BajaNomad

Santa Rosalia Ferry

Agavedaze - 3-14-2010 at 04:18 PM

Hola to anyone reading. My husband and I have been driving and camping on the Baja for a number of years. We have been lurking around the Baja Nomad site for a long time, and have now finally decided to register and make a post about our last trip. Specifically, we have been receiving a lot of questions about the Santa Rosalia to Guaymas ferry.

The Santa Rosalia ferry has both benefits and challenges that should be shared. My husband and I just returned from a month-long trip on the Baja. This trip began in mid-February traveling by ferry from Guaymas, Sonora to Santa Rosalia, BCS. The ferry brought us back from Santa Rosalia to Guaymas last Sunday - Monday.

First, we found the current ferry schedule of day time and night time crossings posted on their web site to be accurate. Their fee schedule is also accurate. Their web address is www.ferrysantarosalia.com. We made reservations by calling the Guaymas office. This number is 011-52-622-222-0204 (when calling from the U.S.). Most of the time this discussion was in Spanish with either Erica or Julio. Although, Diego, a retired merchant seaman who speaks a fair amount of English, will also answer the phone. We succeeded in speaking to someone on the phone those days the ferry is scheduled to leave. At the Guaymas office, they did not want to accept reservations more than a week or two in advance. Online reservations did not work for us.

It was our experience that we were able to get on the return ferry trip from Santa Rosalia without making reservations. We showed up at the terminal and just bought tickets. The woman who sold us tickets confirmed that when calling to make reservations, call in the morning, or a few hours before the ferry leaves, on those days it is scheduled to depart Santa Rosalia. The number they give on their web site for the Santa Rosalia office is 011-52-615-152-2200 (when calling from the U.S.).

The ferry's schedule is subject to change as a consequence of weather and sea conditions. This ferry is significantly smaller than the old Benito Juarez ferry and cannot handle a lot of turbulence. At the beginning of our trip we had to wait one day past our departure date to board the ferry because of large waves in the middle of the trip. Coming back from Santa Rosalia, we arrived in Guaymas four and a half hours after our 7:00 AM estimated time of arrival, again because of rough seas. Be flexible and don't get too attached to your plans if you plan this ferry into your trip. Actually, that's said about most things down there.

Since the ferry is a smaller boat, it is very quiet and clean. The bathrooms are very clean. I think one can eat off the floor in the vehicle hold. There were only four vehicles on the ferry on our first trip across. We figured this small passenger and vehicle count is due as much to the cost of the ferry as the size of the boat. On the return trip, they fit a tractor-trailer rig into the vehicle hold so there is no trouble with carrying large vehicles (large RVs) if you have enough pesos. Getting a vehicle on board is a lot easier than it used to be. Just give them the year, make and model, and they have a database of weight and length for reference. There is no more weighing or measuring vehicles.

There is a salon, a first class salon, and shared cabins, or camarotes compartidos. The camarotes are small, with two or four bunks and a sink. If you need four bunks, or a port hole for fresh air, ask for camarote number eight. We stayed in this camarote for our night trip out of Guaymas. It is the most quiet, closest to the bathrooms, and is the farthest from the kitchen. On the way back from Santa Rosalia, we stayed in camarote number three. This is actually in the crew quarters and down the hall from the kitchen. When the boat is pitching and rolling on the big water, pots and pans tend to fall on the floor. As a final note on the camarotes, bring your bedding with you. There are pillows on the bunks, but nothing else. Bring your blankets and pillows, or your sleeping bags, if you want them.

There is a little kitchen on board. For the night crossings, they serve mostly snack items in the evening when the ferry first takes off, and breakfast burritos and Nescafe in the morning. I don't remember if they have bottled water on board. We brought our own for drinking and for brushing teeth.

We did not ask the captain to return to our vehicle during the crossing. We were told by someone else that the captain will allow you to go back into the vehicle hold if necessary. Another nice benefit to having a smaller boat with less passengers is the captain makes your experience more personal. He will take the time to visit with you either on land before getting on, or while on the boat.

Captain Jesus Guillermo Bejarano Villalvazo (Captain Berjarano) made our experience very enjoyable. He has a kind manner and face, and will make the effort to talk to you (mostly in Spanish, but peppered with some English). We were impressed with his knowledge and passion for the sea and the sea life. He also captains a recreational touring boat out of Guaymas and San Carlos.

