Pacific coast

You may get some ideas from my web page when we went there in July after the El Rosario festival, 2007. I did make a road log. We went via Santa Catarina Landing... and I would suggest 4WD if you did as well. However, going direct to Canoas is probably a better road. I logged the place were we left the Canoas road and then rejoined it. There are some silt beds... before Canoas I recall... and 4WD would be nice... avoid if there was rain.

http://vivabaja.com/707

Part of the log, Hwy. 1 to Canoas via Santa Catarina Landing:

Total (and partial) mileage shown from my Tacoma odometer. AAA map mileages for the same section of road were the same or very close to mine.

0.0 (0.0) Take the signed right turnoff to 'Santa Catarina (32 km)' 46.9 miles from El Rosario's Pemex. The road is between Km. 132 and 133. Just ahead (on Hwy. 1) is the road left to Guayaquil.

This is a good, fast graded road for the first 30 or so miles and it is fun to drive through beautiful cactus gardens.

7.2 (7.2) Road in from left to San Agustin along the old route from El Marmol... where onyx blocks were trucked to the Pacific at Santa Catarina Landing to be shipped north.

19.2 (12.0) pass through tree shaded Rancho Santa Catarina.

21.1 (1.9) Fork, left to Punta Canoas and right for Santa Catarina Landing... we go right. The road climbs to the the top of a ridge and then drops down to the coastal plain. The original road used to haul onyx over can be seen to the north.

36.3 (15.2) Fork, we first take right fork and it goes 3.4 miles to fish camp 'Punta Blu'... dead end, so back to this fork and take left branch.

37.3 (1.0) Road left is the route south... ahead goes 1.0 mile to Santa
Catarina fish camp, on the beach.

38.1 (0.8) Turn left and head away from coast.

47.3 (9.2) Come to the Punta Canoas road which forked at Mile 21.1 above. Turn right.

51.3 (4.0) Road to left... we continued straight.

52.3 (1.0) Road to left... we continued straight.

55.2 (2.9) Junction... Ahead goes 1.1 miles to high, look out/ view point, above Punta Canoas... To continue south, turn left.

58.5 (3.3) Join with road heading south (probably coming from the roads that turned left at Mile 51.3 and 52.3).

62.0 (3.5) Puerto Canoas Fish Camp.







[Edited on 2-27-2009 by David K]

Map close up

I don't think too many people go this route unless they really want to explore....for surfing it would be much better to drive up from the south and hit the usual spots.....

Yah... it is cold, gloomy, lonely area! Commercial fishermen mostly at a couple places.

From the south, as Jim says... a paved highway (24 miles south of the L.A. Bay jcn.) goes to Santa Rosalillita harbor. Just a mile before town, a good graded dirt highway goes way north passing Alejandro's Surf Camp (Puerto San Andres), and on north past Playa el Marron, Punta Lobos, Punta el Diablo, Punta Maria, Punta Cono... and a graded road bed that was not completed in '07 followed the coast to Punta Blanco... 2WD easy to Maria or Cono in '07. However, you could drive 10 feet off the graded road and get stuck!

Remember to bring a tire pump (electric) and deflate your tires if you get stuck...

New dirt highway route north of Santa Rosalillita highway highlighted...




[Edited on 2-28-2009 by David K]