BajaNomad

eco camp

dravnx - 7-13-2010 at 08:19 AM

Does anybody remember the eco camp in Loreto and what was the story behind them closing down? Where was it located?

Bob and Susan - 7-13-2010 at 10:03 AM

it was in mulege an hour north of loreto
and its closed and deserted

the main building is almost gone

DianaT - 7-13-2010 at 10:06 AM

It was a really neat place. A while back, my son used to take a group of school children from the states there every year.

I guess the owner went to Thailand with a wife, at least that is what I heard.

snowcat5 - 7-13-2010 at 10:11 PM

Hi, I was driving by the camp you speak of one day, about 4-5 years ago?? All of the round guest cabins were burning- lit on fire. It was called Eco Mondo, I think. It was in the Spring, if I remember correctly, when I was passing by. I have often wondered myself, what happened? Maybe Pompano or Shari might know more?

shari - 7-14-2010 at 06:31 AM

It's a mystery to me...wrong side of the desert!! Pompano would know or make up a good story anyway!

rhintransit - 7-14-2010 at 06:36 AM

there were a couple of places south of Loreto that were off grid and eco friendly though I don't think they were billed as 'eco camps.' down in Ensenada Blanca, where both were run out by the Villa Group's huge new development there.

DianaT - 7-14-2010 at 01:22 PM

The one we were familiar with was Eco-Mundo---here is a link to a web-page that is still around.

Eco Mundo

Been a few years now that they have been gone. Too bad.

snowcat5 - 7-14-2010 at 10:14 PM

That's the one I was thinking of "Eco Mundo". Don't know why it didn't make it, may have heard of a land dispute. Stopped in for dinner once.

Bajatripper - 7-15-2010 at 09:36 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT


I guess the owner went to Thailand with a wife,


To have gone so far, they must have left one seriously peeed-off husband behind.

KurtG - 7-15-2010 at 11:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajatripper
Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT


I guess the owner went to Thailand with a wife,


To have gone so far, they must have left one seriously peeed-off husband behind.


Nope, nothing like that. Eco Mundo was started by Roy Mahoff and Becky Aparicio who started out as Baja Tropicales kayack rentals and tours at Santispac is the early 90's. They built and operated Eco Mundo and then Roy bought Becky's interest in the business and continued to operate it. Roy married a very nice Thai lady named Rose who lived there with him for at least a couple of years before Roy decided to retire in Thailand where they still live. Eco Mundo was listed for sale but nothing has ever happened with it that I know of. I know that Mulege locals know all this stuff and I am doing this post only to end the speculation that has been posted here.
Kurt

DianaT - 7-15-2010 at 02:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by KurtG
Quote:
Originally posted by Bajatripper
Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT


I guess the owner went to Thailand with a wife,


To have gone so far, they must have left one seriously peeed-off husband behind.


Nope, nothing like that. Eco Mundo was started by Roy Mahoff and Becky Aparicio who started out as Baja Tropicales kayack rentals and tours at Santispac is the early 90's. They built and operated Eco Mundo and then Roy bought Becky's interest in the business and continued to operate it. Roy married a very nice Thai lady named Rose who lived there with him for at least a couple of years before Roy decided to retire in Thailand where they still live. Eco Mundo was listed for sale but nothing has ever happened with it that I know of. I know that Mulege locals know all this stuff and I am doing this post only to end the speculation that has been posted here.
Kurt


Thanks Kurt---I should have been more specific. Did not mean to cause any speculation. I guess my post sounded like he ran off, on the run and that, as you explain, was NOT the case. I also see where my post sounds like he ran off with some wife, not his own----I should have read it closer.

Mulegena - 7-15-2010 at 02:14 PM

Kurt and Diane have given adequate summation.

I can only add that the Lonely Planet editor spent a couple days here in Mulege a few years ago after Hurricane John. He became ill, so I escorted his wife around the area. We visited the clearly abandoned EcoMundo encampment remains. I was surprised to see that they had not removed it from their listings in the next or further editions.

It has indeed been burned to the ground and scavenged.

Bob and Susan - 7-15-2010 at 03:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mulegena

It has indeed been burned to the ground and scavenged.


no...

it was a controled burn by the fire dept

the owner was aware

there was an auction and all items were sold
everything down to nails

the only thing left is a shell

KurtG - 7-15-2010 at 03:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
Quote:
Originally posted by Mulegena

It has indeed been burned to the ground and scavenged.


no...

it was a controled burn by the fire dept

the owner was aware

there was an auction and all items were sold
everything down to nails

the only thing left is a shell


I spent an entire $10.00 at that auction. I was the only bidder on the old Baja Tropicales sign that used to hang outside their office at Las Casitas. It had their logo of the Blue Footed Booby paddling a kayack that I had reproduced on t-shirts for them. When my daughter was in college around 15 years ago Spring break was usually spent in Mulege where she had lived with me as a little girl back in the 70's. She generally camped at Baja Tropicales with Becky with whom we had become friends and when Eco Mundo was built she and her room mate spent vacations staying in the upstairs loft of the main building. They had wonderful times there.

Mulegena - 7-15-2010 at 04:13 PM

Good to know, thanks.

I still miss the place.
Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
Quote:
Originally posted by Mulegena

It has indeed been burned to the ground and scavenged.


no...

it was a controled burn by the fire dept

the owner was aware

there was an auction and all items were sold
everything down to nails

the only thing left is a shell

thanx for all the great info

dravnx - 7-16-2010 at 01:20 PM

Reason I asked is on a yahoo kayaking group I belong to, someone was passing around a petition to save the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park. Someone else posted the following.

"Here is another example of the destruction of Baja by the developers. We saw many examples of this when we were down there last year. We visited a ranch owned by Eleiho (?) that had been in his family for 3 generations. He and his extended family (I believe it was 8 families of his children each with their own house) subsist on this desert land by farming & ranching. A large corporation with the money to bribe, is trying to take it over. Soon Baha will be one big Disney land & the proud ranchers will have to become servants to the gringos.

"We kayaked for 6 days on the Sea of Cortez off Loreto. While camped on an island, there was a huge light on land. Basically the only light visible. It was from a development being built on land stolen from an American couple who had created an eco tourist retreat. We later met them."

The story didn't sound right and I was sure I could get the straight dope here.

KurtG - 7-16-2010 at 04:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dravnx
Reason I asked is on a yahoo kayaking group I belong to, someone was passing around a petition to save the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park. Someone else posted the following.

"Here is another example of the destruction of Baja by the developers. We saw many examples of this when we were down there last year. We visited a ranch owned by Eleiho (?) that had been in his family for 3 generations. He and his extended family (I believe it was 8 families of his children each with their own house) subsist on this desert land by farming & ranching. A large corporation with the money to bribe, is trying to take it over. Soon Baha will be one big Disney land & the proud ranchers will have to become servants to the gringos.

"We kayaked for 6 days on the Sea of Cortez off Loreto. While camped on an island, there was a huge light on land. Basically the only light visible. It was from a development being built on land stolen from an American couple who had created an eco tourist retreat. We later met them."

The story didn't sound right and I was sure I could get the straight dope here.


I think the situation referred to is the demise of the Danzante Resort. Folks in Loreto would be able to give more info. Link below tell a bit of the story.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/...

Marc - 7-16-2010 at 09:27 PM

I remember years ago at Santispac I stopped and asked Roy for a weather report. BIG MISTAKE! He referred me to his weather rock hanging Nearby. If it's windy that afternoon the rock will be swinging!