Of course the main reason why we drive to Guaymas and catch the ferry to the Baja is because we live in Tucson, AZ. However, for those of you who don't know, no vehicle permit is required to drive in northern Sonora. Everything north of Guaymas-Empalme is free-zone just like the Baja. If you plan to travel south from Guaymas toward Ciudad Obregon, a vehicle permit is required.

This is the best information we have to date (February-March 2010). As we all know, things change and I don't know what the "shelf life" of this post will actually be. Hopefully, this will be helpful to someone. I will post photographs of the ferry as soon as I figure out how to do it.

Buen Viaje



The "Santa Rosalia" at the terminal in Guaymas




Smaller vehicle hold than the "Benito Juarez"




Just four vehicles were placed on board for the trip to Baja, and only five on the way back.




Camarote 8 is isolated, quiet, close to the bathrooms, and has four bunks. Camarote 3 is in the lower decks of the ferry, has two bunks, and fun water sloshing and gurgling noises!




Four bunks inside number 8. This is it. Bring whatever makes you comfortable. The blankets are mine.




Dawn in Santa Rosalia. What I like most about the night ferry (except for the Nescafe!)




Arriving in the bay outside of Guaymas




Guaymas ferry terminal




[Edited on 3-16-2010 by Agavedaze]

Bajahowodd - 3-14-2010 at 04:29 PM

Thank you for this valuable info, and welcome aboard! Really look forward to you posting pix.

DianaT - 3-14-2010 at 04:53 PM

Thanks for all the information. It sure sounds a lot nicer that the old ferry!

Dogs, do you know if they allow and how they handle dogs. A couple of years ago we know that they would put dogs in tiny cages---not good and that any refrigerator trucks ran all night with all the fumes.

That was on the bigger ferry that goes into La Paz, but you did mention they put a semi on this one??

Thanks.

David K - 3-14-2010 at 05:38 PM

What a great report... welcome to Nomad!

Hook - 3-14-2010 at 05:58 PM

I have to disagree with the contention that the pricing is accurate on the website. I took the same ferry in Dec. 09 and found that there are round trip discounts that are not mentioned on the website and that they were substantial. Do a search and you will see the pricing I found.

Even the posted prices on the outside of the ticket office in Guaymas dont reflect all the discounts possible by booking round trip. And you can get an open ended ticket for the return trip.

Agavedaze - 3-15-2010 at 10:01 AM

First, thank you for the warm welcome, and sorry I took so long with the photos. Second, yes, a semi was placed on board. However, it doesn't appear that a lot of commercial vehicles use this ferry. We are speculating that the cost, size, and schedule reliability may be problematic for heavy commerical use. Also, we have no information (official or anecdotal) about dogs or other animals on the ferry. Finally, it is certainly worth the effort to pursue rate discounts. The ferry's website may not be inclusive of all rates they will honor, or consistent with how it's posted elsewhere, afterall it is Mexico. However, we found the fee schedule as it is currently posted on the website is what we were in fact charged.

Again, thanks for the welcome and looking forward to further correspondence and meetings!

Agavedaze

[Edited on 3-15-2010 by Agavedaze]

DianaT - 3-15-2010 at 10:25 AM

Thanks for adding the pix---looks quite nice. Next time we are down maybe will will run down to Santa Rosalia and check on the Dog policy.

Again, thanks---

knuckles - 3-15-2010 at 10:34 AM

Really good post. I have always wanted to make this trip. How long is the journey when its on time?

Thanks!

shari - 3-15-2010 at 11:29 AM

thanks so much for this most informative post and joining Nomads! I really like your writing style...your use of "we found...." was refreshing...and how you detailed your experience...very usefull and well presented information. That sure looks like a BC (canada) ferry! great pics too

Agavedaze - 3-15-2010 at 11:37 AM

In response to the question about the estimated time it takes to cross the Sea of Cortez on this ferry when it is on time........anywhere from 7 to 9 hours. The day and night ferry runs should theoretically be about the same. However, the captain said that he will slow the ferry for a couple of reasons, rough seas or so that passengers on the night ferry are dropped off on either end in the day light. For this reason, the night runs could be a little longer than the day runs under the same conditions. A fellow traveller who rides the ferry a lot said the fastest day run he had ever had only took 6 hours.

For us this time, the night trip to the Baja was 10 hours in moderate seas. The night trip back to Guaymas was 13.5 hours on really rough water.

The boarding timeline and boarding protocols are about the same as they have always been. Arrive at the terminal parking lot a couple hours before departure time to take care of tickets, military inspections, and loading. After being dropped off, plan at least another half hour for more of the same military inspections (in case of "nefarious activity" in the middle of the Sea of Cortez). With fewer passengers and vehicles involved, the protocols are less intense or stressful than they used to be with the larger Benito Juarez.

[Edited on 3-15-2010 by Agavedaze]

shari - 3-15-2010 at 11:46 AM

do they still get the dogs to sniff the bags??

Hook - 3-15-2010 at 11:57 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
do they still get the dogs to sniff the bags??


They did in Dec. 09. The vehicles, too.

[Edited on 3-15-2010 by Hook]

Agavedaze - 3-15-2010 at 12:07 PM

Hola Shari,

David and I met you last year in Asuncion. We camped out at your place for a few days. I want to add a little more ferry information that will segway into a new thread where you may be able to help.

I can't say enough good things about Captain Bejarano. He is like no other ferry captain, boat captain, or fishing guide I have ever met. He is very personable and really cares about marine wildlife. After spending all night piloting the ferry across the Sea of Cortez, bringing it into Santa Rosalia, and preparing to unload vehicles, he took the time to track down David and I. He learned that we had a camera, so after finding us, he led us up to the pilot house where we could get a good view of a sea lion with fishing net digging into its neck. He said that he had been watching this sea lion slowly die, and he said that after repeated talks with the Navy, they would not provide assistance. He insisted that we take photographs of this poor sea lion and contact Mexican and American organizations to leverage action on the part of the Mexican Government to work more aggressively on protecting sea animals from the effects of net fishing.

We were shocked and elated that the ferry captain would go to all this trouble. Then, all we could think of is to talk to you (Shari) about suggestions on who to contact in Mexico. Clearly, this is another thread that we can take up elsewhere. For now, Captain Bejarano is very "Captain Sully" in both attitude and appearance.

Thanks, Sharon (aka Agavedaze)

[Edited on 3-15-2010 by Agavedaze]

bacquito - 3-15-2010 at 12:29 PM

Thanks for the report and comments.

Traveler - 3-15-2010 at 01:07 PM

Great report!

Perchance, does anyone remember the beautiful sea lion in the harbor in Ensenada with the same problem? I saw it in March of 2003.

shari - 3-15-2010 at 01:26 PM

First of all, I would contact the dept. of tourism and write a letter about how great this captain is...maybe even a copy to the ferry system...it is so nice to receive a letter of recommendation or positive feedback. If you would care to write this littly ditty up, that would be a neat story for a newspaper too....something positive happening in baja. we could get it translated and send it to the local paper too.

I'm not sure how a photo of a sealion trapped in a net would help the cause...maybe...perhaps flyfishingpam might have an idea on who one could send it to????

ArvadaGeorge - 3-15-2010 at 03:28 PM

How much did it cost?

Agavedaze - 3-15-2010 at 03:55 PM

The one way cost for two adults in a camarote and one vehicle less than 17'8" was $4380 pesos, $337 USD at the current exchange rate. It's a little spendy. If you plan ahead and buy round trip tickets, they charge less. We thought we would drive out, but changed our minds and paid this higher amount both ways. This was not our best planning moment. However, since we were heading back to Tucson, this saved us a lot of fuel and two days of driving.

