BajaNomad

8 day trip to the Cape/La Paz - suggestions? (Plus, renting a car a necessity?)

jay045 - 8-17-2013 at 05:06 PM

Greetings all,

First post here, love this board!

We're traveling down to Baja in December (15-23), and it's our first visit. We're fairly seasoned travelers to the mainland of Mexico, but not in Baja. We're flying into San Jose Del Cabo.

We enjoy natural wonders, cultural activities, history, and local flavor, and typically avoid resorts and such. I'm a kayaker, and we're both hikers (and sometime snorklers). We're both intermediate level Spanish speakers, and our travel Spanish is pretty good.

I'm trying to get a handle on planning an itinerary and figuring out logistics. But reading books and surfing through information only goes so far, so I thought I'd ask some experts :)

1) Suggestions on Destinations So far, I've booked us for a hotel in Todos Santos, with plans to go from the airport to TS for at least the first two nights. We're planning on going to La Paz. I'm thinking at least a couple of nights there as well.

Questions: Would you recommend any other similar cities? Is SJDC worth spending a night at (I'm guessing no)? Are there smaller towns or places you would recommend?

2) Car RentalI'm gathering that renting a car is often highly recommended on the travel sites. We've traveled regular buses, shuttles and taxis in Mexico before (and noticed that there were a couple of those in the Cape, EcoBaja Tours and Aguila). We like not having the hassle of renting a car, but will rent one if we're really putting ourselves at a disadvantage not having one.


Questions Would we miss out on a lot of opportunities without a rental car? Is it possible to use taxis/local tour operators/buses to get where we'd need to go?

3) Loreto There's a remote possibility that we'd extend the trip and fly home from Loreto. I'm really leaning toward keeping the trip simple, but I am curious about Loreto.

Question Is Loreto so much more amazing than Todos Santos and La Paz, or, with the time we have, would we capture the essence of the Cape with our current plan?

Thank you so much for reading all of this, and I look forward to hearing any thoughts.

[Edited on 8-18-2013 by jay045]

[Edited on 8-18-2013 by jay045]

bajacalifornian - 8-17-2013 at 05:37 PM

Ah jay045, you're gonna get, alota answers.
Baja's small. Travel is fast between your target cities.
Winter and near Christmas, I'll begin with Julie in Loreto for lodging. Others may be more specific.

Welcome amigo . . . post images of your travels. Folks here seem to like 'em.

jay045 - 8-17-2013 at 05:43 PM

Thanks much for the reply, I appreciate it! Love being on this board, these posts have so much amazing info. Will post photos, and keep Julie in mind.
Quote:
Originally posted by bajacalifornian
Ah jay045, you're gonna get, alota answers.
Baja's small. Travel is fast between your target cities.
Winter and near Christmas, I'll begin with Julie in Loreto for lodging. Others may be more specific.

Welcome amigo . . . post images of your travels. Folks here seem to like 'em.

bajacalifornian - 8-17-2013 at 05:50 PM

What are your questions?

jay045 - 8-17-2013 at 06:02 PM

I know it was a long post, and hard to see them - I went ahead and edited. Thanks for pointing that out - hope the original post will make more sense now.
Quote:
Originally posted by bajacalifornian
What are your questions?

bajacalifornian - 8-17-2013 at 06:19 PM

Nah! It's fine.

Get Tio to tell you where to stay and what to do in T.S. and don't miss El Pescadero. Ask Loco too.


I say rent your car cause I like having wheels.


Can't go wrong with La Paz I can offer lots of direction there.


Tuck into Lopez on your way to Loreto. When Loreto has winter wind, can be calm in the laguna for your ride.


Can help with Lopez. Ya can stay there too.


Could fit San Juanico here.


Loreto's my home. Stop in. I'll be there.


Do San Javier.



So close to Mulege, shouldn't miss it.


You can do the rental city to city, and local from there.


Ask price of cab Loreto - San Javier for example. A lady there does local Loreto well for you.

paranewbi - 8-17-2013 at 06:31 PM

8 days is not a great amount of time to cover distance...Have you booked your flight yet? If your not into the resort scene, crowds, etc...maybe consider flying into La Paz and spending a couple of days there first...then take a direct fast road to Todos. If you want to go to Todos first than the airport in La Paz is right on the fast road and has simple access.
Really the drive from San Jose to Cabo to Todos is not relaxing! IF your going to go straight to Todos your fly in day will be shot. La Paz is minutes from the airport and within an hour you'll be on the Malecon with the locals having a cold one.

