BajaNomad

Laguna Percebu, San Felipe???

mrfatboy - 6-15-2009 at 09:32 PM

Has anybody been to Laguna Percebu south of San Felipe lately? I have not been there in 10 years. I was planning to go for 4th of July weekend. How is it? Any major changes in the last 10 years?

David K - 6-15-2009 at 09:36 PM

Check the Trip Reports Forum, here on Nomad... We camped on the lagoon (one mile south of Rancho Percebu) a couple weeks ago, see: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=38923

The barrier island that makes the lagoon at Percebu I have named 'Shell Island'...

fishbuck - 6-15-2009 at 09:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Check the Trip Reports Forum, here on Nomad... We camped on the lagoon (one mile south of Rancho Percebu) a couple weeks ago, see: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=38923

The barrier island that makes the lagoon at Percebu I have named 'Shell Island'...


Hey David, you just gave away your own secret spot! You better post a mean thread to yourself.:coolup:

David K - 6-15-2009 at 09:48 PM

There are no 'secret places' in Baja... Only special places to share with friends and family... It cracks me up when there is a fuss about details of the Seven Sisters when there are books and maps with that term on the area!!! Heck, non-Nomads can buy a book!:o

fishbuck - 6-15-2009 at 09:50 PM

And now your telling everyone about the books and the maps... Sacrilege!:lol:

mrfatboy - 6-15-2009 at 10:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishbuck
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Check the Trip Reports Forum, here on Nomad... We camped on the lagoon (one mile south of Rancho Percebu) a couple weeks ago, see: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=38923

The barrier island that makes the lagoon at Percebu I have named 'Shell Island'...


Hey David, you just gave away your own secret spot! You better post a mean thread to yourself.:coolup:



David,

Thanks for the report. Is it faster/better to criss in tecate or mexicali? Did you get to visit the percebu campsites, restaurant, cantina? Is that stuff still there? Anything new? Do they still have the outdoor showers? My friend i believe still has one of the round houses there.

David K - 6-15-2009 at 11:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mrfatboy
Quote:
Originally posted by fishbuck
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Check the Trip Reports Forum, here on Nomad... We camped on the lagoon (one mile south of Rancho Percebu) a couple weeks ago, see: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=38923

The barrier island that makes the lagoon at Percebu I have named 'Shell Island'...


Hey David, you just gave away your own secret spot! You better post a mean thread to yourself.:coolup:



David,

Thanks for the report. Is it faster/better to criss in tecate or mexicali? Did you get to visit the percebu campsites, restaurant, cantina? Is that stuff still there? Anything new? Do they still have the outdoor showers? My friend i believe still has one of the round houses there.


Check with Nomad member 'ViaBaja' (Chris) who just was there and posted photos taken 6-6-09... I think. He has a place at Percebu... I did not go there, we come into the beach about 6 1/2 kms. south of the Percebu road.

I was really quiet there for a Memorial Day weekend... We camp close enough to hear really loud stuff and have in the past. This time, it was like dead... almost no fireworks, no quads racing around... there was a poker run on Saturday, but small turnout. The economy and terror fears are keeping Americanos away. Heck, there weren't many Mexican campers either from waht we heard or saw.

mrfatboy - 6-16-2009 at 12:08 AM

Ya, i saw those photos. Thats were i got the idea to visit again after 10 years :)

What about my border crossing question... Tecate or mexicali? Why? Do we really need to be concerned about the violence or is it just media hype? We will have a 3 and 7 year old with us. Going to mexico has never bothered us before but if it is out of control there i might reconsider. Hell, i just got back from egypt and had a great time and there was a bombing 2 weeks before i went. I just kept my eye out for kids on scooters throwing backpacks into crowds :)

ncampion - 6-16-2009 at 06:30 AM

In my experience, I would rather cross at Tecate than drive through Mexicali. I don't like that town at all and the traffic patterns and congestion are terrible. I guess I should say that I haven't been through Mexicali in several years, but Tecate is a nice low key way to get across, although it is not a 24 hour crossing.

sancho - 6-16-2009 at 07:16 AM

Was there 2 months ago, drove down
from San Felipe to check out a
minus tide, was a little taken aback
at a 'day use fee' of $10 dllrs
to park and $25 to camp
The temps have been very moderate
lately in SF, like the rest of
So Cal, the last few days the high
in SF was 85 degrees or so,
I would think the norm
at 103

David K - 6-16-2009 at 07:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mrfatboy
Ya, i saw those photos. Thats were i got the idea to visit again after 10 years :)

What about my border crossing question... Tecate or mexicali? Why? Do we really need to be concerned about the violence or is it just media hype? We will have a 3 and 7 year old with us. Going to mexico has never bothered us before but if it is out of control there i might reconsider. Hell, i just got back from egypt and had a great time and there was a bombing 2 weeks before i went. I just kept my eye out for kids on scooters throwing backpacks into crowds :)


In my trip report of a couple weeks ago, I gave the route we took: Crossed at Tecate both ways... Toll highway east, Libremente bipass toll highway for San Felipe, then south on 5.

While you will pay close to $10 in tolls, I think it was a good route and kept you out of big Mexicali traffic.

I think fastest from SoCal would be to go to El Centro on I-8, then south on 111 to Mexicali... But, we left in the afternoon and prefered to not drive through Mexicali after dark, so we did the Tecate route... and it didn't get dark until La Rumorosa.

David K - 6-16-2009 at 07:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by sancho
Was there 2 months ago, drove down
from San Felipe to check out a
minus tide, was a little taken aback
at a 'day use fee' of $10 dllrs
to park and $25 to camp
The temps have been very moderate
lately in SF, like the rest of
So Cal, the last few days the high
in SF was 85 degrees or so,
I would think the norm
at 103


Wow, instead of doing something to attract more business (like lowering their prices), they raise the rates to soak the little business they got to make up for their loss! In doing so, they hurt future business!

mrfatboy - 6-16-2009 at 08:26 AM

Wow, it was $5 per car to camp under one of their palapas 10 years ago :)

David K - 6-16-2009 at 08:35 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mrfatboy
Wow, it was $5 per car to camp under one of their palapas 10 years ago :)


Yah, and the place was packed on Memorial Day back then, too... :light:

What has happened over 10 years to keep tourists from going south as much?:

*) Charging $20/ pp for Tourist Cards that were free before 2000

*) Long border lines

*) Fear for one's life driving through cities

*) Fear of being pulled over by corrupt police

*) Camping rates higher than some motels charge for a room

desertcpl - 6-16-2009 at 09:16 AM

that is unreal,, charging fees like that,, why would any one pay that,, I have been there many times,, really like the restaurant

A Perfect June

MrBillM - 6-16-2009 at 09:25 AM

The weather has been great for the month. Cooler than usual. A few Moderately Windy days, but none too bad. A couple of overcast or cloudy days, including today. Mid 80s daytime, cooling at night. Sleeping under a light blanket in the early hours.

Restaurant and Bar open. Ate lunch there ayer. Plenty of camping on the beach. Business light, but that's true all over the area. Drove into San Felipe Thursday and it was DEAD.

There was a decent weekend crowd on the beach, but it's empty right now.

El Camote - 6-16-2009 at 09:33 AM

Was in San Felipe last week and have to concur with BillM. The weather was amazing. Never too hot, always a nice breeze.

No concerns for personal safety. Crossing through Mexicali was no problem, just don't do it during rush hour. Had a record 22 minute NB crossing on Sunday morning around 8 am.

mrfatboy - 6-16-2009 at 09:50 AM

Great info. Thanks. My usual method of travel down is to leave san diego at 5am and be at the long bar at 10am to start the weekend :)

BajaRob - 6-16-2009 at 10:00 AM

Longbar = Miramar?

mrfatboy - 6-16-2009 at 10:02 AM

correct :)

desertcpl - 6-16-2009 at 10:22 AM

we like the red beer, forgot the name of it,, at the Maramar,, sitting out on the patio

woody with a view - 6-16-2009 at 11:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
There are no 'secret places' in Baja... Only special places to share with friends and family... It cracks me up when there is a fuss about details of the Seven Sisters when there are books and maps with that term on the area!!! Heck, non-Nomads can buy a book!:o


open mouth, insert soap, chew-gargle, rinse,

repeat!

mrfatboy - 6-16-2009 at 12:55 PM

Can anybody recommend a good hotel with a pool or pool bar that we can hang out at for a couple of hours if and when we get bored with Percebu? I can't remember the hotel we used to hang out at in the hot afternoon 10 years ago.

Pacifico - 6-16-2009 at 07:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mrfatboy
Can anybody recommend a good hotel with a pool or pool bar that we can hang out at for a couple of hours if and when we get bored with Percebu? I can't remember the hotel we used to hang out at in the hot afternoon 10 years ago.


Try El Cortez.....

http://www.sanfelipe.com.mx/business/el_cortez/

http://www.sanfelipe.com.mx/business/new_cortez/index.html

mrfatboy - 6-16-2009 at 08:20 PM

thanks. I seem to remember a hotel with a vanishing edge pool. I don't think it had a pool bar but I remember drinking in the pool.