The full rate schedule for passengers and vehicles can be found at www.ferrysantarosalia.com. There appears to be discounts for students and INAPAM in the rate schedule. We have not researched those. Also, Nomad "Hook" can maybe recommend some discount rates he is acquainted with.

great post

desertcpl - 3-15-2010 at 05:18 PM

AGUVEDAZA

thanks that was great,,

I have one question,, you had mentioned that when you stayed in Camarote 8,, the beds only had pillows,, but in your photo in the upper left there was blankets?
its not big deal as your photo and essay was really well done

ken/jane
yuma

[Edited on 3-16-2010 by desertcpl]

Agavedaze - 3-15-2010 at 06:04 PM

Ken and Jane, Thanks for the comments about the report and the photo. Accurate reporting is important. The blankets are mine. The room really is very modest.

desertcpl - 3-15-2010 at 07:29 PM

thats okay ,, didnt want to nitpick at all,,, just wondering, keep up the great posts and photos,,

oh and welcome aboard

mcpuitar - 3-16-2010 at 02:59 PM

Just wanted to make a mention about taking dogs on the ferry since this question came up here. I live in Tucson too and I take my two medium-sized dogs with me almost every time I go (2 to 3 times per year each way). They stay and sleep in my vehicle on board. I make sure to let them run (or at least give them a good walk) shortly before driving onto the ferry. If you were crossing without a vehicle you would have to bring a kennel I suppose.

Although dogs are not allowed on the upper passenger decks I have had no problem going to the auto deck and walking them around for a few minutes during the night. Usually there is nobody down there and when there is I have never gotten in trouble or been given any dirty looks from the crew. I guess they figure if the dogs pee on the floor, a rope or vehicle tie strap it will eventually get washed off by the sea spray. The signs on the big metal doors leading to the car deck say "no admittance during the trip" but the crew are relaxed about it and have politely told me it's okay to check on the vehicle or the dogs at any time. It's true that the crew as well as the office staff are all very friendly and Rigo, who runs the snack bar and other things is especially helpful.

Something to keep in mind with dogs is that if you are going during the hot summer months, for a night crossing it is important to try to drive on last (to have a good air circulation). For the less-frequent day crossings it is important to make sure you are not the last in line to drive on (so the vehicle is not parked in the sun for any part of the trip). Here's why: you have to back the vehicle onto the boat so if you line it up as the front car (farthest from the boat) you will likely to be one of the last ones to drive onto the ferry. For a summer night crossing this assures that, when the car windows are rolled down a bit there will be sufficient breeze for the dogs since the back of the boat has about a car length distance or so (with two vehicle widths as you can see from the pictures) of open air and good circulation when the boat is moving. Although the air is not especially bad anywhere on the auto deck, it just gets hotter the farther you are from the more breezy, open stern of the boat. But for a summer day crossing you do NOT want to be parked in the stern if you have dogs because of the sun. None of this is so vitally important if the weather is cool. Either way don't forget to leave water in the car for the dogs.

Here's some more advice: when you call the office they don't always know for sure until the day of departure if wind/weather is going to alter the ferry schedule, so a good idea a day or two in advance is to check Sailflow data and/or the Buoyweather sites for the area to get an idea if the ferry might cross over or not. I've noticed if winds are over about 13-15 knots it's a good bet that they are going to wait until the next day or so until it calms down. So make sure to allow yourself an extra day or two for the return trip as quite a few times I've had to drive back up the Baja peninsula to get back to Tucson for work and the ferry wasn't able to cross from Santa Rosalia to Guaymas due to big waves. I don't ever mind the drive at all and it hasn't been a problem because even when I have purchased round trip tickets (it saves a few dollars) I save the return tickets and they let me use them at a future date for crossings in either direction.

Hope this helps.

mcpuitar - 3-16-2010 at 03:02 PM

One more thing I forgot to mention--The Federales like you to walk your dogs away from the vehicle and away from their dogs while they sniff around the vehicle before boarding just so they don't get distracted from their detection duties.

shari - 3-16-2010 at 03:10 PM

Mcpuiter...wow, 2 worthy posts from newbies...awesome! thanks so much for that excellent info as we would cross with pooches and your suggestions make alot of sense indeed....look forward to more posts from you all.

bajafam - 3-16-2010 at 10:51 PM

What a fantastic thread! Thanks you two!! I have no idea when we will make a trip that requires the use of the ferry, but now I have something new to look into!

Hook - 3-17-2010 at 04:36 AM

In terms of the pricing that I found, here is the thread that discusses it. Read the entire thread as I update info along the way.

Also keep in mind that the booking of a room DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOU THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THAT ROOM. They can book up to four people in the same room.

Finally, I found that it is very easy and not frowned upon to access your vehicle. I hit my beer and food stash and even brought food up to other decks.

k-rico - 3-17-2010 at 06:48 AM

Thanks to all that posted info about the ferry crossing. Answered all my questions, almost.

Of course the true cost would have to take into consideration the difference in the cost of driving from wherever your starting point is.

One question I have is about the weight of the vehicle in relation to the cost. I have a pickup with a small cabover camper on it. The camper does not add length, just weight. Would it cost more than the same pickup without the camper?

I drove to Guaymas from TJ last year and I MUCH prefer the drive to Santa Rosalia. That combined with a 8 hour ferry ride would be much better for me, the only question is, is it worth the cost, and that's an individual calculation.

Thanks again, good info.

[Edited on 3-17-2010 by k-rico]

mcpuitar - 3-17-2010 at 09:52 AM

I just checked my credit card statement showing my last trip in November, '09 and the total roundtrip (retorno) cost for two adults with my Honda Element (aka "the cube" or "the mini-Hummer") was $608.29. The dogs were free of course. I think the exchange rate was about 13 pesos to the $US. Vehicles longer than 5.4 meters or wider than 3 meters would be more expensive.

That was one of those trips where the wind prevented my return crossing for several days and I had to drive up Baja to get back to Arizona so I saved the 2 passenger return tickets and the vehicle ticket in my passport holder. My son and his girlfriend were able to use them last week when they went across from Guaymas to Santa Rosalia. So they are transferable (even between vehicles I think) and Diego at the Guaymas ferry office says they do not expire. But take good care of them because if they get even partially ripped they will be void (when you board the boat they rip them slightly--not totally in half but about 50% across the width to show that they are used tickets). It saves only somewhere around $20 or so to buy round trip, so unless you do the crossing regularly or have extra time to wait it out in or near Santa Rosalia, it's probably better just to buy one-way tickets in case of windy conditions when you try to cross back over.

One thing I should probably mention is that one time about 2-1/2 years ago the credit card machine/computer at the Guaymas ferry office was not working and they asked me to pay the fares in cash. So I had to go to the nearest ATM in town because I don't generally carry that much. Since then I have come prepared with at least enough cash for one-way tickets just in case. But it only happened that one time.

I'll be going across again in late May-June and will get back to y'all with any new information gleaned at that time.

mcpuitar

DianaT - 3-17-2010 at 10:23 AM

Thank you for the very detailed dog info---where to park, able to walk them, etc. Very important information for us.

mcpuitar - 3-17-2010 at 10:50 AM

For K-Rico--The camper shell weight would not add additional cost. They only go by length, width, and number of wheels on the vehicle.

Yes, the true cost is related to your starting point and it's probably not worth driving to Guaymas to use the ferry for most people starting out from west of the Colorado River. The ferry costs much more than the gas it takes to drive to Baja Sur for most vehicles. From my house in Tucson the ferry saves a half-day's travel time, and 635 miles each way on my Honda over driving the whole way to my usual Baja destination of Punta Chivato (it's exactly 1000 miles to drive there from Tucson, crossing at Tecate, vs. 375 driving miles to take the ferry from Guaymas, crossing at Nogales). It can also save on the nominal cost of one cheap hotel room for a night in El Rosario (or wherever) for those who don't camp along the Baja drive. I get about 25 mpg in my Honda so it costs me around $250 total in gas (less than 1/2 the round-trip ferry cost) to drive down and back up Baja the whole way from Tucson. And the gas I use to drive when I take the ferry both ways comes to almost $100 roundtrip. But I find the ferry relaxing and a little adventurous at the same time so I usually prefer it. Also, Route 15 to Guaymas is divided highway which makes it relatively quick and painless from here. Just wish I had an airplane!

mcpuitar - 3-18-2010 at 12:38 PM

In looking for alternatives to the ferry for travel to Baja from Arizona I have been reading recent posts about the road conditions through Puetecitos, Gonzaga and out to Hwy 1. Also watched all of Tom Higgins motorcycle videos of his ride down that way in November of '09--very scenic! With all the new road construction going on it doesn't look/sound nearly as bad as the last time I "TRIED" it ~24 years ago. So, I might take that route for my May-June trip (at least in one direction) just to see what it's like pricewise (and otherwise) as compared to the Santa Rosalia ferry. It should be much cheaper (unless I shread a few tires). And it looks like it cuts off several hundred miles over going from AZ over to the Pacific side and down through Ensenada. It's worth a try anyway. Will post back in a few months on how it goes.

