BajaNomad

Paved road from San Felipe to Gonzaga Bay

BajaBuckeye - 8-29-2016 at 08:19 PM

Excuse my ignorance if this is a stupid question but is the road from San Felipe to Gonzaga Bay paved yet and if not how many miles are still unpaved. Thanks in advance for any insight!

AKgringo - 8-29-2016 at 08:40 PM

Paved all the way! Watch out for vados (dips) on the older pavement between San Felipe and Puertecitos, but the road is excellent from there to Gonzaga.

I saw your newbie status, and almost said welcome to the forum, but you have been around longer than me!

[Edited on 8-30-2016 by AKgringo]

bajaguy - 8-29-2016 at 08:49 PM

He is not kidding about the vados. Teeth rattling, bone jarring, frame scraping, muffler eating. Watch your speed and the road....some are marked, some are not.

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
Paved all the way! Watch out for vados (dips) on the older pavement between San Felipe and Puertecitos, but the road is excellent from there to Gonzaga.

[Edited on 8-30-2016 by AKgringo]

redhilltown - 8-29-2016 at 11:36 PM

I am sure someone has a pic of the most famous of the vados?

dizzyspots - 8-30-2016 at 05:44 AM

...and when you get to the really new stuff...from Puertecitos and on past GB, watch out for rocks...great road, but no great "falling rock" control...some the size of basketballs.....call me crazy, but part of me misses the journey over the 3 sisters and stopping at the rock house for lunch...

basautter - 8-30-2016 at 05:48 AM

I drove that route in April. The new pavement is starting to show some wear in spots. Watch out for potholes, rocks and dips as mentioned above. Most dips are marked, but they are not all created equal. Be careful, and you won't have any problems, Have fun!

David K - 8-30-2016 at 07:06 AM

Pavement reached Gonzaga in 2014, it currently extends 20.5 kms. (12+ miles) past the Pemex station at Gonzaga (Alfonsina's driveway). 22 unpaved miles remain to go to Hwy. 1 at Laguna Chapala. The highway route is shorter than the current road, so expect 2-3 miles less overall distance from Gonzaga to Chapala (currently about 35 miles).

Some history of the new pavement to Gonzaga:

· NOV. 2006: Paved to 3 miles north of Puertecitos.
· FEB. 2007: Paved to Puertecitos, except for a 1.8-mile section.
· SEP. 2008: Paved to 2 miles south of Puertecitos.
· JAN. 2009: Paved to 4 miles south of Puertecitos. (2 mi., in 3 mos.)
· SEP. 2009: Paved to 10 miles south of Puertecitos. (6 mi., in 9 mos.)
· JULY 2010: Paved 19 miles south of Puertecitos. (9 mi., in 10 mos.)
· JULY 2011: Paved 24 miles south of Puertecitos. (5 mi., in 12 mos.)
· JAN. 2012: Paved 33 miles south of Puertecitos. (9 mi., in 6 mos.)
. MAR 2013: Paved 43 miles south of Puertecitos. (10 mi. in 15 mos.)
. MAR. 2014: Paved 2 miles south of Gonzaga Pemex (47 miles from Puertecitos)/(4 miles in 12 mos.)
. NOV. 2014: Paved 2.4 miles south of Gonzaga Pemex (47.4 miles from Puertecitos)
. JAN. 2015: Paved 12.7 miles south of Gonzaga (57.7 miles from Puertecitos)
. JULY 2015: NO CHANGE
. JULY 2016: NO CHANGE

Coco's Corner is 22 miles south of Gonzaga/ 10 miles south of pavement.
Hwy. 1 (Laguna Chapala) is just under 13 miles from Coco's Corner.
The roughest part of the dirt drive is the 4-5 miles southbound starting from Coco's (or beginning 8-9 miles northbound from Hwy. 1).



[Edited on 8-30-2016 by David K]

BajaBuckeye - 8-31-2016 at 08:02 AM

Thanks for all the helpful replies. Planning to drive the entire length of the peninsula next spring and want to stop and see friends at Gonzaga Bay.Would we have any trouble towing a light kayak trailer behind a Chevy Trailblazer on the unpaved section south of Gonzaga Bay to Hwy 1? Thanks again in advance!

David K - 8-31-2016 at 08:08 AM

No trouble IF you go slow... lots of cars and trucks, including semi-tractor trailer rigs using it now to cut 200 miles and hours from their drive to the mainland.

AKgringo - 8-31-2016 at 08:35 AM

Buckeye, I pull a small utility trailer behind my Kia on that road. I knew what I was in for, so I modified my trailer to run 15 inch tires at low pressure. That softens the road hazards and helps prevent damage to the trailer, and the load.

I have talked to several people that had to replace springs or hangers, but I don't carry a spare set. It would probably be good insurance if you have the room and tools with you.

The dirt road can be rough, but your speeds will be low. The vados on the paved road mentioned earlier will launch your trailer if you hit one at highway speeds! They are more of a threat than the dirt road.

Large tires are your friend, enjoy the drive, I do!

TMW - 8-31-2016 at 08:55 AM

I pulled a 24 foot RV trailer from Las Arrastras to Cocos then out to Hwy 1 at Chapala a couple of years ago. Slow and easy.

TMW - 8-31-2016 at 09:04 AM

The owner of the trailer was pulling it with a 1st gen. Tacoma. He thought the frame breaks were from the dips north of Puertecitos.





[Edited on 8-31-2016 by TMW]

StuckSucks - 8-31-2016 at 10:50 AM

A year ago, I got out of bed at Alfonsina's in Gonzaga - in 90s minutes I was in San Felipe. Kinda takes all the fun out of the trip.

dizzyspots - 9-1-2016 at 07:46 AM

yeah...50 miles in 6 hours was waaaay more fun.....but being in the water ...fishing 6 hours sooner kinda evens it out!!

cj5orion - 9-1-2016 at 07:59 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
The owner of the trailer was pulling it with a 1st gen. Tacoma. He thought the frame breaks were from the dips north of Puertecitos.





[Edited on 8-31-2016 by TMW]


too many cervasas !
"a man has got to know his limitations",,,(and his truck !)

Ateo - 9-1-2016 at 09:39 AM

Watch out for the new checkpoint just south of the vados. It's manned by Marines and they had their fingers on the trigger as they checked my vehicle yesterday.

David K - 9-1-2016 at 10:07 AM

Near Puertecitos?

Ateo - 9-1-2016 at 10:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Near Puertecitos?



I'd guess 10 miles north of Puerticitos.

Ateo - 9-1-2016 at 10:49 AM

Seems like it was in the Vado zone as I recall. Hard to remember but definitely north of Puerticitos

David K - 9-1-2016 at 12:52 PM

That would be in Arroyo Matomi (the multiple vados) straight section. Must have heard of a drug drop off between there and Gonzaga?

rts551 - 9-1-2016 at 12:53 PM

They have been there before. I saw them last month. They move their checkpoint around. Much more effective than the stationary Army checkpoints.

StuckSucks - 9-1-2016 at 01:04 PM

It seems as if they would want to be south of the intersection of the Old Puerticitos Road and the new pavement - that way, there's no route around them.

David K - 9-1-2016 at 01:18 PM

They are south of the junction... I can post a map? ;)

One of those dips...

David K - 9-1-2016 at 05:42 PM



Ateo - 9-1-2016 at 06:25 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
That would be in Arroyo Matomi (the multiple vados) straight section. Must have heard of a drug drop off between there and Gonzaga?


And the one off wine vineyard Mex 1 north of Colonet is now gone and the one south of Maneadero is now open finally after being vacant for years.