy 1 and then swing back north and stop for photographs, dips in the water, and more photographs. That is the stuff memories are made of... Wish I was going...

Quote:
Originally posted by BAJACAT
I will be taking new people(again)to Baja and want to make it easy on them.We will be taking to full size trucks(2000 silverado 4wd2004 dodge ram 4wd)

[Edited on 3-10-2007 by BAJACAT]
Thanks for the advise Ken That was my first choise,and about the tour operator permit I do not have one:lol::lol:But I do have a heavy equipment operator card, they wouldn"T know the difference..:?::lol::?: