BajaNomad

Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort?

Packoderm - 3-27-2007 at 06:27 PM

I clicked on one of the advertising links and found this hotel's site:
http://www.hotelbuenavista.com/HBV/HotelOverview.htm

It is 35 miles north of the Los Cabos airport. It costs $160.00 for two with meals included - $105.00 w/o meals. It looks nice on the website. Does anybody know about this place? Is the food OK? AC? Etc?

Crusoe - 3-27-2007 at 06:57 PM

Packoderm......Youve hit the the jackpot....If you want a nice and real old Baja expierience you will not be dissapointed in any way. A very nice setting, with a great view of The Sea of Cortes and what is right now one of the finest older trafiitional Mexican classic bars with great drinks, and a great restaurant. And an honest to god.... very square deal. Ther is no comparrison. Go for it!!:yes:

David K - 3-27-2007 at 07:06 PM

'Rancho Buena Vista' is one of the original fishing/ fly in resorts from the 50's... Near by was the Palmas de Cortez resort... In 1966, we stayed at both. This photo is of one of them...

[Edited on 3-28-2007 by David K]

66-67 pics 001.jpg - 37kB

David K - 3-27-2007 at 07:07 PM

Another pic of one of the two Los Barriles area resorts...

66-67 pics 002.jpg - 26kB

Ken Bondy - 3-27-2007 at 08:04 PM

This may be a dumb question (I have many) but is the Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort the same as Rancho Buena Vista? I was under the impression that the classic, original resort owned by the Walters was Rancho Buena Vista. Both places have websites, with different urls. The Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort website that Packoderm links to says that they are celebrating their 30th year of operation. I was at Rancho Buena Vista for the first time in 1967, 40 years ago. Can anyone clear this up? ++Ken++

k1w1 - 3-27-2007 at 08:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
This may be a dumb question (I have many) but is the Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort the same as Rancho Buena Vista? +


nope, differente.
Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort was previously known as Spa Buena Vista Hotel.
Both serve great margi's in great settings.
(Does it get any better than this Los Barriles and surrounding pueblos (sp)) ???

Ken Bondy - 3-27-2007 at 08:25 PM

Thanks k1w1, that clears it up. I do remember the Spa Buena Vista Beach Resort, didn't catch the name change. Gracias, ++Ken++

Crusoe - 3-27-2007 at 08:27 PM

Ken.....As allways, you can never believe all that your read or see. There has been alot of development in the Los Barriles area recently. There has been never ever anything labled as a dumb question. We all should know. I think ,( but do not know for sure) that the Rancho Bueno Vista and the old hotel and airport is the same place you remember.It just could be that the Rancho Buena Vista Beach Resort could be a different entity entirely. I have never heard it advertised as a beach resort. Actually---- there is not much of a beach there.Just a very nice old Baja hotel. They dont come any nicer.

Baja Bernie - 3-27-2007 at 08:32 PM

This is so damn funny...........I went to buy a new car today and found the owner of the lot was a Baja nut and had a house in Bueno Vista,,,got to talking and he knew Booby Van Warmer who ownes most of the stuff around here.............His Wife Chacha is said to be the most wealthy lady in Baja...I do believe that because Booby wanted me to write hs story ....didn't work out...but I did learn a ton about one of the original Baja guys.
Yes, Ken they are very close to being the same.

David K - 3-27-2007 at 09:59 PM

Okay, seems once again the lack of unique names in the Spanish language makes it confusing for us gringos!

The place I refered to and posted photos of was 'Rancho Buena Vista'... 'Buena Vista Beach Resort' is not the same, just real close by, I guess! Thanks k1w1...

Now, how many hot spring places in Mexico go by the name 'Agua Caliente'?!!!:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

jerry - 3-27-2007 at 10:18 PM

and punta colorado?? now?? in 1990 i stayed there was said to be owned by Boby Van Warmer also

jerry - 3-27-2007 at 10:21 PM

in 1990 there was a Spa Buena Vista then

BajaWarrior - 3-27-2007 at 10:46 PM

Which Buena Vista is next to Martin Verdugo's Trailer park?

1962 Map

David K - 3-27-2007 at 10:51 PM

Note almost no pavement south of La Paz...

LCG Map 15-r.JPG - 48kB

Lower California Guidebook Pg. 178 edited

David K - 3-27-2007 at 11:02 PM



Copy of LCG page 178-9-r.JPG - 38kB

Lower California Guidebook Pg. 179 edited

David K - 3-27-2007 at 11:03 PM



Copy of Copy of LCG page 178-9-r.JPG - 35kB

capt. mike - 3-28-2007 at 06:09 AM

ha! i remember when both "buena vistas", the spa/hotel and the rancho had dirt strips adjacent for their fly in guests. Of Course most of the east cape resorts had their own strips back then before the guvmints, both US and Mex decided to ruin our fun - not to mention a few chubascos doing expensive damage. Now they all depend on the los cabos jet port to bring them their fishing biz. how sad that is.
Punta colorado yes is owned by the Van Wormers, have had very good times there and at palmas de cortez their flagship property. a wreck between a plane and a truck on the shared road/airstrip that fronted the palmas finally became the death knell for that strip and Van Wormer closed it to flyers and had them all land at colorado. I got to land there the last time in 1990 and poof - it was later never to be!!

LaRibereņa - 3-28-2007 at 01:13 PM

From the north in Los Barriles: Verdugo's, Playa del Sol (Van Wormer), Palmas de Cortez (Van Wormer), Rancho Buena Vista (the old Walters place), Buena Vista Beach Resort (the old Spa Buena Vista), and further south of La Ribera, Punta Colorada (Van Wormer). Palmas has gotten ritzy, Rancho Buena Vista is looking tired, Playa del Sol is pretty much a windsurfing place, Punta Colorada is still as funky as ever and my favorite.

David K - 3-28-2007 at 03:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by LaRibereņa
From the north in Los Barriles: Verdugo's, Playa del Sol (Van Wormer), Palmas de Cortez (Van Wormer), Rancho Buena Vista (the old Walters place), Buena Vista Beach Resort (the old Spa Buena Vista), and further south of La Ribera, Punta Colorada (Van Wormer). Palmas has gotten ritzy, Rancho Buena Vista is looking tired, Playa del Sol is pretty much a windsurfing place, Punta Colorada is still as funky as ever and my favorite.


THANK YOU!!!

boracho?? (sp)

k1w1 - 3-28-2007 at 03:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Crusoe
Ken.....As allways, you can never believe all that your read or see. There has been alot of development in the Los Barriles area recently. There has been never ever anything labled as a dumb question. We all should know. I think ,( but do not know for sure) that the Rancho Bueno Vista and the old hotel and airport is the same place you remember.It just could be that the Rancho Buena Vista Beach Resort could be a different entity entirely. I have never heard it advertised as a beach resort. Actually---- there is not much of a beach there.Just a very nice old Baja hotel. They dont come any nicer.


tehe me thinx you should lay off the sauce before posting haha (kiddin')

Ken Bondy - 3-28-2007 at 04:13 PM

My ratpack at Rancho Buena Vista in 1975. That's me right behind the sail when I was a pup.



While I was rooting around for that picture I found another one from Casa Diaz in Bahia, also taken in 1975. That's my Bonanza N4338W parked in front. Actually it was a Sky Roamers flying club airplane, so only about 1/1000 of it was mine :)

Packoderm - 3-28-2007 at 04:33 PM

It sure looks loney at Casa Diaz back then. I wish I could have visited it back then.

Ken Bondy - 3-28-2007 at 04:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Packoderm
It sure looks loney at Casa Diaz back then. I wish I could have visited it back then.


It was sure different. The runway was the main road, it ran right into Casa Diaz, where you parked right in front of your room.

Packoderm - 3-28-2007 at 04:44 PM

Maybe someday we'll look back at Gonzaga like that. "I remember way back in 2007..."

capt. mike - 3-29-2007 at 06:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Quote:
Originally posted by Packoderm
It sure looks loney at Casa Diaz back then. I wish I could have visited it back then.


It was sure different. The runway was the main road, it ran right into Casa Diaz, where you parked right in front of your room.


Hey Ken - did you ever run into Larry Hahn when you were air puttin' around baja - he was a frequent flyer into Diaz place going back to the 50s in a 140 and still goes there today in his Aztec, among other spots. Flying Adventures mag, Michael Higgins pub., did a great story on baja flyin' and Larry this month! check it out, they went everywhere and did a lot of dirt!

Diver - 3-29-2007 at 07:00 AM

Larry Hahn is my hero !!
Got all his articles in Fine Homebuilding.

Ken Bondy - 3-29-2007 at 07:29 AM

mike I don't remember the name Larry Hahn but I will go back through my logs and notes and see if I ever ran into him. Will check out the Flying Adventures article, thanks. ++Ken++

Larry Hahn==Mr. Taco Bell

Baja Bernie - 3-29-2007 at 07:32 AM

Captain Mike would that car truck vs plane thing you were talking about be the one Don Jimmy Smith ended up in jail over because he moved the plane before the Feds got there to investigate...........Bobby Van...........told me a story about getting Jimmy out of jail but only if he did certain things in return. Could one of those things be closing the strip?

Larry Hahn in 2002

David K - 3-29-2007 at 07:35 AM

Larry Hahn and Graham Mackintosh at my Viva Baja #3 party in Oceanside. More photos at http://vivabaja/vivabaja3



Larry Hahn and Graham Mackintosh.
Larry flew all the way from El Paso to Oceanside for Viva Baja-3.
That makes Larry the distance champion! See his web site, http://www.bajadreams.com/.

msrla - 3-29-2007 at 12:52 PM

Packoderm, if you end up going to Spa Buena Vista, let us know how you like it!

Packoderm - 3-29-2007 at 01:35 PM

I can presently go to Baja only during winter break. Maybe this time we'll try to go all the way to CSL. I like to splurge for 2 days on an All Inclusive. My 7 year old son (damn the time goes by quickly) will definitely want a pool, or better yet - pools. I think I would enjoy the Buena Vista more, but I have to think about my son. He'll want something splashy with lots of kids. If I have a good summer, I'll try to do both unless somebody knows if there are a bunch of kids at Buena Vista, but I doubt that is the case. Oh shucks, I forgot about my dog. We'll only be doing camping - No CSL. Oh well. It would definitely be my choice for a 4 day fly-in vacation though.

capt. mike - 3-30-2007 at 06:13 AM

Bernie - there were a bunch of accidents at palmas over the years, the last one whichever that was caused the strip to be closed since it was becoming too much of a auto road anyway. Grave concern for mortal liability, if not tort - just for the residents or fly in guests.
am sure whatever the Don wrote was correct if not embellished a bit!

at any rate i made a landing in 1990 and the strip was closed within a year of that. The approach to final from the south, prevailing winds, was very interesting as you paralleled a low bluff off the left wing and keeping lined up with the TD zone, you came periously close to to scraping the ridge with your tip..........or so it seemed! probably a good idea it was closed given its marginal suitability except for 50s tailgraggers. but i am proud to have it in my log!:wow: