BajaNomad

First time in Baja, January Mulege stay - any tips?

aster - 12-15-2013 at 07:04 PM

Hey all. Great looking forum here.

My lady & I are planning to head down the Pacific coast in January, with the ultimate destination of Mulege - stay there for a bit, then wind our way back up. This is our first time in Baja (we've spent time in Mexico before however). Just kinda fishing for any general travel tips or stuff to maybe investigate further.

One point of emphasis - we're planning to bring our dog, a 12-year-old-but-spry beagle. Our vet gave the lowdown on the border crossing (current rabies vac, check, general health certificate schedule within 10 days of crossing) but I'm curious if anyone has further advice on traveling with a dog down there. Our place in Mulege (Casa Granada) allows canines, but we're also on the lookout for midway lodging after the first day's driving.

Any other general tips would be excellent - weather, safety, cultural stuff I might've missed, etc. I realize that's a wide net, but never know what you might be overlooking.

Just for background I'd say we're both moderately seasoned travelers, highly respectful, not looking for luxury by any means, just some time to relax & explore a corner of the world we've missed so far. I speak enough Espanol to get by in the basic situations and stumble my way thru the rest, my girlfriend has a little too but is much less confident with it in realtime.

It's my understanding that the water is probably wetsuit-cold in Jan, but I've heard varying stuff about the air temps then. What can we expect?

Thanks in advance, look forward to hearing from some of you!

alacran - 12-15-2013 at 08:05 PM

OK, welcome to Mulege, I know it for more than 42 years, now I live here permanent.
Yes you should have a wetsuit at this time of the year.
Do you have a boat or plan on beach dives?
Where are you planning on staying? How long?
Any further help, let me know.

aster - 12-15-2013 at 08:57 PM

Thanks for the reply alacran.

No boat or diving - we might do a little snorkeling or fishing if opportunity presents but that's about it.

We rented one of the casitas at Casa Granada, probably staying around 10-12 days with possible side trips in there too.

Can you tell me what is the average temp range for January?

Marla Daily - 12-15-2013 at 09:06 PM

Depending on where you want to stay on the way down, both Baja Cactus in El Rosario (get room 107 or 108 to be near the parking lot for easy dog walking), and La Mision Hotel In Cataviña (ask for room 127 near the back gate) accommodate dogs. BE SURE YOUR DOG IS ON HEARTGUARD. The mosquitoes are thick this year. Heartworm is prevalent and is transmitted by mosquitoes. Also be sure your dog is on tick preventative. The deer tick, Ixodes, carries Ehrlichia—the #1 silent killer of Baja dogs. With proper attention and preventative care, your doggie will be fine. Ours travel with us always. Best security system ever made.

mulegemichael - 12-16-2013 at 07:31 AM

jardines hotel in san quintin is dog friendly and a beautiful spot with a fabulous restaurant right next door...you'll love it!

your hosts at casa granada, lena and kristian, will take good care of you and show you the ropes...good people!

some of the best eats in mulege are found at scotties "el candil" restaurant right downtown....a super guide to go see some of the sights is salvador castro...he also drives cab in town when not guiding.

if you like to fish, one of the best guides around is mateo and his house is just down the river from you by the boat launch...if anyone can find fish, it's mateo!

one of the favorite watering holes is la jungla, just up the river from your accommodations....any and all answers to everything can be found there with the locals....

good luck amigos and if you find the time, stop by and say hola to mike and roz in the oasis.

aster - 12-16-2013 at 12:14 PM

Thanks for the great info Marla & Michael!

Definitely will make sure our dog's got the requisite protections, I'll talk to our vet about this before we take off.

And I'll look into all those hotels - would you guys say that San Quintin is a good logical overnight stop?

mulegemichael - 12-16-2013 at 01:34 PM

san quintin is a logical stop for the day when crossing in the morning at tecate....you'll have a lot of "white knuckle" by the time you get there so will feel good to get off the road...and once again, we highly recommend la jardines motel for the night....just beautiful accomodations and reasonably priced...google them and be sure and call or email ahead for reservations as they fill up every single night...good luck, amigos and maybe we'll see you soon.

DavidE - 12-16-2013 at 01:41 PM

Pack thermal underwear, and a warm quilt. I know of few hotels with heating. I don't get along too well rise and shining to 50F temperatures. A coffeemaker would be nice. A reading lamp and 12' extension cord. A 2-to-3 wall socket adapter.

Welcome to the forum. You'll love your trip

bajaguy - 12-16-2013 at 01:48 PM

Depending on your schedule and travel times:

San Quintin - Hotel Las Pinos-Santa Maria, right on the beach

El Rosario - Baja Cactus Motel

Gasoline - Fill up in El Rosario, no PEMEX until Jesus Maria, just north of Guerrero Negro.

Get your FMM's at the border and don't forget your Auto Insurance from Bajabound

Stop in Ensenada for a break and load up on Pesos and goodies at the ATM's in Commercial Mexicana supermarket.

Drive carefully and not at night

PS: Bring your favorite pillow

[Edited on 12-16-2013 by bajaguy]

aster - 12-16-2013 at 02:35 PM

Good stuff, this brings up a whole 'nother subject - this'll be our first time driving into Mexico.

Far as the crossing goes, do you folks recommend after crossing at Tecate to head south on 3, or immediately heading SW on 2 (?) and hitting the coast?

Any other border advice to expedite things along?

Far as car insurance goes - we're taking our Cherokee, which is insured thru my girlfriend (Progressive). She already put an inquiry in for Mexican insurance with them and got a quote, but are you guys recommending buying an additional 3rd party policy? I was assuming it'd be best to go through our existing policy just to minimize variables, but I could be way off base there. Any insight how this works would be great because it's entirely new to me.

TecateRay - 12-16-2013 at 03:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by aster
Good stuff, this brings up a whole 'nother subject - this'll be our first time driving into Mexico.

Far as the crossing goes, do you folks recommend after crossing at Tecate to head south on 3, or immediately heading SW on 2 (?) and hitting the coast?

Any other border advice to expedite things along?

Far as car insurance goes - we're taking our Cherokee, which is insured thru my girlfriend (Progressive). She already put an inquiry in for Mexican insurance with them and got a quote, but are you guys recommending buying an additional 3rd party policy? I was assuming it'd be best to go through our existing policy just to minimize variables, but I could be way off base there. Any insight how this works would be great because it's entirely new to me.


Contact Bajabound Insurance for your Mexican coverage. You must have a policy issued by a Mexican company and Bajabound can set you up with the necessary policy. Check their website or give them a call.

If you want to go down the coast cross in San Ysidro (into Tijuana) and go directly to the toll road to Ensenada. Easy to get your "tourist permit" there as well. Tecate crossing takes you down through the Guadalupe Valley and gives you the chance to sample and purchase some great wines. Maybe go down one way and return the other way.

Martyman - 12-16-2013 at 05:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE
Pack thermal underwear, and a warm quilt. I know of few hotels with heating. I don't get along too well rise and shining to 50F temperatures. A coffeemaker would be nice. A reading lamp and 12' extension cord. A 2-to-3 wall socket adapter.

Welcome to the forum. You'll love your trip



Weirdest list ever!! Never taken any of these items. He's going to Baja not Alaska!

durrelllrobert - 12-16-2013 at 05:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by aster
would you guys say that San Quintin is a good logical overnight stop?

NOT from Portland. Your first night stop needs to be in San Diego are and second night in SQ.

DavidE - 12-16-2013 at 05:28 PM

Letsee how many days have passed since someone posted a 47F thermometer reading for Mulege? Don't know about U, but this is a mite nippy for me in the morning. Especially with high humidity. When I stayed in Mulege for a few years, Decembers and January mornings were often chilly. But then there are penguins running around in shorts when normal people were donning heavy coats.

On a cool winter morning, I heard like 50 to 1 comments about how visitors did not know to pack warmer clothes. Mulege is not "too" cool in the Winter, it is just cool enough some winter mornings to see many locals wearing coats. Of course they don't know it's weird.

Yeah a coffeemaker is definitely weird. So is avoiding 25 peso Combate in the morning.

Jaybo - 12-16-2013 at 05:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by aster
would you guys say that San Quintin is a good logical overnight stop?

NOT from Portland. Your first night stop needs to be in San Diego are and second night in SQ.


You will be pushing it to make San Diego from Portland the first day. You have the Siskiyou's to go through and that can either be great or it can be a nightmare. Traffic through LA can be a real drag on time too depending when you are rolling through. We stayed at a friends in Visalia, and then spent the night on the border at Mexicali and that made for an easy border crossing the next morning and drove on to Gonzaga Bay (we took Mex5). So keep that in mind on your way down to the border.

Bajahowodd - 12-16-2013 at 05:58 PM

They do have heaters in the rooms at Jardines.

That said, I;m wondering why your Southern stop is Mulege, because not too far South is lovely Loreto that has better accommodations and better choice of restaurants.

Russ - 12-16-2013 at 06:09 PM

San Quitin is only 5 or so hours from the border. I find it convenient to stay at Jardines on the way North. They have coffee hot and strong very early in the morning.Also there are room heaters
It is cold in the winter so you'll want a sweat shirt and a jacket. Especially if you go fishing early. I think where ever you go and play you'll have wonderful memories. You really don't need to over plan your trip it'll work out just meeting the good folks in Baja. Have a blast!

aster - 12-16-2013 at 06:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobertNOT from Portland. Your first night stop needs to be in San Diego are and second night in SQ.


Ah yes, I should've been more specific - meant from the border. We're planning on around 6 days total trip give or take, going through the redwoods and then Big Sur. I'd really really not enjoy Portland to San Diego in a single day.
Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
They do have heaters in the rooms at Jardines.

That said, I;m wondering why your Southern stop is Mulege, because not too far South is lovely Loreto that has better accommodations and better choice of restaurants.


I assume we'll head down to Loreto too. I chose Mulege to be a quick drive from Bahia Concepcion and because I liked the idea of a dash of tropics in the desert. But we're just using it as a base, our room was affordable enough that I don't mind doubling up if we overnight elsewhere too. The plan is to leave things open.

Duly noted about the temperatures everyone, we'll bring some warmer gear. And yeah DavidE, french press is already on the list, I've had too many vacations at the mercy of bad coffee to travel without it...

BajaBlanca - 12-16-2013 at 08:41 PM

You are going to have so much fun. You are wise to get opinions, everyone has a different idea of what is important.
I say bring water and snacks for the ride down. Wine for sipping at home. Beer is easy enough to find anywhere!

willyAirstream - 12-17-2013 at 08:16 AM

You are staying at a great place. Most other places also take dogs, if you want to try other accommodations, but i think you will be happy at Granada. Jackets in the morning and evening, t shirts during the day. Beaches are a bit warmer with less wind most of the time. Wet suit top at a minimum.
Mateo can take you fishing, snorkelling or a tour. Cave painting tours, kayaking, and horse back tours are also available. Beaches are not crowded this year, so your dog will love it. Be sure to try the new taco de carnitas place by the welder, on the highway, by the arch, on weekend mornings only.
Enjoy.

Brings Up A Good Point

DavidE - 12-17-2013 at 01:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
They do have heaters in the rooms at Jardines.

That said, I;m wondering why your Southern stop is Mulege, because not too far South is lovely Loreto that has better accommodations and better choice of restaurants.


Far too many years have gone by since I last prowled Loreto. About 15, I think. The recommended restaurant then seemed to be "El Nido" and the stores were about the same as those in Mulege. Is there a site where a person can go and read about the current makeup of the town, restaurant, hotel and shopping wise?

Cypress - 12-17-2013 at 01:38 PM

See Manuel at Don Chano's, on the north side of the river, he might have something for you to rent.:yes:

mulegemichael - 12-17-2013 at 03:26 PM

yeah, loreto is a great town, agreed...but mulege remains muy mexicana and rustica and that's what we like about it...loreto has kinda been "gringoized" over the past few years...not that that's a BAD deal but we prefer "countrified"...my read.

aster - 12-17-2013 at 05:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mulegemichael
yeah, loreto is a great town, agreed...but mulege remains muy mexicana and rustica and that's what we like about it...loreto has kinda been "gringoized" over the past few years...not that that's a BAD deal but we prefer "countrified"...my read.


Si, that was our motivation for selecting it.

Along those lines, is there any cell phone service there? Supposedly my carrier/plan allows for non-roaming international calls/data but I'm skeptical of actually being able to take advantage of this in an area where towers have gotta be scarce.

aster - 12-18-2013 at 02:55 PM

Also, anyone here stayed in the casitas at Casa Granada?

Does each one have hot water/shower/etc? Heating? Wifi? Is the "outdoor kitchen" fully functional and equipped? Other impressions?

Asking here because I never got a reply from my last email to them - no problem as I'm sure they're busy, just didn't want to harass them about it.

willyAirstream - 12-18-2013 at 03:14 PM

Yes, to all of the above. But not sure about the outdoor kitchen, but i bet it is complete. Setting is nice, quiet and peaceful.

mulegemichael - 12-19-2013 at 08:08 AM

you'll love casa granada; all that they advertise is true!

Bajahowodd - 12-22-2013 at 06:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE
Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
They do have heaters in the rooms at Jardines.

That said, I;m wondering why your Southern stop is Mulege, because not too far South is lovely Loreto that has better accommodations and better choice of restaurants.


Far too many years have gone by since I last prowled Loreto. About 15, I think. The recommended restaurant then seemed to be "El Nido" and the stores were about the same as those in Mulege. Is there a site where a person can go and read about the current makeup of the town, restaurant, hotel and shopping wise?


El Nido was a small family chain that had several restaurants in such places as Rosarito, San Felipe, and Loreto. The family member who ran the one in Loreto is named Domingo. The restaurant is now known as Domingo's Place. Still the same menu, Etc.

That said, there is little comparison between Mulege and Loreto today.

As what has been mentioned, Mulege does provide a real small town Mexican feel.

But Loreto has a much wider selection of high quality hotels and restaurants. Plus, much better shopping. It's all a trade off.

Bajame - 12-23-2013 at 11:53 AM

Don't forget San Ignacio , such a beautiful place and the whales . Also new hotels and a casa with a magical garden .