viajera - 1-24-2005 at 11:08 AM
Travelling to Baja from San Diego this Easter, would appreciate some advice.
1) Want to rent a car in SD to make this trip, but most rental places put restriction NOT to take car into Mexico. Solution?
2) How long does it take from SD to Guerrero Negro? Considering distance I estimate one day, but know nothing on road conditions. Is this realistic?
3) We like like scenic or interesting wild places, lots of fauna + flowers, no people. Suggestions of places check along road SD-GN?
4) We will be mostly camping. Is it safe to set up tent any place? We are three adults + one 12 yr-old.
5) Some nice quiet hotel with great atmosphere?
TMW - 1-24-2005 at 06:24 PM
Keep trying on the car rentals. There are some that do it just not the usual big names. Maybe a google search. I've heard of several but since I don't
rent cars I can't remember their names.
You can drive it in a long day but I suggest you take a little time and enjoy the trip. It's about 450 miles south of the border.
There are lots of scenic stuff along the road. There are many side trips too. You'll be among people until you get south of El Rosario about 200+
miles. Make sure you gas up there. After that everything thins out.
Driving a car limits many interesting places to go. You'll find hwy 1 is about the only paved road south, plus the hwy to LA Bay. I suggest a suv
type, at least you won't have to worry about ground clearance.
Rule of thumb on camping. Get far off the hwy, far enough so cars on it can't see you. You can pretty much camp anywhere you want. If someone says
it's their land you can either leave or give them a couple of dollars and be friendly whatever you do.
There are many hotel/motels along the way from $20 to $80 per night. My advice on hotels is don't expect a Mexican hotel to be the same as a U.S.
hotel. If your expecting the Ritz go to Cabo. The La Pinta's are good but pricey, $80-90 for 4. However they do have a resturant. In GN I like
Malarrimo's. They too have a very good resturant and it's about $45-50.
Last you'll need Mexican Insurance. Get a AAA map and guidebook. If you belong to AAA you might get a 10% on the hotel. Don't ever let your gas tank
get below 1/2 and I suggest you keep it about 3/4. Gas is sometimes unavailable in some areas. At Catavina and the LA Bay turn off they may sell it
out of a back of a truck in 5 gal cans, but it cost about $1 per gallon more. Use some spanish even when the Mexicans talk to you in english. There
are green pickup trucks with offical marking that travel the hwy to help visitors. They are called Green Angels. If you need help wave them down.
Note, the hwy is narrower than in the U.S. and many times doesn't have a shoulder so be careful, especially when big trucks and busses are coming
around corners. It's best to not drive after dark too.
Note II, Get pasos. Pay for gas in Pasos. Anywhere else you can use dollars if you want. Credit cards are not used much outside of the larger towns.
Be friendly to everyone and have fun.
[Edited on 1-25-2005 by TW]
[Edited on 1-25-2005 by TW]
viajera
Ken Bondy - 1-24-2005 at 07:40 PM
If Guerrero Negro is your southernmost destination, don't make the drive in one day unless you absolutely have to. Break it up with an overnight, and
enjoy the beautiful scenery at an easier pace. When I do that trip I generally overnight in San Quintin. Others disagree, but I like the La Pinta
chain. Reliable, quiet (masonry and concrete construction), big rooms, electricity 24/7, hot water, decent restaurants, and the La Pinta in San
Quintin is on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. All that, to me, is worth the extra money they charge (you can certainly get ok rooms
in many places for less than half of what the La Pintas charge). Go to Cielito Lindo (about 3 minutes drive from the La Pinta) and have the famous
crab dinner. Alternatively there is an excellent motel (Baja Cactus) in El Rosario, which is closer to halfway, but El Rosario is IMHO not as
interesting as staying on the beach in San Quintin. The scenery between El Rosario and Catavina is awesome, some of the most beautiful desert flora
and fauna anywhere. Catavina and Guerrero Negro also have La Pintas. Catavina would be a reasonable overnight stop also but there is not much there.
You can safely camp, however, at Rancho Santa Ynez, which is just south of the La Pinta in Catavina. You got good advice from TW, camp well off the
highway and offer up lots of smiles to all the Mexicans you meet, they will overwhelm you with their friendliness and generosity. Que le vaya bien,
++Ken++
Arthur - 1-24-2005 at 08:49 PM
There are all sorts of easy camping spots to the west of the highway just short of Catavina, right on the edge of all that beautiful vegetation. We
camped there without giving it a second thought.
I guess we were out of sight of the road, but that was for aesthetic reasons -- not for safety. I'd hate to have to go to a commercial campground. Do
you really think we were taking a chance, or were you saying that because a family would be involved? We were jus two guys.
TMW - 1-25-2005 at 08:43 AM
99+ percent of the time you'll not have a problem camping closer to the hwy. But it only takes that one time. I think it is best to get far off the
hwy from a safety standpoint. How far would depend on whats there, like trees or dense vegitation, rocks etc.
Ken, I too like the La Pinta hotels and regularly stay in them.
crab dinner
Bob Z. - 1-28-2005 at 05:22 PM
Ken the crab dinner you talk about is Cielito a small town or the name of the place to eat thanks .Bob
Rental cars in B.C. Mex
Sharksbaja - 1-28-2005 at 07:47 PM
Some viejos told me they rent Budget Rental Cars in the States and leave em in Loreto. But, call em. I concur w/ Bundy and TWs Travel Service, no
really, camp off the road. Dont forget plenty of water.
Look for green lights on the horizon and a strange bright light beamed from the nearby mountains around Catavina
Bob Z
Ken Bondy - 1-28-2005 at 08:34 PM
Cielito Lindo is a motel/restaurant/bar very close to the La Pinta in San Quintin. Here's what the dinner looks like:
Car rentals
bajalou - 1-30-2005 at 10:14 AM
Som firends of a neighbor came down to San Felipe in a Enterprise Rental they got in San diego. They were required to have Enterprise's Mexican Ins.
at $25 a day in addition toi to the car rental fee.