Staying in La Paz might give you more of a Mexican town feel than San Jose or Cabo. Also there are some decent beaches and access to short hop Islands for snorkeling. A short drive over to Bahia de La Muerta gives more opportunity for boating adventures.

Than if you really want to see Cabo you can shoot down there from Todos and get your fill (in about 2 hours for me) and back to Todos in a day.

Your already talking about 6 days just in that plan and would be much more relaxing than Jamin' up to Loretto and paying for an expensive flight out of there. Go slow is the best advice!

bajacalifornian - 8-17-2013 at 06:44 PM

As questioned, "Have you booked your flight yet"?


Good fares on Aéreo Calafia TJ - Loreto. Easy from San Diego too.

vandenberg - 8-17-2013 at 06:51 PM

* 8 days doesn't give you much time to do anything. My advise is to stick to either La Paz or Loreto and forget Todo Santos, (waste of time), rent a car and do the local sights. Locals will advise you.
Being in Loreto makes me slightly partial, but I also love La Paz.

Los Cabos also a waste of time.

David K - 8-17-2013 at 06:53 PM

The only thing I would change from what Jeff (bajacalifornian) posted, is that I would not call Baja 'small'... It is huge, and in more ways than geographically. There is so much to see and do in Baja, it can not be done in one lifetime!

While fishing may be the #1 draw to Baja... historic interests, photography, beaches, hiking, off roading are other popular items for travelers to Baja.

One of my personal favorites is history, from the pre-historic Indian rock art to the Spanish California missions (that began in Baja) to the gold and silver mines of the past 200+ years...

Let us Nomads know what is of interest to you, and we can offer suggestions of how to spend your short vacation in the southern part of the California peninsula!

bajacalifornian - 8-17-2013 at 07:00 PM

D.K. you are so right! I'm used to running to Lopez, or La Paz. Mulege for that matter. Usually with horses Get underway early and fill the day. I'd be hard to stop for eight days. Also like kickin' back, but this man's gotta go back!.

jay045 - 8-17-2013 at 07:12 PM

Wow, you guys are awesome! Thanks Jeff and paranewbi for the detailed information and ideas. We haven't yet booked airfare, and perhaps we'll fly to La Paz. We were hoping to fly out of SD, mainly to avoid getting stuck in a border line in Tijuana on the way home. (I know they're about to open the additional lanes, but I remain skeptical).

Glad to hear what I thought: that SJDC isn't worth a stop. I wasn't aware that the road was rough getting out of the SJDC airport, that's a really valuable tip.

I agree, paranewbi and vandenberg (love your tag line!), about not over-extending for a short trip. La Paz does sound like a great base; so Todos Santos really isn't worth visiting? Looked interesting, but I'm only looking at photos and travel guides :)

Thanks David for the insight! I think we'd love to know more about some of the hiking sites; and we're always curious to see cultural sites, festivals, and that sort of thing.

You guys are awesome, thanks for the info.

wilderone - 8-17-2013 at 07:16 PM

Yeah, 8 days isn't a lot of time. I would rent a car so you're not wasting any time waiting. You could drive straight to Todos Santos and spend one night there. Subscribe to the online Baja Western Onion to plan your time there. Continue to Cabo Pulmo for primo snorkling and laid back on-the-beach vibe - 2 nights there. Then on to La Paz for a day trip to the islands. You could also drive into the rural area of Santiago and spend 1/2 day at the hot springs there with a picnic. Details on this Board somewhere. Stop here and there for fish tacos, beer. Buy yourself a cheap styrofoam cooler on the first day - you'll need it. So much to do in Baja.

jay045 - 8-17-2013 at 08:54 PM

Thanks for the tips, the Onion looks to be useful! Nice itinerary, I appreciate it and will look into your suggestions.
Quote:
Originally posted by wilderone
Yeah, 8 days isn't a lot of time. I would rent a car so you're not wasting any time waiting. You could drive straight to Todos Santos and spend one night there. Subscribe to the online Baja Western Onion to plan your time there. Continue to Cabo Pulmo for primo snorkling and laid back on-the-beach vibe - 2 nights there. Then on to La Paz for a day trip to the islands. You could also drive into the rural area of Santiago and spend 1/2 day at the hot springs there with a picnic. Details on this Board somewhere. Stop here and there for fish tacos, beer. Buy yourself a cheap styrofoam cooler on the first day - you'll need it. So much to do in Baja.

bajacalifornian - 8-17-2013 at 08:57 PM

Hike Isla Coronados, Loreto. Easily arranged.

San Javier as well.

Road outa SJDC is a toll thoroughfare. Ain't nuthin'rough about it.

And yes. T.S. is worth visiting.

volcano - 8-18-2013 at 06:19 AM

depends on your tolerance of city size, gringo influence, desire for actual hiking and out of town wildness. San Jose and La Paz both have great culture but are large. Todos Santos is built out of a large gringo influence. Loreto is much smaller but retains the original cultural flavor. For wildness, Eastcape loop, Sierra de la Laguna, Sierra Giganta, coast S out of La Paz...and of course water experiences anywhere. A car is a must if you only have 8 days, to get to where you want to go without wasting waiting time, and to get out to wild locations.

danaeb - 8-18-2013 at 07:47 AM

Since you are comfortable traveling in Mexico, Volaris from TJ to LP might be your cheapest flight option. Volaris has a shuttle from the Amtrak station downtown San Diego to the TJ airport and vice versa on your return. Just remember that flying in Mexico during the Christmas season is a zoo! Allow yourself plenty of time for long airport check-in lines and crowded terminals.

Have a wonderful time wherever you go, and welcome to BN!

Curt63 - 8-18-2013 at 08:23 AM

I found renting cars the first time to be really stressful, deceiving and expensive. I never rented again. Try tp get info on the Ecotours bus that travels from SJD airport to La Paz and will stop in TS or Pesc.

Carlitos Tacos in Pesc is awesome. Playa Balandra and boat rides/snorkeling to the islands off La Paz are fantastic.

You need to tell us if you want a Mexican Las Vegas (Cabo) or see some cool nature stuff.

BajaBlanca - 8-18-2013 at 09:24 AM

If you do rent a car, try to go to Santiago and look for SOL DE MAYO. Santiago is a sleepy Mexican village that is really beautiful and has a bar/restaurant that John Wayne used to hang out at.

SOL DE MAYO is a natural spring water pool with a waterfall.....take a picnic lunch and some swimsuits.

I think you could easily do the East Cape -LosBarriles. It is just beautiful! A mix of Mexicans and Gringoes that is quite unique IMO.

mulegemichael - 8-18-2013 at 09:31 AM

if you stay in la paz be sure and visit el triunfo just up the road a bit in the mountains; very cool history!...stop in villages of miraflores and santiago for great local stuff...the beaches between la ribera and cabo pulmo are to die for!...lots to see and do around the east cape area.

latina - 8-18-2013 at 09:53 AM

I would definitely rent a car if you are flying into San Jose. Although you said that you have already booked a hotel in Todos Santos, if it were me, and I only had 8 days, I would fly Aeromexico to La Paz and get a hotel or B&B in the el centro/malecon area. There you can walk everywhere, kayak, paddle board, take a panga trip to some gorgeous islands, sample the local fare, shop.... After a few days you could rent a car and make easy day trips to Todos Santos, El Triunfo, La Ventana and other cool places. Also, it can downright cool that time of year, especially in Todos Santos and the locals will be so bundled up you will think you are in Canada!

jay045 - 8-18-2013 at 10:24 AM

Fabulous ideas! We may try to do that, or at least schedule that for another visit. (and thanks to BajaBlanca for similar suggestions).

Quote:
Originally posted by soulpatch
I kinda like SJdC. Low key enough and the gateway to a lot of awesome East Cape stuff.

Water might be a bit chilly, though! I'd bring some neoprene!

I'd stay as south as you could.....8 days would be easy to fill just popping around the end of the peninsula.

La Paz is pretty cool but East cape, to me, is more vacation like.... especially for only 8 days.

There are a lot of cool rentals on the cheap if you call a few RE agents down there.... lot of places have guest houses and there are a lot of places just sitting empty.

BFS - 8-18-2013 at 10:32 AM

Day 1 rental car drive to Todos Santos. Margarita, sunset (maybe), whales, sleep.
Day 2 Stay in TS 2nd night. hike from La Poza to Old port. Swim, beautiful walk (more whales), you are now starting to decompress.
Day 3 Night in La Paz. Morning walk on insane white sand beach (more whales), swim al Las Palmas then drive to La Paz, explore town, book boat trip for next day. Sunset stroll on malecon.
Day 4 Night in La Paz. breakkie on malecon then head to dock for boat trip to Espiritu Santo, swim/snorkel with whale sharks and/or sea lions. Sunset back on the malecon.
Day 5 Night in La Paz. Drive to La Paz area beaches and enjoy town. Sunset on Malecon. You are now totally decompressed and worried about having to return home.
Day 6 Night on East Cape somewhere. Drive to El Triunfo for breakkie then out to Sol de Mayo for short walk to the waterfall.
Time permitting then head to the hot springs too. Stay the night in Santiago (really cool) or Cabo Pulmo, or wherever night gets ya'.
Day 7 Night in Cabo Pulmo. Head to Arbolitos and rent a kayak. Swim, snorkel, explore.
Day 8 Night in San Jose. Head back to Arbolitos for morning swim. Drive the East Cape road to San Jose stopping enroute for swims, and beach walks. Nap under a palapa? Yes. More whales!
Check in to Casa Natalia on the square in San Jose. Perfect ending, big celebration dinner.
Day 9. Last minute shopping. Catch yourself perusing advertisements on windows of real estate offices. Easy jaunt to the airport.

Car rental. Yes, you need one to make your very short stay as amazing as possible and get to that palapa for a nap!
Loreto. Skip it. Not enough time.

ps. If your flight lands early into SJD, drive into Cabo (I know), head towards Pedregal above the marina. Find that last road through the residential area. Park at the end. Hike to the Arch (yes, hike). Bring 2 Pacificos. Epic way to start your trip. Welcome to Mexico.

jay045 - 8-18-2013 at 10:37 AM

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!!!!

Latina kind of nailed it pretty well - really like yoursuggestions! This kind of sounds like our kind of trip. We're reconsidering, and potentially flying to La Paz (or into La Paz, and out of Cabo) (thanks danaeb for the reminder about the TJ airport shuttle from downtown SD, I had read about that but forgotten). And thanks for the suggestions, Latina and Michael on El Triunfo / waterfall, exactly the kind of side trip we like.

Still contemplating just taking buses. I think Curt's input reflects kind of how we feel - it seems like more hassle to rent a car (cost, insurance, etc.), have the stress of actually having to use it :) than using the nonstop van shuttle from EcoTours, hiring taxis, and picking one or two side trips accessible by Aguila (i.e. El Triunfo, about an hour bus ride out of La Paz).

Of course, I may be cursing myself at the side of the road, waiting for a bus, saying that the Nomads were right, we should have rented a car.

By the way, this is probably just dipping our toes in the water; we'll likely return when we can stay longer.
Quote:
Originally posted by latina
I would definitely rent a car if you are flying into San Jose. Although you said that you have already booked a hotel in Todos Santos, if it were me, and I only had 8 days, I would fly Aeromexico to La Paz and get a hotel or B&B in the el centro/malecon area. There you can walk everywhere, kayak, paddle board, take a panga trip to some gorgeous islands, sample the local fare, shop.... After a few days you could rent a car and make easy day trips to Todos Santos, El Triunfo, La Ventana and other cool places. Also, it can downright cool that time of year, especially in Todos Santos and the locals will be so bundled up you will think you are in Canada!


[Edited on 8-18-2013 by jay045]

jay045 - 8-18-2013 at 10:42 AM

Wow, BFS! This is a fabulous itinerary, makes me reconsider my last post...Kind of what we were thinking for the first two days in TS - relax, hike, orient, then go to La Paz

Quote:
Originally posted by BFS
Day 1 rental car drive to Todos Santos. Margarita, sunset (maybe), whales, sleep.
Day 2 Stay in TS 2nd night. hike from La Poza to Old port. Swim, beautiful walk (more whales), you are now starting to decompress.
Day 3 Night in La Paz. Morning walk on insane white sand beach (more whales), swim al Las Palmas then drive to La Paz, explore town, book boat trip for next day. Sunset stroll on malecon.
Day 4 Night in La Paz. breakkie on malecon then head to dock for boat trip to Espiritu Santo, swim/snorkel with whale sharks and/or sea lions. Sunset back on the malecon.
Day 5 Night in La Paz. Drive to La Paz area beaches and enjoy town. Sunset on Malecon. You are now totally decompressed and worried about having to return home.
Day 6 Night on East Cape somewhere. Drive to El Triunfo for breakkie then out to Sol de Mayo for short walk to the waterfall.
Time permitting then head to the hot springs too. Stay the night in Santiago (really cool) or Cabo Pulmo, or wherever night gets ya'.
Day 7 Night in Cabo Pulmo. Head to Arbolitos and rent a kayak. Swim, snorkel, explore.
Day 8 Night in San Jose. Head back to Arbolitos for morning swim. Drive the East Cape road to San Jose stopping enroute for swims, and beach walks. Nap under a palapa? Yes. More whales!
Check in to Casa Natalia on the square in San Jose. Perfect ending, big celebration dinner.
Day 9. Last minute shopping. Catch yourself perusing advertisements on windows of real estate offices. Easy jaunt to the airport.

Car rental. Yes, you need one to make your very short stay as amazing as possible and get to that palapa for a nap!
Loreto. Skip it. Not enough time.

ps. If your flight lands early into SJD, drive into Cabo (I know), head towards Pedregal above the marina. Find that last road through the residential area. Park at the end. Hike to the Arch (yes, hike). Bring 2 Pacificos. Epic way to start your trip. Welcome to Mexico.


[Edited on 8-18-2013 by jay045]

mtnpop - 8-18-2013 at 11:40 AM

I have not seen it mentioned in the thread but if you really want to visit Loreto the drive is 4+ hours from LaPaz on a good day... pretty much kills a bunch of time out of your trip..
Main airports for BCS are Loreto, LaPaz, and SJDL . My last experience most of the highways from Loreto south are or were very good condition to travel on.
If you make it to Loreto then Mulege is about 1 1/2 hours north.. one of the 5 mission towns and a prison museum that is open sometimes. But again that would really stretch your time... Plenty to do as earlier posted around the south loop.... and warmer than heading north in Dec..
Have fun and enjoy the locals......

monoloco - 8-18-2013 at 01:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by latina
I would definitely rent a car if you are flying into San Jose. Although you said that you have already booked a hotel in Todos Santos, if it were me, and I only had 8 days, I would fly Aeromexico to La Paz and get a hotel or B&B in the el centro/malecon area. There you can walk everywhere, kayak, paddle board, take a panga trip to some gorgeous islands, sample the local fare, shop.... After a few days you could rent a car and make easy day trips to Todos Santos, El Triunfo, La Ventana and other cool places. Also, it can downright cool that time of year, especially in Todos Santos and the locals will be so bundled up you will think you are in Canada!
Actually,mid- December is some of the calmest, nicest weather of the year in Todos Santos, the water temps will still be in the mid to upper 70's. The cold weather here is generally from February until June. La Paz and the Sea of Cortez are likely to be quite windy in December.

[Edited on 8-18-2013 by monoloco]

danaeb - 8-18-2013 at 01:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jay045
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!!!!

By the way, this is probably just dipping our toes in the water; we'll likely return when we can stay longer.



I have a theory. When the Baja bug bites you, it bites hard. If you're like many of us who visit as often as we can, you'll probably be looking at your photos when you get home and planning your next trip back. Keep us posted on your adventure.

:yes::yes::yes:

jay045 - 8-18-2013 at 02:16 PM

We booked our trip to SJD...we came within a couple of mouse clicks of booking our flight to La Paz via Tijuana. But the hassle, uncertainty (border wait) and extra time to get there (we are minutes from the SAN airport) led us to decide to work our way to La Paz via Todos Santos. And then we'll work our way back the night before our flight.

