Bajavanadu - 7-6-2016 at 11:40 AM
I'm planning a trip down erendira and punta cabras and thinking about routing through puerto santo tomas on the way home via the dirt coastal route.
Has anyone traveled that route in the past couple months? What are the trail conditions? I'll be traveling in an old 4x4 van with pretty good
clearance but it's certainly not a trophy truck.....
David K - 7-6-2016 at 12:44 PM
It leaves the coast not far north of Punta Cabras...
But, the trail via Rancho Ink may work if you wanted to go to Puerto Santo Tomás?
Getting by the Danish Cult Compound at San Juan de las Pulgas might be a problem?
[Edited on 7-7-2016 by David K]
BajaGeoff - 7-6-2016 at 04:23 PM
Not recently, but we tried the coast road going north past Punta San Jose two years ago and it was pretty bad. About two miles past the lighthouse
there is a steep descent down to sea level that was washed out with nasty rain ruts. We turned back. It's definitely doable on a motorcycle, but I
wouldn't do it in a 4WD van unless they have done some serious grading of that section recently.
DanO - 7-6-2016 at 05:28 PM
I believe that the trail along the coast is blocked on the north by the Punta China quarry. I haven't been on the inland Rancho Viejo/Ink road in a
couple of years, but I talked to a couple of guys last month who had just ridden it on dirt bikes and they said it was passable -- for them. FWIW,
they also said that they ran into a couple of gates and a cranky ranchero who was not happy to see them.
BooJumMan - 7-6-2016 at 07:26 PM
Road north from PSJ is not passable unless on moto. Tried it last year and even with a high clearance vehicle with front and rear lockers on 35s I
decided it wasn't worth it.
Road from Erenderia up through the right turn out towards Santo Tomas is graded and passable no problemo.
[Edited on 7-7-2016 by BooJumMan]
Ateo - 7-7-2016 at 07:44 AM
If we're talking the road from Cabras heading north, then banging the right turn (instead of the left that takes you to Punta San Jose) then dumps you
into Santo Tomas next to the convenience/liquor store/policia station, it's fine. Did it solo last month. You can really fly on sections of that
road. The climb up the hill just north of Cabras up to the plateau was a little rocky but nothing to worry about.
Ateo - 7-7-2016 at 07:46 AM
And just for the record, I drove that road in a Toyota Camry once........
Ateo - 7-7-2016 at 07:53 AM
Ateo - 7-7-2016 at 07:54 AM
Ateo - 7-7-2016 at 07:57 AM
Ateo - 7-7-2016 at 08:02 AM
Mexitron - 7-7-2016 at 09:56 AM
Santo Tomas (village on Mex 1) to Cabras has always been a good road. I think he's talking about the road north to Puerto Santo Tomas that takes off
to the right up the hill just before getting to Punta San Jose going north. Haven't done that road in 16 years or so, wasn't bad back then.
TMW - 7-7-2016 at 10:17 AM
Here is the route the bike guys take. I was told it was good for 4 wheelers too. I was also told to be polite to the rancher and ask permission to
cross his land. Maybe offer him a cerveza.
LukeJobbins - 7-7-2016 at 10:49 AM
I just did the drive north and south from both punto santo tomas to san quintin and santo tomas to san quintin a couple weeks ago. I have a decent
jeep with 4wd but never had to use 4wd or thought anything would be any trouble for any car with a little clearance. I did air down for ride comfort
over the bumpiness of the washboard and rocks but that's it. There was some decent sized cobblestone in the road just north from cabras and a couple
ruts but nothing crazy or impassable. I passed a guy in a nice new jeep compass on that road and those don't have much clearance and he had normal
road tires and he didn't seem worried about ruining his new car there on so you should be fine. soft sand south of erendira for tiny stretches but
otherwise almost any car could do the whole beach stretch if the right driver was in the driver seat.
One thing though, is if you go inland to santo tomas instead of sticking to the coast the whole way up, drive slower than you want. The road can and
is driven by locals at 40-60 mph but there are random cattle on the road. I found that out on one of the last trips. Luckily I was driving
slower(25mph) and was easily able to stop for them.
TMW - 7-7-2016 at 07:27 PM
For those wanting a better route look I traced the route with a few more GPS readings.
Bajavanadu - 7-17-2016 at 07:29 AM
Thanks for all of the replies, will post a trip/road report next week.
nexrace - 9-18-2016 at 10:32 PM
beautiful thread with useful info, thanks to everyone that has posted.
