BajaNomad

Guerrero Negro

Wilbur4s - 5-20-2014 at 05:13 PM

Other than whale watching, why would anyone want to stay over night in Guerrero Negro? Thanks.

David K - 5-20-2014 at 05:15 PM

Because the sun had or is about to set?

Maybe a little history (from Baja Bound) of the place will help?: http://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/guerrero_...

Lee - 5-20-2014 at 05:37 PM

GN is a good town, and I like walking the estuaries. Windy sometimes, foggy, cool to cold. Nice juxtaposition to Santa Rosalia or going North, to San Quintin. It feels authentic, to me. Don't think many here share it's uniqueness.

Don't believe me. Ask Shari. She knows.

baja Steve - 5-20-2014 at 05:37 PM

Take a tour of the salt mining. It is very interesting.

willardguy - 5-20-2014 at 05:50 PM

its fun to go up to the top of the old lighthouse, did it a few years ago but last year it was lookin pretty shaky (or maybe it was just me that got a little shakier!) :no:

Ateo - 5-20-2014 at 05:53 PM

Whaddaya got against Guerrero Negro? =)

I've always dug the place. It has the coolest name for a town ever.

desertcpl - 5-20-2014 at 06:02 PM

and yes I do like the place,,, good food, friendly people

I find it quite nice,, salt flats, and tours , whale watching

town has a lot of charm,,,

I broke down their many years ago,, very helpful and willing to help
I for one give it a thumbs up

MMc - 5-20-2014 at 06:27 PM

We go north along the estuaries for kayak fishing and beach combing. I have never seen another gringo in there. The town is cool and very Mexican.
I have a friend that got ripped off at the gas station and hates the place. Will stop at VJM or Viscaino turn off before he go in to town. He is missing a lot.

shari - 5-20-2014 at 06:30 PM

Guerrero Negro is far more unique than meets the eye...it takes living there a few years to appreciate the subtleties and find the good in it. One thing I appreciated was the rather eclectic mix of people living there...many professionals from throughout Mexico live and work there which brings a sort of cultural variety not common in many Mexican pueblos which made for perhaps not cosmopolitan but at least a more sophisticated social life. It is one of the few places other than the tourist resort areas where one can go watch live Mexican rock and roll music at a bar and it has a wide variety of places to eat...seafood, mexican, chinese, japanese, sushi etc.
There are several beautiful places to walk, swim, treed parks to sit in and beaches close by. Soooo....why not stay in GN...pity most folks just stay the night road weary and leave early to get to their destination. Like anything...hard to judge a book by it's cover.

Alm - 5-20-2014 at 07:04 PM

Stopped there a few times. If you like the scenery around lagoon, with salt flats and old port (where that crumbling lighthouse is), then you like it. The town itself looks pretty dull, but so are most towns in "sanitized" Mexican culture of Baja. Though I stopped in the day, can't say about restaurants and music. Shari is probably right, there are subtleties there but you have to look hard.

dirtbikr - 5-20-2014 at 07:46 PM

[Edited on 5-21-2014 by dirtbikr]

dirtbikr - 5-20-2014 at 07:49 PM

I would stop alone for those fish tacos along the road .
Forget the name of the truck-van selling them.probably the best around.

shari - 5-20-2014 at 08:39 PM

Toni's tacos are delicious and have been a GN institution for over 20 years! He is also a very cool guy as is his gorgeous, smart wife!

windgrrl - 5-20-2014 at 09:08 PM

I really like GN. The light is softer by the salty breezes. It is great to be able to get up in the morning, travel across the salt works to the lagoon before heading north to SQ. There is so much natural beauty to observe in this part of Baja. But then, I'm a prairie girl and used to looking closer to find it.

We have stayed at Cowboys twice with good experiences and have stopped at Mario's for a sublime dining experience on the way through other times. The food and service was great every time.

Once, while waiting for my husband at the bank and walking our dog down the street, an older lady approached me and asked if she could practice English with me. She was so appreciative and we had a few laughs while I practiced Spanish in return. Another time, we drove through town and found a pretty park with old trees.

A face value, GN may not seem like a place that's worth a stop, but it has a kind of wild beauty that keeps drawing me in.

David K - 5-20-2014 at 10:47 PM

Santa Rosalia is to copper as Guerrero Negro is to salt

There seems to be something unique about the once only mining company towns of Baja that helps them stand out from other Mexican towns... In their beginnings, they are generally called 'ugly' and easy to avoid. However, in later years or perhaps in the past 20 or so years both Santa Rosalia and Guerrero Negro have blossomed out of being cookie-cutter, dusty, corporate creations into places that have become inviting and bacon tourists to stay and explore.

El Triunfo is also becoming an interesting place to check out, albeit much smaller now than when it was the largest city in southern Baja California during the silver mining days in the mid to late 1800's.

If it wasn't for the mines we wouldn't have these towns to enjoy today. :yes:

BornFisher - 5-20-2014 at 11:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Wilbur4s
Other than whale watching, why would anyone want to stay over night in Guerrero Negro? Thanks.


Camp out on the Sea Of Cortez in June, July, August or September, anywhere from San Felipe to Cabo. You will understand why someone would want to stay over night in Guerrero Negro.

MulegeAL - 5-20-2014 at 11:23 PM

Go out to El Arco.

GN will look pretty good coming back!

Alm - 5-20-2014 at 11:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
... in later years or perhaps in the past 20 or so years both Santa Rosalia and Guerrero Negro have blossomed out of being cookie-cutter, dusty, corporate creations into places that have become inviting and bacon tourists to stay and explore.

St Rosalia? "Inviting", no kidding?

Formerly a quiet midsize town since the demise of the old mine.
Now narrow streets are crowded with traffic to the limit and beyond. Can't find a parking in town after 10 am. Takes half an hour to go 10 blocks up the main drag or a parallel street from Hwy to the street end up-hill. Line of locals and mainland workers to the ATM is permanent. Drugs, pimps, occasional stabbing. Huge cloud of dust around the new mine site. c-ckroaches on the camp where there wasn't any in the past. And all this in return for natural resources being shipped out and away, for China and Korea to consume, and rest assure they will consume it in no time.

bajajudy - 5-21-2014 at 12:25 AM

Don't forget to walk along the bird sanctuary which is kinda behind the company grocery store. We saw a flock of white pelicans there. Quite spectacular in flight!

David K - 5-21-2014 at 09:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Alm
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
... in later years or perhaps in the past 20 or so years both Santa Rosalia and Guerrero Negro have blossomed out of being cookie-cutter, dusty, corporate creations into places that have become inviting and bacon tourists to stay and explore.

St Rosalia? "Inviting", no kidding?

Formerly a quiet midsize town since the demise of the old mine.
Now narrow streets are crowded with traffic to the limit and beyond. Can't find a parking in town after 10 am. Takes half an hour to go 10 blocks up the main drag or a parallel street from Hwy to the street end up-hill. Line of locals and mainland workers to the ATM is permanent. Drugs, pimps, occasional stabbing. Huge cloud of dust around the new mine site. c-ckroaches on the camp where there wasn't any in the past. And all this in return for natural resources being shipped out and away, for China and Korea to consume, and rest assure they will consume it in no time.


Compared to the Santa Rosalia I saw in 1966 and again in 1973, 74, 76, 85, yes it is quite a bit more inviting to check out. Now, maybe they still have a ways to go to be more hospitable to tourist visitors?

Alm - 5-21-2014 at 11:18 AM

David, I haven't seen St Rosa in 1985 and before. But it has definitely gotten worse for tourists and gringos in the last 5-6 years due to new mine. More congested, more polluted, more "mainland" problems.

GN though seems to be frozen in time. Salt mine, flats and mangrove canals are still the same. Big whales are degenerating, I've been told. Never recovered after mass killing of the 19th century. We can see them now only because they live few hundred years, but genetic pool is narrow.

[Edited on 5-21-2014 by Alm]

rts551 - 5-21-2014 at 05:15 PM

Just Because...to answer your question.

Has anyone toured the saltworks housing? and eyeopener as to how they take care of their employees (at least the white collar ones).

Ya I know too many meskins.

tiotomasbcs - 5-21-2014 at 06:11 PM

The armpit of the Baja Peninsula! Windy and cold looks inviting in August. Good food, wide open beaches. I'm looking for property and a summer destination for Cortez people. A location/destination. Fishing and cool Climate! Nice folks, they put up with weather most of the year. Mostly an overnite as most know. I used to camp out on the northern beaches as many have done but economical hotels make it inviting! Love Funky! Tio

bajagrouper - 5-21-2014 at 06:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
Whaddaya got against Guerrero Negro? =)

I've always dug the place. It has the coolest name for a town ever.


You do know the name came from the name of the Whaling Ship of Capt. Scammon.....In English "Black Warrior"

I like it because it has a Banamex in town.......

DavidE - 5-22-2014 at 09:12 AM

It's the gente, the people, the inhabitants that make or break a town not the other way around.

David K - 5-22-2014 at 09:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajagrouper
Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
Whaddaya got against Guerrero Negro? =)

I've always dug the place. It has the coolest name for a town ever.


You do know the name came from the name of the Whaling Ship of Capt. Scammon.....In English "Black Warrior"

I like it because it has a Banamex in town.......


Above I posted a link to my article in Baja Bound on the town history, you may enjoy. Here is the part about the name:

What began as a salt mine camp called Salina Vizcaino in 1954 became the company town of Guerrero Negro in 1957, named after the lagoon the town is next to. Guerrero Negro is the Spanish translation for "Black Warrior" which was a ship that was wrecked on the sand bars near the mouth of the lagoon back on December 20, 1858.

Captain Robert Brown sailed into Frenchman's Lagoon on November 2, 1858. He was unaware of the events that in fewer than two months caused the lagoon's name to be changed for all time, and that a town of over 10,000 inhabitants would be named after his ship.

Robert Brown purchased the Black Warrior in Honolulu in December of 1854. The Black Warrior's previous captain was J.C. Bogart who was well known in the early days of San Diego history. Bogart first sailed into San Diego Bay in 1834. The Black Warrior was already a well known whaler before it was directed towards the lagoons of Baja California, the year following Charles Scammon's discovery of one of the gray whales largest breeding grounds.

Captain Brown had picked up a load of whale oil and was being pulled out of the lagoon when strong currents pushed the Black Warrior onto the sand bars of Frenchman's Lagoon. The coast of central Baja California has claimed many ships over the years. The sailors call the coast near Scammon's Lagoon Malarrimo which roughly means "bad to be near".

Alm - 5-22-2014 at 11:42 AM

In terms of climate, when I look at the weather stats, it's still hot on this section of Pacific coast in June-August. Almost as hot as on the Cortez side. Likely with more breeze (stats don't tell this), but hot. It becomes a lot cooler to the North of El Rosario, - in Ensenada and Rosarito.

willardguy - 5-22-2014 at 11:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Alm
In terms of climate, when I look at the weather stats, it's still hot on this section of Pacific coast in June-August. Almost as hot as on the Cortez side. Likely with more breeze (stats don't tell this), but hot. It becomes a lot cooler to the North of El Rosario, - in Ensenada and Rosarito.
what the heck weather sites are you looking at!:o

Alm - 5-22-2014 at 12:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by willardguy
what the heck weather sites are you looking at!:o

Weather "stats". Stats = Statistical Data.

There are many weather sites with both current weather and stats for previous years. Try accuweather.com for example. Click on Month, then on Year, then on 2013, then on June (or whatever month you want). GN - around 108. La Paz - 100. Ensenada - 75.

Being in desert and about 2 miles inland, the town GN itself could be (should be) hotter than the nearby Pacific shores though.


[Edited on 5-22-2014 by Alm]

rts551 - 5-22-2014 at 01:10 PM

Accuweather not very accurate.

look at what weather channel says

http://www.weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/graph/Guerrero+Neg...

or weather .com

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Guerrero+Negro+Mexico+...


That being said...there is something disjointed in Accuweathers data graph. Historical data is way higher than current data....maybe their historical data is being reported from the gulf!

Alm - 5-22-2014 at 01:23 PM

weather.com only shows stats for the last 2 months, i.e. from now to April 2014. When I click on "Averages", it says "No data available".

rts551 - 5-22-2014 at 01:52 PM

That's OK I am taking bets that Guerrero Negro, BCS will average cooler than 108, even with Global Climate Change! You on?

tehag - 5-22-2014 at 02:04 PM

Bird watching!!

shari - 5-22-2014 at 04:47 PM

we always get a laugh out of AccuWeather as it the most inaccurate weather site for these parts of central pacside. GN has it's own microclimate caused by the thousands of hectares of evaporation ponds...evaporation = cold and it is usually cloudy in the mornings till around 10, then sunny for a few hours and socked in again in the mid afternoon but go just a few miles in any direction and is is lovely and clear.

tiotomasbcs - 5-22-2014 at 04:58 PM

"Bacon" to tourism? Had to laugh, DK! I think you meant "bekon" as in calling out to tourists!? I'd stay an extra day for a free Bacon meal Special, je, je, je!! Tio

David K - 5-22-2014 at 05:03 PM

I like bacon! :light:

DianaT - 5-22-2014 at 06:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
we always get a laugh out of AccuWeather as it the most inaccurate weather site for these parts of central pacside. GN has it's own microclimate caused by the thousands of hectares of evaporation ponds...evaporation = cold and it is usually cloudy in the mornings till around 10, then sunny for a few hours and socked in again in the mid afternoon but go just a few miles in any direction and is is lovely and clear.


The GN area is one of the few fog deserts in the world and was so before the salt companies arrived. The plants in that areas have adapted as they have in the Namibia and Atacamba fog deserts.

Another nomad once contacted Accu Weather about their reports for BA and they admitted that they just took the numbers from other places -- no connection to reality.

[Edited on 5-23-2014 by DianaT]

SFandH - 5-22-2014 at 06:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Has anyone toured the saltworks housing? and eyeopener as to how they take care of their employees (at least the white collar ones).


If I understand what you're referring to, it is a unique community of well kept, nice homes. Quite liveable. Looks somewhat like an American suburb. I remember thinking it would be a good place to disappear to.

I spent a several days there while getting my RV repaired.

Alm - 5-22-2014 at 07:41 PM

Quote:
Another nomad once contacted Accu Weather about their reports for BA and they admitted that they just took the numbers from other places -- no connection to reality.

This site sometimes just malfunctions. Like trying to open "Guerrero" state instead of Guerrero Negro city.

Is there any reliable source for weather averages for this area?

[Edited on 5-23-2014 by Alm]

rts551 - 5-22-2014 at 08:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Alm
Quote:
Another nomad once contacted Accu Weather about their reports for BA and they admitted that they just took the numbers from other places -- no connection to reality.

This site sometimes just malfunctions. Like trying to open "Guerrero" state instead of Guerrero Negro city.

Is there any reliable source for weather averages for this area?

[Edited on 5-23-2014 by Alm]


for years, in the fine print, they reported that their station for this area was Guaymas. But you had to go to the bottom and read the fine print...Twas no error.

Alm - 5-22-2014 at 08:12 PM

Ok, accuweather is a bad one, I got it. Is there any good one?

GN in the "season" (winter)

captkw - 5-22-2014 at 09:13 PM

Myself don't now about summer!! but winter and early spring you can bank on cold,,fog on the deck and sometimes lots of wrecks,,,BAD Wreck'S..

shari - 5-23-2014 at 09:06 AM

I have found that surf forecast has fairly accurate air temps & general weather info. It's easy to read at a glance and gives a free weekly forecast. Wave heights are usually underestimated for Asuncion but the rest of it is the best I have found so far. I guess you should plug in the GN coordinates for a forecast there.
http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Asuncion-Bay/forecasts/l...

Alm - 5-23-2014 at 11:56 AM

Thanks, Shari. This is at least something. It doesn't look like you can plug in some coordinates there. If some place has no surf, it's not on their list.