BajaNomad - Driving Times: Vizcaino, Bahia Tortuga, Asuncion, etc. ?

Driving Times: Vizcaino, Bahia Tortuga, Asuncion, etc. ?

DavidE - 3-1-2012 at 12:58 PM

For a family unfamiliar with the area driving a small van. Time needed to start at Vizcaino and go to either Turtle Bay or Bahis Ascuncion.

Time needed to drive from Asuncion to Turtle Bay

Time needed to drive from Mex 1, to Laguna San Ignacio.

Is there a basic hotel at the Laguna? Would it be safe for a family with two pre-schoolers. I told them they should positively take along personal flotation devices for the girls, but then I need to ask your opinion about just how safe the lagoon is as compared to Guerrero Negro. I do not believe that trip is safe enough, as it is very open water with swells and wind. I remember San Ignacio as being much calmer.

If there aren't basic hotels near the lagoon, is there enough time to drive out there and back from San Ignacio in one day? I remember my grand daughters, and their ability to travel about 20 minutes to a half hour between stops.

Henri and Lu said they are leaving next week sometime, I think Monday. I assume it's going to take them a week to get to San Ignacio from Tucson. Henri wants to see turtle bay and punta eujenia. Lu wants to see an oyster farm if at all possible before they return to Lyons.

DianaT - 3-1-2012 at 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
For a family unfamiliar with the area driving a small van. Time needed to start at Vizcaino and go to either Turtle Bay or Bahis Ascuncion.

Time needed to drive from Asuncion to Turtle Bay

Time needed to drive from Mex 1, to Laguna San Ignacio.

Is there a basic hotel at the Laguna? Would it be safe for a family with two pre-schoolers. I told them they should positively take along personal flotation devices for the girls, but then I need to ask your opinion about just how safe the lagoon is as compared to Guerrero Negro. I do not believe that trip is safe enough, as it is very open water with swells and wind. I remember San Ignacio as being much calmer.

If there aren't basic hotels near the lagoon, is there enough time to drive out there and back from San Ignacio in one day? I remember my grand daughters, and their ability to travel about 20 minutes to a half hour between stops.

Henri and Lu said they are leaving next week sometime, I think Monday. I assume it's going to take them a week to get to San Ignacio from Tucson. Henri wants to see turtle bay and punta eujenia. Lu wants to see an oyster farm if at all possible before they return to Lyons.

A couple of answers--- For us, it is about 1 1/2 +/- from Viscaino to Bahia Asuncion. It depends on how bad the pot holes are and a few weeks ago, there were some areas of really bad ones.

From BA to Tortugas? Depends on the way you go and again, the road conditions. But I know we have left BA in the morning, taken the back road to Tortugas and Punta Eugenia, ate lunch and returned to BA on the other road which was terrible washboard at the time and we were home before dark. Maybe someone can give more precise times---on the way there, we stopped a lot.

No hotel at the San Ignacio Lagoon, but there are a few places with very basic cabins---outside bathrooms. Kuyima and Cortez are a couple. They are NOT cheap.

From our experiences, San Ignacio can get windy and rough, but not nearly as bad as Ojo de Liebre which is bigger. The viewing area of San Ignacio is usually calmer. Once when it was windy, Kuyima dropped us off at there camp and used a van to take us all the way back.

They have life vests for all sizes, but if you are more comfortable with your own, take them just to be sure they have the proper size. It is good that you are concerned about that. Taking a baby or any child out in a boat without a proper flotation device, to me is as stupid as not using a car seat in a car. With the tours at all the lagoons, life vests are absolutely required.

Overall, the trip whale watching there will be 2 1/2 hours or more. They say they stay in the viewing area for 90 minutes, but often it is longer and then there is the time taken to get to the viewing area.

On Edit---I mentioned the time in the boat because of the ages of their children. Only they know how long they might last in a boat. As pre-schoolers, one of my grandsons would have done great, but the other one no. They are 8 and 10 now and I can't wait to take them out to San Ignacio.

Yes, one can drive out there or take one of the vans from San Ignacio. About 1/2 the road is paved the the condition of the rest of it depends. It is about 70 kilometers. We stay in town.

Hope they have a great trip and going to Punta Eugenia feels like going to the end of the earth---we loved it!

[Edited on 3-1-2012 by DianaT]

mtgoat666 - 3-1-2012 at 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DianaT

Quote:

the cabins at the lagoon are nice experience. rudimentary accommodations, but fun place to spend the night.
the "outside bathcrooms" are pretty deluxe for being outside. to put them in perspective, they surpass any pemex bano! (the thrones are indoors, sinks are outdoors)

Islandbuilder - 3-1-2012 at 01:55 PM

We stayed in San Ignacio (town) the night before we went to the lagoon, it's easy to get up, get some breakfast, and make it from the town to the lagoon in time to catch a 0900 panga.

I don't think that it's realistic to assume tha either lagoon is "safer" due to sea conditions. On any given day, one can be rough, and the other calm, or more likely, both rough or calm. The only issues with it being choppy and windy are that A.) you get soaked if it's windy, bring rain gear, and B.) When it's choppy the whales may not come as close as they would if the panga was sitting still.

If you have kid PFD's that your children are used to, bring them, otherwise, all the panga operators have everyone in PFD's before they get into the boats. They seemed to have sizes for everyone.

We went from Bahia Asuncion to Ojo de Liebre, leaving at about 0600 and arriving at 0915. We drove as fast as I would consider safe, looking into the sunrise while dodging suspension eating potholes was a bit nervous making.

I strongly suggest the early boats in both places, the wind is typically worse in the afternoons.

Have a great trip!

[Edited on 3-2-2012 by Islandbuilder]

Islandbuilder - 3-1-2012 at 02:00 PM

There is a large oyster farm in San Quintin Bay. Turn right at the south side of the military base (trees, big flag, stoplight) and drive SW out the pretty smooth dirt road. Follow the main road to Bahia Falsa, and there is an extensive oyster operation there. BajaGringo may be able to get you some contact info there as far as a tour is concerned. The oysters are off-shore growing on floats in an anchored framework. No way to check it out up close without a guide.
My guess is that it's about 6 miles to the oyster growing area.

[Edited on 3-1-2012 by Islandbuilder]

DianaT - 3-1-2012 at 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666

the "outside bathcrooms" are pretty deluxe for being outside. to put them in perspective, they surpass any pemex bano! (the thrones are indoors, sinks are outdoors)

And the sink areas are quite pretty.

shari - 3-1-2012 at 03:55 PM

If you drive out yourself to the ejido area of the inner lagoon, it is very calm and more protected than San Ignacio. I think you are thinking about the mouth of the lagoon which is rougher....this is where Malarrimo, Laguna & Mario's tours go to.

the kids will love it wherever you go and be more comfy in their own lifejackets if they are used to them.

DianaT - 3-1-2012 at 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shari
If you drive out yourself to the ejido area of the inner lagoon, it is very calm and more protected than San Ignacio. I think you are thinking about the mouth of the lagoon which is rougher....this is where Malarrimo, Laguna & Mario's tours go to.

Do you really think the inner lagoon is more protected than San Ignacio? One of the times we went out in the ejido area of the inner lagoon at Ojo de Liebre, it was like riding out in the ocean--the swells were very large. We have had a few real rough rides out there over the years and a couple of rough ones at San Ignacio also, but mainly on the way to and back from the viewing area. They tell us, and from what we have experienced, it is calmer in the viewing area---not always flat calm, that's for sure, but calmer. So I guess the viewing area is somewhat more protected than the rest of the San Ignacio Lagoon.

Dave --- A couple more things to consider. Access to the boat at Ojo de Liebre is easier as there is a dock. If it is low tide at San Ignacio Lagoon, one has to walk out to the boat---it is not deep, but something to consider with little kids. And while we think the drive to San Ignacio Lagoon is far more scenic, the drive to Ojo de Liebre is easier.

[Edited on 3-1-2012 by DianaT]

shari - 3-2-2012 at 07:55 AM

I have never seen swells in the inner lagoon, ever....wind chop yes...and have been unable to go out in san ignacio due to high wind and wind chop...ANY body of water will have waves when it is windy. If you look at the map, the inner lagoon is far far from the mouth where swells enter.

at a very low tide, one must also wade a wee bit out to the panga at ojo de liebre.

DianaT - 3-2-2012 at 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by shari
I have never seen swells in the inner lagoon, ever....wind chop yes...and have been unable to go out in san ignacio due to high wind and wind chop...ANY body of water will have waves when it is windy. If you look at the map, the inner lagoon is far far from the mouth where swells enter.

at a very low tide, one must also wade a wee bit out to the panga at ojo de liebre.

Opps, I guess those big things are called very large wind chop and not swells. :biggrin: