BajaNomad - Travel to and from Loreto and Cabo

Travel to and from Loreto and Cabo

ScubaVicki - 4-23-2011 at 08:45 AM

I will be traveling in April 2012 to Cabo. From there I want to go to Loreto for a week and then back to Cabo. I am a 65 year old woman traveling alone so security is important.
Does anyone know anything about the small airport in Cabo? Or a van or bus? Or the large airport in San Jose del Cabo?
I am also looking for recommendations for Dive shops in Loreto.
Thanks

gnukid - 4-23-2011 at 08:49 AM

What do you want to know, be specific? the airports function normally, the roads are clear and easy.

norte - 4-23-2011 at 08:57 AM

Be careful. Read everything on this board as well as the State Dept warnings.

Many on this board want to carry guns down there and DO carry pepper spray etc. search "guns" "pepper spray" etc and see what the expats say.

elizabeth - 4-23-2011 at 09:07 AM

As far as driving...I can't give personal advise, but for diving I can. Dolphin Dive Center on Juarez is great. Rafael Murillo Pelayo is the very knowledgeable dive master. I have been diving with him regularly since 2002.

Although I haven't done it, I would drive without hesitation from Cabo to Loreto, but Aereo Calafia has flights, and there are busses.

bajajudy - 4-23-2011 at 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by norte
Be careful. Read everything on this board as well as the State Dept warnings.

Many on this board want to carry guns down there and DO carry pepper spray etc. search "guns" "pepper spray" etc and see what the expats say.

Do disregard the above!!!!! It is safer here than many places in the states.

The buses are safe. Dont know anything about the flights out of San Lucas but that would certainly be faster. I doubt that there are flights from SJD to Loreto but I dont know for sure

norte - 4-23-2011 at 09:37 AM

Texas student shot and killed in Mexico bus hijack on way to visit his family

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:03 PM on 7th October 2010

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1318667/Te...

and do a search for "self defense" on this board. Tell me Judy, why are so many people concerned. Hope you are not hurt one of these days.

[Edited on 4-23-2011 by norte]

gnukid - 4-23-2011 at 09:47 AM

The drive/bus from Cabo to Loreto is probably 6-8 hours. The flight on Aero Calafia requires that you go to the little airport un in the barrio hill behind Cabo. The flight will be expensive I recall, RT $300 or more. You would need to taxi there, wait in advance, take the flight, arrive, taxi to your destination=total time for flight/cost with taxi/flight will be on the order of 5 hours one way/at $500RT.

The drive will be pleasant 6-8hours one way and average fuel costs would be about $150RT

Here's some of the aero calafia planes

Flight Attendress

Baggage handler

bajajudy - 4-23-2011 at 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by norte
Texas student shot and killed in Mexico bus hijack on way to visit his family

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:03 PM on 7th October 2010

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1318667/Te...

and do a search for "self defense" on this board. Tell me Judy, why are so many people concerned. Hope you are not hurt one of these days.

[Edited on 4-23-2011 by norte]

This kid was not in Baja California Sur

[Edited on 4-23-2011 by bajajudy]

norte - 4-23-2011 at 10:40 AM

and Judy

what about the "collaboration with organized crime" occurring in Sur. Do you also deny cartel involvement in your beloved area?

bajajudy - 4-23-2011 at 10:48 AM

I feel safe here, safer than I would in, say, Detroit, Los Angeles, etc...or even California.

That is all I have to say on the matter.

David K - 4-23-2011 at 10:50 AM

I am happiest when in Baja. Wish I was able to live there like Judy and others do!

longlegsinlapaz - 4-23-2011 at 06:40 PM

norte, your name pretty much says it all....have you personally been down south recently....say in the past 10-15 years? You're a fear monger! The US media reporting does not remotely resemble what I & other residents personally experience on a daily basis of living down here. There are a lot of single females that live here without being mugged, raped, kidnapped or shot! Nor do we live here in fear!! Nobody I know....male or female, married or single....owns pepper spray nor a gun....they don't feel any need to!

ScubaVicki, don't listen to norte!! I agree totally with bajajudy & morgaine7, women who have lived in Sur for a great number of years. I've lived here since 1999 & have driven the length of Baja alone many times without incident! Either take the bus or rent a car (can be spendy). Pay attention to your surroundings, don't drive the highway at night, don't take any foolish risks, keep your eye on your possessions....just like you would anywhere in the world & you'll have an awesome time!!

Edit punctuation

[Edited on 4-24-2011 by longlegsinlapaz]

BajaBlanca - 4-23-2011 at 06:58 PM

I agree with longlegs and others... I have driven san diego to our home which is a 12 hour drive. no sweat. no trouble. did not think twice about it.

I did get very lost in los angeles last year - about 8 months ago and to say my heart was absolutelypounding is putting it lightly. I was scared out of my wits. and I will never do that again. ever.

I have never done the sjc to loreto and except that it is a loooooong drive (just like states too our home is), you should not have any trouble at all. It would be better to get someone to go with you and then drive so you can take photos though ...

Barbarosa - 4-23-2011 at 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by norte

Tell me Judy, why are so many people concerned. Hope you are not hurt one of these days.

[Edited on 4-23-2011 by norte]

Tell me, Norte, whatinhell does that story (south of Brownsville) have to do with BCS?

Last I checked, there is *NO* cartel activity in Sur.

Hide in the dark behind the curtain if you must (and if you call that living), but the rest of us have lives to live.

Bajatripper - 4-23-2011 at 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by norte
and Judy

what about the "collaboration with organized crime" occurring in Sur. Do you also deny cartel involvement in your beloved area?

As long as everybody is "collaborating," things are tranquilo and the economy is booming. The problems start when they are NOT collaborating.

jenny.navarrette - 4-24-2011 at 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
There are a lot of single females that live here without being mugged, raped kidnapped or shot!

Apparently there are also a lot that are:

1. Lizet Salinas Soto - 8 years old. Kidnapped off the streets of La Paz as she walked home from school on Oct. 14, 2010. Still missing.

2. Ashley Madeleine Ruíz Avendaño - 5 years old. Kidnapped from Los Cabos on April 10, 2011. She was found dead in an arroyo the next day.

3. Kelsy Lauren MacFerlin - 22-years old and from Oklahoma, was walking on boulevard Lázaro Cárdenas in Cabo San Lucas on March 20, 2011 when she was robbed at knife point by two men.

4. A young American couple were held up and robbed at knife-point on March 31, 2011 while camping on Concepcion Bay by three Mexican nationals.

5. Mike "Kona" Meredith - 38 years old. Shot twice and robbed on October 21, 2010 in Cabo San Lucas while walking back to his hotel after dinner.

6. Woody and Donna Sale, Americans who live near Los Barilles, in Baja California Sur, were attacked and robbed in a home invasion robbery July 15, 2010.

I guess I don't understand why everytime somebody here asks if it is safe, a herd of people all resond similarly by saying they "feel" safe. How does how one "feels" relate to the reality? If I feel cold, does everybody else feel cold? If my feet hurt does everybody else's feet hurt? The question ScubaVicki asked was about security and dive shops. She didn't ask how you "feel".

Barbarosa - 4-24-2011 at 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jenny.navarrette

Quote:

Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
There are a lot of single females that live here without being mugged, raped kidnapped or shot!

Apparently there are also a lot that are:

<snip th' police blotter>

(Frankly I don't think that reaches the threshhold of "a lot.")

I raised my family in San Francisco. Once while my wife and I were out of town, my mother came to look after the kids. The first afternoon my 12 yo daughter came home from school and headed out to Golden Gate Park to take her dog for a walk.

My mother (who was raised in Chicago in the 20s & 30s and enjoyed it and should know better) wanted her to stay home, and asked her: "Aren't you afraid?"

My daughter, far wiser than her gramma, replied: "I will be careful but I will NOT be afraid."

I LOVE that kid!

Melondeverdad - 4-24-2011 at 07:49 AM

You've summarized a year's worth of major crimes in BCS .... Could just as easily be a DAY'S worth of crime in Los Angeles.

Quote:

Originally posted by jenny.navarrette

Quote:

Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
There are a lot of single females that live here without being mugged, raped kidnapped or shot!

bajabass - 4-24-2011 at 08:05 AM

Take the bus, fly, drive, just go! My attractive wife has made two round trips from Orange County to La Paz in the last year. With her 65 year old father as "security". Listen to the others when they tell you it is a safe place for ladies as well.

Love the story Barbarosa, a Baja attitude for sure!!!

norte - 4-24-2011 at 08:29 AM

For every 1,000 homes, Baja California has 306 registered home crimes, Baja California Sur has 211, and Quintana Roo has 176.

Source: El Robo a Hogares, ICESI.

Barbarosa - 4-24-2011 at 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by norte
For every 1,000 homes, Baja California has 306 registered home crimes, Baja California Sur has 211, and Quintana Roo has 176.

Source: El Robo a Hogares, ICESI.

(Gee, I wonder if a bunch of them sit unoccupied a lot.)

Like I said: If you prefer to live in fear, go for it! (What a stupid choice.) But if you just like to preach it, that's just rude.

longlegsinlapaz - 4-24-2011 at 08:44 AM

jenny.navarrette, I've noticed a definite theme to the majority, if not all, of your posts....it's Mexico bashing, cynicism & negativity. I can't recall having read a single positive post about Mexico or the people that you've made, but I'll admit it's simply not worth my time to go back & read your 34 other posts to search for anything positive you might have expressed.

Did anyone who posted here say that BCS is crime-free? Of course there's crime here....as with anywhere in the world. As I originally stated, if people pay attention to their surroundings, don't drive the highway at night, don't take foolish risks, keep their eye on their possessions, the risk of random criminal activity against them is minimal....in the overall scheme of things.

I'll pose the same question to you that I posed norte....have you personally been in BCS in the past 10-15 years, or are all your visits via the media?

Oh, for the sake of accuracy, one other biggie you overlooked was the fact that El Teo was apprehended in a (his?) home in the Fidepaz neighborhood of La Paz....without a shot being fired, if I recall correctly.

Safety & how it's perceived, is pretty much the sum of each individual's personal experiences & perspective. Granted, there is such a thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in my 12 years here, I've personally yet to find that place!

norte, can you please explain what those "registered home crimes" have to do with a tourist on vacation in Baja? How many of those were domestic violence crimes against a spouse? How would those "registered home crime" stats be applicable to a tourist on a dive vacation? Baja is NOT the modern-day version of Sodom & Gomorrah! Please keep things in perspective!

norte - 4-24-2011 at 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barbarosa

Quote:

Originally posted by norte
For every 1,000 homes, Baja California has 306 registered home crimes, Baja California Sur has 211, and Quintana Roo has 176.

Source: El Robo a Hogares, ICESI.

(Gee, I wonder if a bunch of them sit unoccupied a lot.)

Like I said: If you prefer to live in fear, go for it! (What a stupid choice.) But if you just like to preach it, that's just rude.

No more rude than you posting that Mexico is safe. Wake up. People are robbed, they are shot, they go missing.... To try to convince people otherwise is foolish.

bajabass - 4-24-2011 at 08:50 AM

Then hide in your house and spread fear on the internet????? Great choice!!! Where do you live, and what are the crime rates there????

Barbarosa - 4-24-2011 at 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by norte

Quote:

Originally posted by Barbarosa

Like I said: If you prefer to live in fear, go for it! (What a stupid choice.) But if you just like to preach it, that's just rude.

No more rude than you posting that Mexico is safe. Wake up. People are robbed, they are shot, they go missing.... To try to convince people otherwise is foolish.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

(I'd say you don't even know what "rude" is!)

Barbarosa - 4-24-2011 at 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by morgaine7
I'm waiting for someone to lecture her on the risks of diving.

Don't do it in a sack.

You're welcome.

elizabeth - 4-24-2011 at 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barbarosa

Quote:

Originally posted by morgaine7
I'm waiting for someone to lecture her on the risks of diving.

Don't do it in a sack.

You're welcome.

There is a major risk to diving in April...you might get cold if you don't wear 7mm!

Oh, yeah, and here's a serious bus warning...bad movies.

jenny.navarrette - 4-24-2011 at 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
Safety & how it's perceived, is pretty much the sum of each individual's personal experiences & perspective.

No. Safety is a measurable statistic derived from dividing the number of crimes by the population, which produces a crime rate per capita. How it is PERCEIVED, may vary from individual to individual. However, perceptions are not reality.

Thanks Nomads

ScubaVicki - 4-24-2011 at 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by morgaine7
I guess I don't understand why every time somebody here asks a personal safety question in a specific context, a couple of people with anti-Mexico agendas who don't live here respond with crime reports that are irrelevant to the proposed activity. ScubaVicki didn't ask about child kidnappings, home invasions, robberies of campers, bus-jackings in Matamoros, or "collaboration with organized crime". She wants to take a bus or plane from Point A to Point B and go diving. Now I'm waiting for someone to lecture her on the risks of diving. :rolleyes:

Thank you for getting to the point morgaine7. I feel like all the negative replies were from people wanting to keep the beauty of the Baja a secret from progress and tourists and I truly understand that. I saw Cabo explode and wish it was still small (that's why I want to go to Loreto) but if you are anti-Mexico why would you even bother to be a Baja Nomad?

elizabeth Thanks for the dive shop info and positive attitude!
And I wore 9 mil wetsuit in Cabo in 56 degree water and was fine. Anybody else out there dive in Loreto? :?:

Planes are quite expensive it seems ($800), as is car rental and driving. While the bus sounds like a long ride, what better way to see more of Baja Sur. The Aguila Bus site seems to be not working. And google maps doesn't give driving directions that seem accurate so I am wondering if the ride is a coastal ride or interior ride.

Oh, and I have common sense and am always aware of my surroundings and while I am a good shot, I don't plan on packing while in Mexico.

Howard - 4-24-2011 at 11:44 AM

Vicki

Check your U-2U

[Edited on 4-24-2011 by Howard]

Cypress - 4-24-2011 at 11:45 AM

Mexicans aren't gonna kill the "golden goose" AKA tourists. Who would?The majority of gringos that come to grief south of the border? Not certain, but suspect they're involved in some fashion with the ongoing drug/human trafficking business.

mulegejim - 4-24-2011 at 11:46 AM

Once you get to La Paz there is only one highway going north and that is Mex-1 - some coastal but most up the center. You may also check on the ABC bus line site. Jim

Cypress - 4-24-2011 at 12:01 PM

Get a rental car in Cabo and enjoy the ride. It's any easy drive from Cabo to La Paz. If you're gonna return the same day? Why be in a hurry? Visit Tados Santos. Take some pictures. Give us a report.

windgrrl - 4-24-2011 at 12:57 PM

Hi,

We drove the length of the peninsula and also traveled around in the area between Cabo and La Paz. We stayed on the East Cape for 3.5 months this winter. We had a great time. We did not have any scary experiences.

Yes, like anywhere in the world, there is some ongoing crime here, mostly petty crime There are also other incidents as noted previously in this post. There have been bad people living locally that have arrested. Just like anywhere, people get hurt doing risky things (Baja 300 accident injuries) and stupid things (wrong time+wrong place+wrong people+ drugs/alcohol). So, research and take travel safety precautions as you would in any unfamiliar place. I would say that the East Cape area is no more dangerous than my small hometown...probably less dangerous. The problem with a statistical comparison is that crime statistics collections vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Thus, we only have anecdotes to fall back on. Compared with the happenings in my area this weekend...the East Cape is pretty quiet.

There are lots of good tips and references for single female travelers, starting with on-line information. I met many singles females living full-time and part-time in the East Cape. They have circles of good friends. For the most part, people look out for each other. We have been guided by helpful people at the airport. You can also book a taxi in advance to take you from the airport to your destination.

Some people simply will not feel psychologically safe traveling to some places in light of how they interpret the information they have at hand. So do your research, be prepared, and stay safe. And there is no guarantee for safety anywhere, that's part of what makes an adventure exciting.

norte - 4-24-2011 at 01:38 PM

Hmmmm this 65 yearold single lady worried about security turns out to be a "packing" good shot, who has seen cabo explode. The troll wins!

Travel to and from Loreto and Cabo

ScubaVicki - 4-24-2011 at 01:48 PM

morgaine7 My mistake on air fares. I was reading pesos and thinking dollars. Flying looks to be the way to travel, just have to rearrange plans to fit flight schedules. Thanks for pointing that out. A big help. :tumble:

Now somebody tell me about dive sites. I promise to wear 9mil. and want to take lots of underwater photos.

windgrrl - 4-24-2011 at 02:00 PM

Quote:

Now somebody tell me about dive sites. I promise to wear 9mil. and want to take lots of underwater photos.

...now you're talking dangerous! Just Google "Cabo Pulmo" + diving and enjoy! :dudette:

Phil S - 4-24-2011 at 04:24 PM

If she's a normally packin' lady, but not down "there", I'll betcha she knows how to use her 'feet' if need be :lol:

BajaBlanca - 4-24-2011 at 05:45 PM

good luck scubavicki and welcome welcome to Baja Nomads. when you are done with your adventure - post a trip report .... Have Fun !!