BajaNomad - Phoenix to Cabo - driving with dog

Phoenix to Cabo - driving with dog

cabocarl - 3-21-2012 at 01:34 PM

OK – I have searched and see a lot of partial answers, but can’t find the full answer. We are thinking of driving from Phoenix to Cabo with a dog. I see a lot of things about crossings (don’t want to do the ferry – have heard the pet storage is not very good). But is there a map with the best crossing and route and places to stop for the night? How many days from the crossing to Cabo? We do want to see scenery, but in the end it’s really just getting to Cabo. Thanks for your help

Carl

mcpuitar - 3-21-2012 at 02:46 PM

Carl--Welcome to Baja Nomad. I live in Tucson and when I don't want to take the ferry (usually due to wind or the extra expense of taking a vehicle on board) I've been driving down Mex 5 lately, crossing at either Algodones or Mexicali East, then down through San Felipe, Puertecitos, Gonzaga, Coco's Corner, meeting up with Mex 1 at Laguna Chapala. Then you would proceed south from there until you run out of land. This route cuts off about 150 miles of the trip (over crossing at Tecate for example) for us in Arizona, and can be a good way to go depending on the type of vehicle you are driving. Wouldn't recommend an RV or towing a trailer because parts of Rte 5 are still rough, though nothing compared to the old days. It's under construction and currently paved (to the understandable dismay of many) to about 20 kms north of Gonzaga. They have been completing about 10 kms per year over the past few years. There is much posted about this route (maps, photos, places to stop/eat/camp, and other useful info) by David K and many others if you browse BN (mostly under "Road Conditions" and also some under "Trip Reports" I believe). Look for subject headings such as "Roadwork to Gonzaga", etc. Even if Cabo is your only destination, I wouldn't do the 1-way trip in less than 3 days because there is so much along the way to see, taste, smell, feel... and don't like to drive it at night (main reasons: Rte 5 has some unexpected dips in the vados and there are often fresh rockslides in the crazy-steep roadcuts they have recently blasted for the new hwy; and Rte 1 has a lot of cows, livestock and other critters).

I'll be heading down again in May but will likely take the Santa Rosalía ferry then, depending on weather. By the way, the Santa Rosalía ferry is not bad for dogs. I take mine and they stay in the car for the roughly 10-hour crossing. I can go visit them on the auto deck whenever I want to. Good luck and have a great trip.

Cypress - 3-21-2012 at 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cabocarl
OK – We do want to see scenery, but in the end it’s really just getting to Cabo. Thanks for your help
Carl

Welcome to Baja Nomads. Maybe just take flight down, then rent a car and head north for a day trip?

cabocarl - 3-21-2012 at 03:17 PM

thanks for the responses.

Cypress - yes we want to experience the trip - we usually fly as we spend 4 to 6 weeks in cabo 3 or 4 times a year. But we now have a dog and from Phoenix USA is the only direct flight and they won't take dogs. AA will, but has to make a stop and will not if the temp along the way is above 85 - so being in phoenix - this is often - so unless someone has another option - we are driving

mcpuitar - I read the santa Rosalia ferry was not very good with actually keep their schedule. So if the dog is in the car for 10 hours - is there a place to walk them. My concern with the La Paz ferry is the pets are with the trucks in cages and the air quality if pretty poor. the only ferry I've been on was about an hour. How long is the trip if you take the santa rosalia ferry?

vandy - 3-21-2012 at 03:19 PM

Phoenix to Tecate crossing, leave really early to cross the border (6 hour drive) before noon.

Straight ahead, left at first light, right at first light, across RR tracks then straight to Ensenada. Stop at all stop signs, they are everywhere.

Before Ensenada, look for sign for San Quintin, and bear right through Ensenada near coast.
Stop at all stop signs.

You'll be early for a hotel in San Quintin...try El Rosario for a pet-friendly place with internet, possibly Baja Cactus.
Or go on to Catavina, like I sometimes do, in the dark SLOWLY.
But I camp in the desert.

If you make it to Catavina, then one more huge day to Cabo.
Two-day drive for the truly serious.

Your average hard driver will make it in three days from Phoenix.

