BajaNomad

Road Report - Ensenada to Loreto

sequoyah - 12-4-2013 at 09:24 AM

Other than one 8 km stretch halfway between Ensenada and El Rosario, and a few very minor and brief areas, the roads were clear and wonderful.

No problems at all at military checkpoints (5?) and never stopped by local police.

Great trip. Would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Sto Tomas

bajaguy - 12-4-2013 at 09:27 AM

Is the road repair in Santo Tomas completed???

Ok, don't laugh at me, but where is Santo Tomas?

sequoyah - 12-4-2013 at 09:31 AM


bajaguy - 12-4-2013 at 09:43 AM

Big agricultural area south of Ensenada. Was through there about 25 days ago and they were working on the road with detours. Just wondering if the construction was complete when you drove through.

No, it's not completed

sequoyah - 12-4-2013 at 09:59 AM

That is probably the 8 km stretch I spoke of above. There are a few very short detours, then the one big longer one.

David K - 12-4-2013 at 11:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by sequoyah


About 25 miles south of Ensenada (location of El Palomar RV Park & Restaurant/ Curio Shop, and the 34th California Spanish Mission!)


This is what we wrote down.

sequoyah - 12-4-2013 at 11:22 AM

Small areas of detour/construction between Km 89 and 97, around Buenos Aires and San Vincente.

8 km stretch is about 5 km south of San Vincente.

Does that make sense?

David K - 12-4-2013 at 11:31 AM

San Vicente (not Vincente) is the next town south of Santo Tomas, about 50 miles south of Ensenada... see it on the map, above. :)

San Vicente was also the site of California's 29th Spanish Mission and briefly the administrative center for the Northern District of Baja California.



[Edited on 12-4-2013 by David K]

chuckie - 12-4-2013 at 11:45 AM

Sant Tomas is where they kidnapped my dog....

sequoyah - 12-4-2013 at 12:13 PM

Yes, DavidK. That looks like exactly where we hit the construction.

We though it might indicate that we would be dodging these areas for the next four days, but we hit virtually nothing after that.

David K - 12-4-2013 at 12:18 PM

Thank you for your live trip report! They began widening the two lane south of Ensenada a couple years ago so it has less 'drama' and bike lane wide shoulders. It could really benefit from having two lanes in each direction because of all the cargo truck traffic and slow cars... on the mountain sections.

TMW - 12-4-2013 at 01:51 PM

At Loreto there is road construction from the south section where you enter town on hwy 1 south for a couple of miles. Gotta look closely for the San Javier turnoff as the regular hwy signs are down.

Thanks for that information, TW.

sequoyah - 12-4-2013 at 02:00 PM

Will be heading South from here in a couple of days and hoped to get up to the Mission on the way out.

David K - 12-4-2013 at 03:00 PM

Mission San Francisco Javier is the JEWEL of all Baja missions! The road is all paved now (repair detours possible) and only about 20 miles of beautiful canyon/ mountain driving to California's SECOND Spanish mission!

Here is my road log from 2009, the pavement ended halfway there that year:

GETTING THERE

Highway 1 to San Javier, approx. 1 hour driving time:

0.0 San Javier road at Hwy. 1, exactly one mile south of the signed Loreto entrance road.

8.2 Rock art parking on left, at arroyo crossing short walk to site.

9.8 End of pavement in 2009, good graded road continues up. Five additional miles paved per report in 2011.

11.4 Rancho Las Parras and chapel.

16.1 Rancho Viejo, the original location of Mision San Javier (1699-1710).

17.3 Road to San Jose Comondu junction.

21.7 San Francisco Javier de Biaundo

GPS: 25º51'36.9" 111º32'37.0"

Here is my Baja Bound article with photos: http://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/mission_s...

Here is a new article with additional history of San Javier, posted on Discover Baja's blog: http://discoverbaja.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/the-spanish-mis...

[Edited on 12-4-2013 by David K]

TMW - 12-4-2013 at 05:05 PM

Just remember the SJ turnoff is near the airport turnoff, I think it's before or north. There is a sign just as you turn onto the mission hwy but it faces south.

0.0 San Javier road at Hwy. 1, exactly one mile south of the signed Loreto entrance road.

David K - 12-4-2013 at 05:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
Just remember the SJ turnoff is near the airport turnoff, I think it's before or north. There is a sign just as you turn onto the mission hwy but it faces south.


It is 1.0 mile south from the Loreto entrance road (Pemex on Hwy. 1)

Also, the ONLY paved road going west in the area!:light:

BajaOkie - 12-5-2013 at 05:47 PM

Howdy,

Just drove San Diego to Mulege - some tough spots with the rain. The first of three off road detours coming from the north at San Vicente is very hard with the big dip and mud - the trucks and campers were having a time of it. The second not to bad and the long run south of San Vicente is no problem, however, they are building a new PEMEX out there and the building is complete.

Just north of Vizcaino, they have finally dug up that last 2 or 3 KM road and are replacing it. The side road today was a mud wrestling pit with only about one lane open and steady rain. Should be better latere, I hope

KC

dtutko1 - 12-6-2013 at 09:43 AM

We drove from TJ to Pescadero 3 weeks ago. I havn't seen as much repair, maintenance, new construction on Hwy 1 in the 13 years we've been coming down. Drove up to Mission San Javier. The road is barely passable in spots. Much damage from the storms. San Javier is a beautiful little village. Not much of a mission guy myself, but you have to be impressed at the building of the structure in such a remote site. It's amazing what slave and exploited labor has built in this world.

sequoyah - 12-7-2013 at 10:48 PM

Update - on to La Paz.

A significant stretch south of Ciudad Constitucion - slow going with lots of dust on the unpaved stretch.

Other that that, pretty smooth sailing.

David K - 12-8-2013 at 12:33 AM

Keep driving safe!:cool: