BajaNomad - the Road from 1 to Satnta osalillita

the Road from 1 to Satnta osalillita

tyguypb - 11-14-2013 at 06:48 PM

Hey there Nomads,

So i was wondering what the conditions of the road down to Santa rosallilita from the 1 is like? I have heard from a friend who went down there many years ago that it was pretty slow going and not for a Subaru outback. Has any one driven it recently? can my 2008 subaru outback make it? will it be able to make the drive to any of the multitude of beaches for surfing and fishing that lie north of santa rosalillita?

If anyone can point me in the direction of some info on the town i would be greatly appreciative. I love to fish and surf and camp and i have been FIENDING to check it out but i have been very leery to make the journey... Thanks for any and ALL help!

-Tyler (nomadic newbie)

[Edited on 11-15-2013 by tyguypb]

David K - 11-14-2013 at 07:01 PM

The edit button is great to use... I do a lot! Don't worry and welcome to Nomad. If this is a question... the road from Hwy. 1 to SANTA ROSALILLITA (or ROSALIITA) is paved and about 10 miles long.

EDIT:

The road north goes into the secret Seven Sisters region and any discussion is forbidden by the surf N-zis here! LOL

When I drove it in 2007, I found it an excellent dirt highway as far north as Punta Cono with grading and fine dust/ silt in the road to Bahia Blanca. Unimproved dirt road on north from there, at that time.

Recent reports have said the 'dirt highway' has deteriorated and has a rough surface.

My 'old' photos map and road log are at http://vivabaja.com/707 and I did travel from north to south: Puerto Catarina past Santa Rosalillita to Punta Rosarito and out to Hwy. 1. The road south from Santa Rosalillita is rough, unimproved road.

[Edited on 11-15-2013 by David K]

MMc - 11-14-2013 at 07:54 PM

The road to town is paved. The roads north and south are not and conditions change every year. I would not use 07 road conditions at all. GO! if you don't like the way the road looks figure something out or turn around. You can find a beach, surf, fish, in what your are driving. You can get help in there, just BE PREPARED. A come a long, shovel and a LONG strap is always nice to have. If you go, keep the places you go to close. Some us like to discover without the details that take the wonder out of a place. You surf/ fish, you know the drill.
I am Mike and I am a surf N-zi/butthead, I don't post maps or GPS points :lol:

[Edited on 11-15-2013 by MMc]

woody with a view - 11-14-2013 at 08:44 PM

^^^ what Mike said! ^^^

BajaBlanca - 11-15-2013 at 01:39 PM

welcome to Baja nomad, Tyler! Hopefully bryanmackenzie will pop in soon as he just did that particular stretch last week.

DianaT - 11-15-2013 at 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
^^^ what Mike said! ^^^

Surfing or no surfing, too many detailed instructions, too many picture of every detail, IMHO, can ruin the sense of adventure.

[Edited on 11-15-2013 by DianaT]

chippy - 11-15-2013 at 04:28 PM

Go and have fun. The odds of getting uncrowded waves there are pertty slim but it can be done (with luck). Don´t let these fat old grumps who were there decades too late put you off. These places have been hit hard for 40 years so don´t expect to much.

[Edited on 11-15-2013 by chippy]

tyguypb - 11-15-2013 at 05:35 PM

Thanks for the info!!!

I certainly wasn't asking for specific surf spots or fishing spots, i didn't mean to ruffle and feathers here. Just looking for some info from people who have been there so i know weather it is worth using my own car or finding another ride.

I'm always game for an adventure and i am not asking for someone to plan my trip for me but i am certainly not keen on driving 9+ hours to find my car won't make it to where i wanna go haha

Udo - 11-15-2013 at 07:10 PM

Just to put you at ease about the road to Santa Rasaliita:

I went there this past June, and again in February of this year. The place is an absolute gem! The road is a great road...not a single pot hole!
You'll have ways to go to get to the secret surf spots from there (so, i'm not even going there). If you wish to spend the night there, there is a small motel in town for about $30.00 US per night.
Do make sure you take long walks down the beach in front of town...probably the most romantic one you'll ever take.
You can dry camp at the bottom of the road that leads to the beach. There are lots of fishermen down the same beach that you can buy their seafood from.
If you are a beginner surfer, there is a very nice, but short point break at the edge of the small peninsula in front of the town. It is so smooth that it is a superb ride even as short as it is. When there is no wind, the water is like glass.

vgabndo - 11-15-2013 at 08:15 PM

Hey, welcome aboard. The only impediment to going north the first 12k or so is one steep hill, I used 4x4 because it was rocky and my truck and camper are very heavy. You have an Outback dude, you should be stylin'. I don't know about southbound. Going into the ejido camping area, west, it seems the dunes have really encroached over the years and there isn't as much camping there as before. It's really soft in places, I got my Dodge record-breaking stuck down there last year! :lol:

The stretch from the highway to town is one of the smoothest roads in Baja.

Road to Santa Rosalillita:

jaymtb - 12-2-2013 at 12:36 AM

Hi,
I was there in October 2013. The road to Escalera Estupido project (now rusting and filled with sand), and town is great as others have said.
The road north was pretty bad with major washboard 4-6" deep, rocky, often 10-15 mph. Locals have gone back to driving in desert in many parts, where possible. They told me the Baja "off road" race was coming through in November against their protests, with under-table money to Pres of municipalidad. So, after that they expected it to be waaay worse. They didn't believe any money would be available to fix it.

It sucks a lot because they have to haul, gas, ice, and fish back and forth over it.

Good Luck

Jay

[Edited on 12-2-2013 by jaymtb]

[Edited on 12-2-2013 by jaymtb]

[Edited on 12-2-2013 by jaymtb]

David K - 12-2-2013 at 09:34 AM

The Baja 1000 reached the coast at Bahia Blanco and left the coast at Faro San Jose... However, I agree that SCORE should repair any damage that the race caused... I do think weather is a far worse destroyer of roads, as you said about the washouts.

Barry A. - 12-2-2013 at 11:33 AM

In my experience over the years, the difference between "race damage" and "natural damage" is significant. Race damage is usually in the form of whoop-de-doos and dust which brings your speed down to 5 miles an hour for miles on end, in a heavy rig (I hate race damage)------natural damage is often a gawd-send in that the bad places are few, and usually conquered with care, and the rest of the way is all smoothed out by the natural running water, and fast. However, it is true that "natural damage" can stop you cold some times, and that is seldom true of "race damage".

On the "adventure" subject:---------Other peoples related experiences and discoveries, and detailed maps offered by NOMADS, all add to the adventure for me, not detract from it. :spingrin:

Like somebody already said, I hate to drive for miles only to find (surprise!!!) I cannot get to where I want to go.

On edit: However, even I must admit that I avoid low-level flying over places I want to explore because THAT does take some of the adventure away (but not much).

Barry

[Edited on 12-2-2013 by Barry A.]

Terry28 - 12-2-2013 at 12:33 PM

FYI folks...there are no "secret" spots. This area is in most of the Baja surf guide books..and the fact that it is talked about here and on other inter- net sites just supports that position...get over it guys....

woody with a view - 12-2-2013 at 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
The road north goes into the secret Seven Sisters region and any discussion is forbidden by the surf N-zis here! LOL

now you're getting it! baby steps for sure....

Mexitron - 12-2-2013 at 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.
In my experience over the years, the difference between "race damage" and "natural damage" is significant. Race damage is usually in the form of whoop-de-doos and dust which brings your speed down to 5 miles an hour for miles on end, in a heavy rig (I hate race damage)------natural damage is often a gawd-send in that the bad places are few, and usually conquered with care, and the rest of the way is all smoothed out by the natural running water, and fast. However, it is true that "natural damage" can stop you cold some times, and that is seldom true of "race damage".

Well put...me too.

Skipjack Joe - 12-3-2013 at 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Terry28
FYI folks...there are no "secret" spots. This area is in most of the Baja surf guide books..and the fact that it is talked about here and on other inter- net sites just supports that position...get over it guys....

Get over what?