Regular people will stay in San Quintin/El Rosario, then Guerrero Negro, then Loreto, taking four days. Some people realize that when they reach a perfect spot, they stay there, and skip Cabo

BajaBlanca - 3-21-2012 at 03:36 PM

welcome to Baja Nomad ... have a great trip.

mcpuitar - 3-21-2012 at 04:59 PM

Carl, Usually the SR ferry is good about keeping their schedule. There have been 6 times out of 24 SR ferry crossings when I have had to wait at least 12 hrs, sometimes 24 to 48 hrs, to cross (4 times for the wind/waves to die down, once for a mechanical problem with the boat to be fixed, and the other time was my fault--I got to the terminal office late and they had given my car space reservation away so I had to wait for the next crossing). Just stay overnight and enjoy Guaymas/San Carlos or Santa Rosalía for a day or so, which could be a problem if you are on a tight schedule. At least five other times, when returning to AZ I've had to change plans and drive up Baja when I had planned to take the ferry but found out it wasn't crossing that day afterall. Please read my lengthy posts about taking dogs on the SR ferry from 2 years ago (March 16, 17, 18 2010 and then again on Jan 13, 2011), all on page 2 of the following thread:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=44761&pag...

dogs

captkw - 3-21-2012 at 05:17 PM

HOLA, as that I've been crossing the borders awhile, I can tell ya dogs are no problem,,if yours are aggresseve ? show the ck points along the way that they are leased and under control....very important and when out with your dogs be aware that most local folk's are rather afraid of gringo dogs and just saying" no problem" is not the answer for them, espesaly when their are childin involed,,I have found that,, direct control of your dog and saying" no mordia" and smiling makes them feel more comforting rather than sitting on your a-s on a beach with your dog unleased while they are walking past with the kid's.. hell that's not good just about anywhere...remember a great dog owner will go out of the way to make other folk's feel safe around your dog's and is really apprecaded any where... and yes you know that your dog isnt gonna bite,, but that dosnt mean crap to other folk's..... K & T :cool:

goldhuntress - 3-21-2012 at 05:20 PM

mcpuitar, nice posts about the dog/ferry issues. I'm not planning on taking the ferry but if I do that is excellent info.
cabocarl, drive down Baja, it's a great experience. Have an awesome time and hopefully we'll get a trip report out of you!

bajasuzie - 3-21-2012 at 06:05 PM

Carl...U2U me..

DavidE - 3-21-2012 at 07:59 PM

I stayed at the Le Espinata hotel in guerrero negro and when I slammed the car door, the place sounded like a dog pound. That place allows dogs it seems.

Hook - 3-22-2012 at 10:57 AM

cabocarl, as someone mentioned, it would help to know what kind of vehicle you are in. Are you bringing camping gear? Hoteling it all the way down? Necessary to know this before recommending a route.

cabocarl - 3-22-2012 at 11:28 AM

we are in a Jeep Cherokee. 2 wheel drive. Looking to stay at hotels along the way

I have looked at the site and used "search" for maps, but really can’t find any detailed ones – any help would be appreciated

Thanks for all the coments

Carl

cabocarl

captkw - 3-22-2012 at 11:46 AM

Hola,I would suggest you bring some sleeping bag's and at least min camping gear...baja is alway's a GREAT place to sleep on beach's and star/moon gaze..just a saying !!!! and if your heep (spanish) should brakedown,, at least you can sleep warm... and long peice of small rope to make a dog run..I like to use the cararbin hook's that look like the one's for rock climping.. with a 6/8 ft leash.. makes living with dog's easy.... and a eyelet on the bottom of both bumber's.K & T :cool:

Hook - 3-22-2012 at 02:30 PM

Jesus Christo, Vandy. Three days from Phoenix to Cabo? The poor wife will want a divorce on the spot, when they get there. Even his dog may abandon him.

I would avoid the Tecate to San Quintin corridor. Just too much traffic and not very scenic. Go Phoenix to Mexicali East, then down the Gonzaga route.

Just when are you going? Semana Santa is coming...............

Bajahowodd - 3-22-2012 at 04:29 PM

I also had to shake my head at the statement that from Catavina to Cabo is one huge day. To say the least.

I'm guessing that cabocarl is not in a giant hurry, as he expressed an interest in seeing the sights along the way.

I lean toward the advice about crossing at Tecate.

