BajaNomad

Need help planning trip to Bahia Concepcion

JakeinVegas - 12-15-2013 at 02:47 PM

I have been reading these forums for several months and have learned a lot from the members of this forum. Thank you. Sorry for the wall of text that is about to hit but I figure if you have more information about our plans then you might be able to offer more specific counsel.

My family and several other families are planning a trip down to Bahia Concepcion in June of 2014. So far, there will be between 15 and 20 of us travelling in several vehicles from Las Vegas and possibly a few people flying into Loreto from Los Angeles and renting a car. We will have lots of young children, a few teenagers, three or four couples in their thirties and a few grandparents. Most of us have experience traveling and living outside the U.S. but this will be the first trip to Baja for most of us. We will have one native spanish speaker and one gringo who is fluent so that should help a lot with communication.

We will leave Las Vegas on June 6th and return on June 15th. We will be spending the week at what used to be called Casa De Los Suenos (http://www.vrbo.com/339293#). The owner of the property has been very helpful in providing information to us and I have been researching this trip fairly obsessively for about four months now.

Our current plan is to leave Las Vegas around one a.m. on June 7th so that we will hit the border near sunrise and then drive to San Quintin. We plan on staying the night in San Quintin and then driving down to Bahia Concepcion the next day. Any advice on where to stay in San Quintin? We have talked about going to see the oyster farm for a tour or just playing on the beach and relaxing. The next day is another long drive but we would like to push through the rest of the way and get settled in.

Once we arrive in Bahia Concepcion we have a lot of people with varying interests and physical capabilities. Some folks in the group are not huge water people (can't swim) and are looking for things to do in the area i.e. tours, shopping, history and culture opportunities. Your suggestions will be much appreciated.

I will be bringing down my 13' Avon inflatable with an aluminum floor, inflatable keel and a 20 hp outboard. The plan is to spend every morning fishing with hook and line and/or spearfishing with the guys and older kids and spending time with my wife and kids in the afternoon and evening hours. The owner of the property will provide kayaks and other water toys for our use. The objective is to bond with friends and family without electronic interference and create memories that will last a life time.

Your input and suggestions on safety, food, lodgings, fishing and other activities will be greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance for your knowledge and expertise.

rts551 - 12-15-2013 at 02:51 PM

With a group your size I would stay at Mision Santa Maria while in San Quintin. Lots of room and on the beach.

http://hotelmisionsantamaria.com/en/Contacto%20Santa%20Maria...

Remember... During June your stay in Concepcion will be hot. so plan accordingly.

vandenberg - 12-15-2013 at 03:10 PM

Sounds like the perfect getaway for a large family get together.

Bahia Concepcion is indeed a gem, with, besides your private beach, lots of beaches to explore. And Mulege is a great place to visit and spend some time as is Loreto..

The weather in June is just fine. Maybe a little warm, but no humidity yet and actually very nice.
I live in Loreto so I know of what I speak.

Seems like a very good choice for a large group and I'm willing to bet you won't regret it if you decide to stay there.

Whatever, HAVE FUN!!

JakeinVegas - 12-15-2013 at 03:17 PM

Thanks for the hotel idea. The kids love the beach and San Quintin will be their only chance to play in the waves on the pacific side this trip. As far as heat goes we will all be coming from Vegas so it will actually be a drop in temperature for us. The property down there has fans but no AC. Will the evening winds at that time of year cool things off in the house with it being situated higher up on the cliff? My understanding is that the high temp at that time of year will be low 90's and water temp in the bay will be low 80's. Is that correct?

mulegemichael - 12-15-2013 at 03:18 PM

shari and juan arce can and will help you plan out some water and non water days in asuncion....they are the maestros of that area....we always stay at their beachhouse right at the edge of town and love it....maybe some fossil time or a day trip to the local lobster fishing village, or some surfing or just plain beachcombing...shari will give you options...ask anyone; they'll point them out.

rts551 - 12-15-2013 at 03:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mulegemichael
shari and juan arce can and will help you plan out some water and non water days in asuncion....they are the maestros of that area....we always stay at their beachhouse right at the edge of town and love it....maybe some fossil time or a day trip to the local lobster fishing village, or some surfing or just plain beachcombing...shari will give you options...ask anyone; they'll point them out.


Wouldn;t Asuncion be a ways away from Bahia Concecion given the amount of time they have? They stated they would prefer to settle in therre for their vacation. Just sayin.

Pompano - 12-15-2013 at 03:26 PM

Welcome to BajaNomads, Jake.

I'm very familiar with Conception Bay, having had a home there since the '70's Know that it will be very warm at that time...well, at least for me. And with some humidity but not as much as later on, unlike Las Vegas. Fishing is minimal in the Bay at best, so I wouldn't rely on catching much for dinner. Quite a few good guides in Mulege to take you out on the Cortez.

Use your own boat to explore and picnic in the bay...many nice island beaches and privacy await. It's a bit of a climb up and down those stairs, so take it easy in the heat.

Kayak in the bay to your hearts content. Bring your snorkel & fins and explore the rocky shores and points...look for Sargasso and find an aquarium of small fishes.

Lots of cafes near you in the bay, also....dine out and meet some locals.

Take a guided tour to the cave paintings. Do the Mulege café tour. Visit the mission and old prison. Soak up some Baja history. Have a piñata party. Have a margarita contest. Go skinny dipping on Dead Dog beach. Have a best photo contest.

Will add more Bay info to this later as I think of it. Have a good and safe trip.



[Edited on 12-15-2013 by Pompano]

mulegemichael - 12-15-2013 at 03:29 PM

my bad....all of the "cions" got me confused; a product of age...sorry....yes...concepcion is remarkable, truly.....especially if it's not cranking from the north....like today...we LOVE our time here!

David K - 12-15-2013 at 03:37 PM

Petroglyphs, missions, and more... for the non-water activities.

Fishing in bay and surrounding areas

JakeinVegas - 12-15-2013 at 04:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pompano
Welcome to BajaNomads, Jake.

I'm very familiar with Conception Bay, having had a home there since the '70's Know that it will be very warm at that time...well, at least for me. And with some humidity but not as much as later on, unlike Las Vegas. Fishing is minimal in the Bay at best, so I wouldn't rely on catching much for dinner. Quite a few good guides in Mulege to take you out on the Cortez.

Use your own boat to explore and picnic in the bay...many nice island beaches and privacy await. It's a bit of a climb up and down those stairs, so take it easy in the heat.

Kayak in the bay to your hearts content. Bring your snorkel & fins and explore the rocky shores and points...look for Sargasso and find an aquarium of small fishes.

Lots of cafes near you in the bay, also....dine out and meet some locals.

Take a guided tour to the cave paintings. Do the Mulege café tour. Visit the mission and old prison. Soak up some Baja history. Have a piñata party. Have a margarita contest. Go skinny dipping on Dead Dog beach. Have a best photo contest.

Will add more Bay info to this later as I think of it. Have a good and safe trip.



[Edited on 12-15-2013 by Pompano]


Weather and water conditions permitting we have discussed using my boat to go out to the mouth of the bay and work the rock piles. On a calm day we are considering going all the way out to the large reef southeast of Punta Chivato to do some spearfishing. We will have a handheld marine radio with GPS. Am I crazy to consider taking my boat to these locations? We are also considering driving up early in the mornings and launching the boat from San Bruno and working the reef on the southeast end of Isla San Marcos. We are also open to doing a couple of days of charter fishing in the area. Do you have any recommendations on local panga captains?

JakeinVegas - 12-15-2013 at 04:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mulegemichael
my bad....all of the "cions" got me confused; a product of age...sorry....yes...concepcion is remarkable, truly.....especially if it's not cranking from the north....like today...we LOVE our time here!


Sounds like a great stop for another trip though. Thanks for the suggestion.

Pompano - 12-15-2013 at 04:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JakeinVegas
[Weather and water conditions permitting we have discussed using my boat to go out to the mouth of the bay and work the rock piles. On a calm day we are considering going all the way out to the large reef southeast of Punta Chivato to do some spearfishing. We will have a handheld marine radio with GPS. Am I crazy to consider taking my boat to these locations? We are also considering driving up early in the mornings and launching the boat from San Bruno and working the reef on the southeast end of Isla San Marcos. We are also open to doing a couple of days of charter fishing in the area. Do you have any recommendations on local panga captains?


Going offshore in your 13' inflatable? Sure, if you are a competent boat operator, not overloaded, and keep to your guns about never going on the water in a wind of more than 10mph. (12mph and over makes whitecaps, which makes your trip very bad news.) Check Buoyweather.com or another reliable weather site. Personally, I would save all that wasted water time 7 fuel from the Bay to anywhere outside by using the boat ramps in Mulege or Ej. San Bruno or San Lucas Cove. I agree that San Marcos would be better ...for everything.

You could also swing around Pt. Conception and snorkel along the rocky shores and points to the south. We used to call that our 'Grocery Store'

Guides. There's some good ones. Check at the local cafes, bars, and hotels for the latest hi-liners who can guide you. Talk to the guys who went fishing yesterday and got into them. What, where, and how are your questions. Remember..bigger waves, bigger boats. Yours will only be useful on flat days.

Some names to throw around when asking for guides...Alex & Mateo...but there are always some new experts coming along.

For San Marcos & Tortuga island guides, inquire with Pescador on this forum about the guides from there. He fishes a bunch and lives in San Bruno.

Well, enough for now. Sounds like you will have a great trip, so keep to your plans, ....and enjoy Baja like all of us!

edit to add this photo. A very fun thing to do with your small boat would be a short trip to Playa Domingo (at the entrance to the Bay on the peninsula side..starboard on the way out..) Beachcombing, picnic, swimming...fun times for all.



[Edited on 12-15-2013 by Pompano]

JakeinVegas - 12-15-2013 at 05:01 PM

Thanks Pompano. We definitely don't plan on any offshore fishing from my little boat. It sounds like our best bet is to drive north and then launch from San Bruno or San Nicolas Cove.

DianaT - 12-15-2013 at 05:03 PM

Just walking around Mulege is an interesting thing to do, and maybe visit the old prison and other places Pompano suggests.

Would suggest a day to travel up to San Javier. Check with locals at that time about the road, and if you don't want to drive it yourself, you can hire guides and vans in Mulege to take you there. The old mission there is nice and it will give you a feel for a more rural area of that part of Baja.

Just a couple of ideas for now.

I agree with rts555 about where to stay in San Qunitin as the Santa Maria is larger and it is right on the beach. I am not sure how good the swimming right there might be, however. Baja Gringo would know the best place for swimming in that area.

Pompano is definitely the expert on the Bahia Conception area, and for fishing, boating, etc., hopefully, Pescador will chime in.


Another thought, on the way down or back, do take the time to turn off the road for San Ignacio. It is right off the highway and well worth seeing. It is so much like a small town on the mainland. And if anyone is interested in the history of that area, visit Casa Lerre right off the plaza. San Ignacio is one of our absolute favorite places to be. It is apt to be quite warm the there is lots of shade in the plaza.

HAVE A GREAT TIME.

[Edited on 12-16-2013 by DianaT]

JakeinVegas - 12-17-2013 at 03:55 PM

Thanks Diana. I think my mother in law would enjoy San Javier and we are definitely looking forward to checking out San Ignacio (I love fresh dates). Pompano your suggestions have helped me in doing some additional research. I did a search on the site for Pescador's comments and he is definitely an expert fisherman. I learned a lot from reading his past comments. You have all been very generous with your suggestions and expertise.

David K - 12-17-2013 at 05:28 PM

Nearest to Bahia Concepcion are these mission sites:
Mulege (Mission Santa Rosalia de Mulege), Magdalena, San Juan Londo, Guadalupe de Huasinapi, Loreto, San Javier.

More info, photos, etc.: http://vivabaja.com/bajamissions

BajaBlanca - 12-17-2013 at 10:40 PM

welcome to the board and have a blast on your trip!