BajaNomad

Travel Time from San Carlos to San Felipe

Borregoman - 5-21-2009 at 11:26 AM

Hi,

My buddy lives in San Carlos and I was wondering how long it would take him to drive to my place in San Felipe. I heard the new road is complete north of Puerto Penasco, although I can't remember the name of it right now. Is it the El Golfo Road?

It should make a huge difference not having to go all the way to the states then over and down.

Thanks for any input.

capt. mike - 5-22-2009 at 06:13 AM

its called the caborca highway.
it will save some time but it runs E-W only south a ways of the border.

Hook - 5-23-2009 at 06:44 AM

I am the buddy Borregoman refers to.

I may try the El Golfo Road on my way back but right now my plan is to take Mex hwy 2 all the way to San Luis Rio Co. But from there, is it best to continue all the way to Mexicali? Or is the preferred way to take Sonora hwy 40 down to Coahuila and then Sonora hwy 4 over to Mex hwy 5 and down to the south campos?

I will be in an F350 with an ATV in the back. The wife will be with me so a horrible paved pothole experience is to be avoided, if possible.

Also wondering if anyone has recently taken Sonora hwy 37 from Puerto Penasco to Caborca and how that route is.

capt. mike - 5-23-2009 at 07:27 AM

Hook - do not.... repeat do not take the road from San Luis south to get to the main highway to san felipe- i did it on my harley several years ago - that road is HORRIBLE and full of potholes!
we had a devil of a time, had to ride slow, 2 up, to carefully miss them. made terrible time.
go to mexicali then south. that one is better, we used it coming back.

Oso - 5-23-2009 at 08:50 AM

The new road from Rocky Point to El Golfo is called "La Costera". It is very nice, wide and smooth. If you proceed north toward San Luis about halfway and take a left at Luis B.Sanchez, you can hook up with Mex 5 and save considerable time vs. going all the way through Mexicali. The last time I went that way it wasn't that bad. Just watch the intersection at Mex 5. You can't make a left to go south toward SF, you have to go right toward Mexicali a short way and then use a turnaround.

capt. mike - 5-23-2009 at 09:27 AM

oso or anyone -
we are researching some dirt called Punta Delfin about 30 miles west of Rocky Point by Santa Clara. 1200 FT beach front and 1100 AC.

i think the old Santa Clara dirt strip is close.
if anyone drives by it i'd like a picture (the landing strip) and would return in kind whatever for compensation. in the meantime i have posted on BBP and checking Senterfitt archives.

tigerdog - 5-23-2009 at 12:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
Hook - do not.... repeat do not take the road from San Luis south to get to the main highway to san felipe- i did it on my harley several years ago - that road is HORRIBLE and full of potholes!
we had a devil of a time, had to ride slow, 2 up, to carefully miss them. made terrible time.
go to mexicali then south. that one is better, we used it coming back.


LOL. Well, things haven't gotten better between San Luis and El Golfo. BUT the government is now in the process of fixing it. There's 69 miles of road there, so it will probably be awhile. See http://rptides.blogspot.com/2009/04/behind-wheel-in-rocky-po... for more information.

The 37 between Penasco and Caborca was in pretty decent shape last time I traveled it, a few months ago. The Governor has said they're going to widen and improve that road, too, but I don't know when it will start.

Hook - 5-23-2009 at 02:51 PM

Tigerdog, thanks for the info. Are you also Swede?

tigerdog - 5-24-2009 at 06:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hook
Tigerdog, thanks for the info. Are you also Swede?


1) You're welcome. 2) No, but Swede is a good friend and sometime-traveling-companion of mine and coincidentally we share Swedish ancestry. But in the interest of full disclosure: if you ever travel to the City Data forums you'll find me posting as Baja Boomer (a pen name I first picked up when writing for a local English language rag in Cabo, pre-Gringo Gazette days) and of course at Rocky Point Tides I'm La Huerita (shamelessly pimping my own blog).

I would have been more consistent with my handle, but in the years since I first registered here as tigerdog I've discovered there are other tigerdogs lurking around the Net infringing on my tigerdogness. I insist that I was the FIRST one ;D but what the heck... {{shrug}}

Hook - 5-24-2009 at 08:15 AM

I found a post written by a man/woman named Stirling who apparently writes for Rockypointweekly.com. He drove it in Jan of 09 and found much work going on. He averaged 35 mph on the 70 miles from El Golfo to San Luis. The shortcut to Mex 5 through Luis B. Sanchez is about 43 miles north of El Golfo and it apparently doesnt have the agricultural traffic that the stretch to San Luis does. So, I am cautiously optimistic that I can average a little better than that.

Since his article, there would have been another 5 months of construction. Who knows how much difference that might make? But I did find an official Sonoran Press release showing that the refinishing of the stretch from San Luis to El Golfo was begun in Oct 08 and was supposed to be completed in August of 09. It is also supposed to shave 11 miles off the old route.

Anyway, I am going to go for it, at least in one direction. I estimate that taking the coastal road will save me at least 90 miles over going through Sonoita and Mexicali. I will report back here on Nomads as well as the San Carlos websites, where Swede posted info very similar to yours.

Just went to your blog. Your calendar of events shows an offroad race/run to El Golfo from PP. Will this affect my times at all?

[Edited on 5-24-2009 by Hook]

k-rico - 5-24-2009 at 09:52 AM

I drove the San Carlos - Caborca - Puerto Penasco - El Golfo - San Luis R.C. route last week. It's a cruise, nice roads, little traffic, practically no 18 wheelers. There's construction north of El Golfo for about 5 miles and west of San Luis R.C. for a couple of miles.

Much better than going through Sonoita.

tigerdog - 5-24-2009 at 10:23 AM

Good info, Hook.

I doubt that the El Golfo Run will affect your times. The run is a pretty informal affair, usually with 15 to twenty off-road-capable vehicles of various types caravaning the distance. You can get a better idea by looking at last year's event here: http://abell.as.arizona.edu/~hill/4x4/elgolfo/

I look forward to your report!!!

[Edited on 5-24-2009 by tigerdog]

Hook - 5-24-2009 at 10:30 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
I drove the San Carlos - Caborca - Puerto Penasco - El Golfo - San Luis R.C. route last week. It's a cruise, nice roads, little traffic, practically no 18 wheelers. There's construction north of El Golfo for about 5 miles and west of San Luis R.C. for a couple of miles.

Much better than going through Sonoita.


ALL RIGHT, K-RICO!!!! THAT'S THE CURRENT INFO I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!!!!!.

MIL GRACIAS!!!

Hook - 5-30-2009 at 12:00 PM

Well, I took the route from Caborca all the way through to Luis B. Sanchez and then took Hwy 4 to Mex Hwy 5 and down to San Felipe TWICE last week. Once there and once back.

I would rate Hwy 37 (BTW the section from the turnoff to El Desemboque towards Puerto Penasco has been renamed Sonora 003) to Puerto Penasco as very good. The section I would rate as excellent is the recently completed new section of 003. This xlnt section starts about 8 miles south of the 003/Mex 8 junction and goes all the way into El Golfo de Santa Clara.

Past El Golfo, there is a dirt detour immediately outside of town where they are working on new pavement. That's only 1-2 miles. Farther towards San Luis R.C., there is a section of about 8 miles that is dirt detour while pavement is being constructed. This is around 20 miles north of El Golfo. The dirt sections tend to be VERY good as dirt roads go. They are using water trucks so that washboarding is kept to a minimum. I was able to do 35-45 on most of it.

They are also extending "xlnt" pavement south from San Luis R.C. It extends some miles below the L. B. S. turnoff I took towards Baja.

I'd have to say that within a few months, all these sections will be complete.

My travel time from SC to San Felipe, excluding stops, was around 11.5 hours. I was doing 75-80 on many stretches. There is another dirt/detour stretch on Mex 5 above SF that lasts about 12 miles. I could only do 30-40 on that and sometimes slower for traffic.

Total travel distance from the Beltrones/Ranchitos road to the Arches in San Felipe was approx. 620 miles.

That is all....................