Don't know if you have any interest in Ensenada. It has a bunch of great restaurants and good hotels.

We cross at San Ysidro when heading South. Although there was a time when we were hellbent to get to Cabo ASAP, over the years, we have learned to take our time.

Our usual itinerary from Orange County CA is to make it to San Quintin the first day, where there is a wonderful hotel called Jardines Baja, with perhaps the best restaurant in the whole area next door, run by the same family. They have pet friendly rooms, but not many. You would be advised to make a reservation ahead of time.

We usually make it a fairly short second day, going only as far as Guerrero Negro. I'm not up on the pet situation in Guerrero Negro, but you will find several good restaurants and the hotels I can recommend are Caracoles and Cowboy.

Our next day, we usually stop in Loreto. Many hotels and restaurants. I won't even get into recommending a hotel in Loreto. We've stayed in several. We tend toward Hacienda suites, which is not on the water, but has a really good restaurant next door (Domingo's Place) but as I said, many options and some good ones by the water.

From Loreto, it's an easy day to Cabo, but we will often just stop in La Paz to enjoy the malecon. In La Paz, we have gravitated over the years to Suites El Morro that is on the malecon, where a number of good restaurants can be found.

going south

captkw - 3-22-2012 at 04:42 PM

Hola,I have to agree with the last two post's...catavina to cabo in a day.........what the hell can I say to that ??? dont plan your trip in baja just let it happen !! If you slowed down you might even get to see,feel,enjoy and find some great folk's,places, and let's not forget to mention the food and all the other thing's you might get to enjoy..I bet good peso's that if you took you time coming down the baja, that by the time (if) you got to cabo you very well just might turn aroud and come back to the real baja !!! "catavina to cabo in a day" would you please let us know what day,, so that we can together with the army and police make shure the road will be cleared for you !! :lol:

K & T

[Edited on 3-23-2012 by captkw]

canine leasing vs. owning

El Camote - 3-22-2012 at 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by captkw
show the ck points along the way that they are leased and under control....with your dog unleased while they are walking past with the kid's.. K & T :cool:

I use to lease my dogs too but got so attached at the end of the lease period, I bought them outright. :lol:

With a Jeep Cherokee, I wouldn't hesitate to take the hwy. 5/gulf side to hwy. 1. You could either spend the first night in San Felipe and stop for lunch the next day at Gonzaga bay or, better yet, depart Phoenix early-whirly and make it all the way to Alfonsina's for the first night. Gonzaga bay is magical and worth the overnight and the short distance of bad road.
Besides, your pup will love the millions of spots to pull off the road and sniff the cactus on hwy 5.

Bajahowodd - 3-22-2012 at 06:08 PM

By the way....

After I made my last post, I checked the mileage chart. It's 762 miles from Catavina to Cabo. A huge day indeed, considering that most of the driving is on a two lane, with serpentine hills, as well as lots of small town with topes, stop signs and traffic lights. I'm guessing that it is 15 hours at best. But at best.

mcpuitar - 3-22-2012 at 11:44 PM

Agree with El Camote. With Jeep 2-wheel-drive, you'll be fine on Rte 5 and you'll avoid all the truck traffic up north on Rte 1. From AZ and other points east of Mexicali, it's a good way to go when not taking the ferry. Take 4 days if you can, five would be even better. Since not camping suggested lodging stops: Gonzaga, San Ignacio, Loreto, then on to Cabo. If you get a late start out of PHX, you can do nights in San Felipe, Guerrero Negro, Loreto. Get a good map of Baja and you won't get lost.

Many places allow dogs in the rooms but Alfonsina's does not. But there's
another option in Gonzaga for non-campers who don't want to leave dogs in the car--Sacrificio has cabins now.

leaseing a dog

captkw - 3-23-2012 at 11:59 AM

HOLA,, not much I can say, my foot is blocking my speech !! LOL....K&T..

capitolkat - 3-23-2012 at 03:21 PM

My wife and I drive the Phoenix to La paz route at least once a year and we have done the PHX to El Rosario with no problems many times. i see all the advice on Hwy 5 but unless I'm sight seeing I stick to the easier routes. cross at Tecate- In January it was 5 minutes going north and no wait coming south. Becasue we are visiting in Phoenix we sometime leave mid day and drive to Yuma and stay at the very nice Radison- nice happy hour- good wines and food- reasonable rates and get a reasonable start for Baja Cactus, stop in Ensenda for a meal and gas. The drive down through the wine country is a good trip, and we saw what is one of the most expensive spas in the country on the last trip just out of Tecate. We just looked as it seemed like a really strange location.