Hook - 3-18-2010 at 10:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcpuitar
It saves only somewhere around $20 or so to buy round trip, so unless you do the crossing regularly or have extra time to wait it out in or near Santa Rosalia, it's probably better just to buy one-way tickets in case of windy conditions when you try to cross back over.



I disagree. My crossing in Dec 09 produced a round trip reduction in fare (vehicle and passenger combined) of 620 pesos. This was based on a vehicle under 5.4 meters and ONE adult fare. At 13/1, the savings were about 48.00. As noted in my post at that time, there was no discount on a round trip booking of the room.

My total cost for the round trip crossing (I paid cash which I believe also resulted in a reduction of 2%) was 476.00. Maybe your credit card charges ate up the other 28.00.

Hook - 3-19-2010 at 09:11 AM

Next year I will take the time to drive around. Might bring the cabover with the Jeep in tow. Now that I've scoped the Bahia Asuncion area out, I'll bring the wife and the dog. Man, there was some nice beach camping areas up by San Roque.

November seems like the prime month. Crab stuffed yellowfin for Thanksgiving?

BajaBlanca - 3-19-2010 at 03:41 PM

very very well written and informative !!

Mexitron - 3-20-2010 at 12:07 PM

Great info---thanks! We are considering using the ferry since we currently live in Texas and it would really save some driving time if we are heading into Central Baja.

Kimpatsu_Hekigan - 3-27-2010 at 11:46 AM

Here's another article about taking the ferry from Guaymas to Santa Rosalia. Not as detailed as the original post in this thread, but adds a slightly different perspective:

Taking the Ferry Across the Sea of Cortez

FWIW,

-- K.H.

jedtimesaz - 1-11-2011 at 11:29 AM

Thanks you for the great posting on the ferry!! Do you have any information on whether pets (dogs) are allowed on the ferry and if they can stay in our pickup truck during the crossing?

mcpuitar - 1-13-2011 at 11:37 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jedtimesaz
Thanks you for the great posting on the ferry!! Do you have any information on whether pets (dogs) are allowed on the ferry and if they can stay in our pickup truck during the crossing?


Re: dogs on the ferry, please check my post on this thread from 3-16-2010 at 09:59 PM. Yes, dogs are allowed, and supposed to remain in the vehicle deck in the truck. But I have also been allowed to walk them on the vehicle deck during the crossing. The big iron doors leading to the deck sometimes get latched but they can be opened with a little upper body leverage. None of the crew ever mind as they all seem to like dogs.

Marc - 2-2-2011 at 09:31 PM

I plan to put this info to good use very soon. Thanks!

Agavedaze

mcfez - 2-6-2011 at 07:12 AM

Thanks in advance We are planning two long trips, one includes the use of the ferry. There's not a lot about the new ferry out there on the web.

Excellent reporting. You should forward this data to Moon Books.

Agavedaze - 3-20-2011 at 03:18 PM

Hola Everyone in 2011,

I would be very happy to update this ferry post, but we drove the Baja this year from Tecate to San Jose del Cabo and back again. No ferry rides this year.

Someone else feel free to update the post, as things can change. Next time we take the ferry, I'll get right on task.

Thanks

BajaBlanca - 3-20-2011 at 06:11 PM

Agavedaze .... next time stop by our neck of the woods, stay at our B & B for a couple days and say hi !!!

Agavedaze - 3-20-2011 at 09:27 PM

Dear BajaBlanca and Les,

Gracias for the kind invitation. You can count on it.

Thank you, again.

Agavedaze (David and Sharon)

BajaBlanca - 3-22-2011 at 03:27 PM

now that sounds like a good plan, David and Sharon). :biggrin:

for everyone's information: it is now very windy this time of year and the entrance to the lagoon is excellent for anyone who is a professional and avid kite surfer or wind surfer ...