We'd love to get to Loreto one day, but I agree with all of those warning us about the commute (and mtnpop's comment is well taken about unpredictability).

So our plan is tentatively this:

Dec 15: Arrive, transit to Todos Santos
Dec 16: Todos Santos, hiking/snorkle
Dec 17: Transit Todos Santos to La Paz
Dec 17-22: La Paz and surroundings, with day trips via bus/tour operator to mountains/East Cape/Espiritu Santo/Triunfo/snorkle/bicycle/kayak, etc, etc.
Dec 22: La Paz to Todos Santos or SJD (any suggestions on a place close to SJD airport for staying on our last night?)
Dec 23: Return home

I went ahead and put in a reservation for Posada Luna Sol in La Paz, and for Serendipity in Todos Santos. Thanks Monoloco for the info about weather in December down there, sounds great.

We haven't booked the last night just yet, still deciding on that.

We've decided to not initially rent a car, but to possibly rent a car for a day or two in La Paz (thanks Latina for the idea!). Any suggestions on where to rent in La Paz?

I like the fact that the EcoTours van goes nonstop, point-to-point, and looks pretty comfortable. We'll taxi/bus/walk in Todos Santos. This may all change though, with all of your comments playing into this.

I didn't used to plan this far ahead - guess I've got burned by procrastination before.

[Edited on 8-18-2013 by jay045]

[Edited on 8-18-2013 by jay045]

bajajudy - 8-18-2013 at 03:39 PM

There is a Best Western right at the airport.

jay045 - 8-18-2013 at 05:42 PM

Thanks for that! We booked Marisol in town; just realized that it's not that far to the airport, and a $12 taxi ride.
Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
There is a Best Western right at the airport.

jay045 - 8-18-2013 at 10:11 PM

Latest update: we're renting a car, and I think we'll probably follow BFS' itinerary recommendation almost verbatim. Thanks so much (check is in the mail!)



[Edited on 8-20-2013 by jay045]

Our Final (I think) Itinerary

jay045 - 8-20-2013 at 06:28 PM

We pretty much went with the itinerary BFS suggested, that was so perfect.

Dec 15: Arrive, transit to Todos Santos (Serendipity Hotel)
Dec 16: Todos Santos, hiking/snorkel/kayak
Dec 17: Transit Todos Santos to La Paz (Posada Luna Del Sol)
Dec 17-20: La Paz and surroundings, snorkel/bicycle/kayak, malecon, etc, etc.
Dec 20-21: Cabo Pulmo, snorkel, kayak, hike
Dec 22: Cabo Pulmo to SJDC, stay at Marisol or El Encanto
Dec 23: Return home in afternoon
December 24: Plan return visit; ask Santa for more time off for next trip (and dog-sitting).

monoloco - 8-20-2013 at 06:54 PM

Be careful with the car rental, Thrifty is particularly bad for giving a low ball quote, then not allowing you to have the car unless you pay for their over-priced insurance that ends up tripling the cost. Check Trip Advisor for recommendations or maybe someone here can suggest an agency that doesn't jerk you around.

jay045 - 8-20-2013 at 07:00 PM

Thanks! I noticed that. We went with Alamo, and I directly emailed Luis at the location to get an exact quote with the PLI included. I may contact CactusCar just for comparison to get their rate.

Thanks for looking out for us!
Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
Be careful with the car rental, Thrifty is particularly bad for giving a low ball quote, then not allowing you to have the car unless you pay for their over-priced insurance that ends up tripling the cost. Check Trip Advisor for recommendations or maybe someone here can suggest an agency that doesn't jerk you around.

bajacalifornian - 8-21-2013 at 04:49 PM

Careful with the tires, if one blows they'll make you buy it . . . :lol:

volcano - 8-22-2013 at 06:44 AM

I used to stay in Cabo Pulmo on fly in and fly out days.with a flight in the afternoon. Its a 1 1/2 hour drive...various places to stay....Cabo Pulmo resort, Reinhard's Rentals, Baja Bungalos

jay045 - 8-22-2013 at 09:38 AM

Volcano, I love that! We are staying in CP two nights before we leave, but I'm not sure we're brave enough yet to stay there on getaway day. But probably by our second visit we'll be doing that!!!