Because we don't want to move the car after we get to Baja CAtus we walk over to Mama Espinosas and have a meal. The quality has suffered over the last 5 years but still ok and comfortable is part of the experience. My wife always gets the Lobster Relleno and it's pretty consistant.

We then take our time and drive to Loreto and stay in Coco Cabanas- they have a Nomad rate and the rooms are very comfortable. you can walk downtown and go to several of the bars and there is alarge expat community most nights to share a meal and stories.There is a pretty good steak house whose name excapes me right now and they make a good margarita. The folks at the Cabanas will give you a map and directions to anything in town.
From there it's an easy drive to CAbo or for us to La paz and we get home by noon to Cabo by 2 or 3.

really good advice above ..and I add:

BajaBlanca - 3-23-2012 at 08:27 PM

remember you do not want to drive at night

be advised that there are military checks along the route. they ask where you are coming from. where you are headed. and they ask you to step out of the car to make a usually cursory check of the vehicle. they are quite scary looking but in reality, they are just doing their job: check the car to make sure there is no contraband (read drugs).

we like jardines to stay and love the restaurant
we love the restaurant at mallarimo in guerrero negro - filet mignon
we like cococabanas

remember to drive REALLY slowly in Ciudad Constitution .... every one gets taken for cash there. stop at every corner. breathe deeply. observe the sky for a goos minute. proceed to the next stop sign to do the same

and most importantly - have fun.

:bounce:

[Edited on 3-24-2012 by BajaBlanca]

Bajahowodd - 3-24-2012 at 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capitolkat

Because we don't want to move the car after we get to Baja CAtus we walk over to Mama Espinosas and have a meal. The quality has suffered over the last 5 years but still ok and comfortable is part of the experience. My wife always gets the Lobster Relleno and it's pretty consistant.

That's exactly why we started to stay at Jardines Baja in the San Quintin area several years ago. Their family run restaurant is right next door and is soooo much better than Mama's.

bajasuzie - 3-25-2012 at 07:26 AM

We crossed at Yuma (Algodones) with 2 dogs..easiest crossing we've ever seen!
Drove our jeep so here is a list of dog accommodations where we stayed:
Kiki's Campground in San Felipe
Guillermo's in BOLA
Cuesta Real in Mulege
All were great!

baja blanca

captkw - 3-25-2012 at 07:33 AM

HOLA, and a good morn to all !! B.B. I got to ask? what's a goos time ??? :?:

K&T

cabocarl - 3-26-2012 at 02:27 PM

Our neighbor in Cabo said they make the trip from San Diego in one night. First day to Guerro Negro, second day to Cabo – sounds like a lot for 2 days.

I have looked at Google Earth and can’t find route 5 from San Felipe to pick up Hwy 1 – can someone push me in the right direction?

Also – where is the best place for a map and is there a map to load onto my Garmin for the trip?

What’s the best route for getting there as fast as possible? What is the best route for scenery?

Thanks again – I think we will be doing this mid-May

baja 1000 rat race

mtgoat666 - 3-26-2012 at 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cabocarl
Our neighbor in Cabo said they make the trip from San Diego in one night. First day to Guerro Negro, second day to Cabo – sounds like a lot for 2 days.

it is a lot for 2 days.

you said you are spending over 4 weeks in cabo. what's the rush?

=========

Life is a journey, not a destination.

==============

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

=========

stop and smell the roses

Exactly!

Bajahowodd - 3-26-2012 at 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote:

Originally posted by cabocarl
Our neighbor in Cabo said they make the trip from San Diego in one night. First day to Guerro Negro, second day to Cabo – sounds like a lot for 2 days.

Making that trip in two days is possible if you are willing to drive from dawn til (maybe after) dusk, and make only the stops necessary to fill your tank.

As the goats says, if you are spending so much time in Cabo, that kind of rush is fundamentally not worth it, given road fatigue, Etc.