danzanti - 11-26-2016 at 11:15 AM
In February I'll be moving my fishing boat from Tucson to Loreto. Can anyone recommend a hotel/motel that provides some level of security for my boat
and the stored items on-board? I know... things get stolen everywhere, but I'm sure there are some hotels that are more secure than others. I'm
looking for a place mid-way between Tucson and Loreto.
David K - 11-26-2016 at 11:32 AM
IF Hwy. 1 or 3 & 1 (Tijuana or Tecate south)
1) Baja Cactus Motel, El Rosario, 225 miles south of border (5 hours).
2) Hotel La Huerta, San Ignacio, 312 miles from El Rosario (6 hours).
3) Loreto is 170 miles from San Ignacio (3-4 hours).
IF you are using Hwy. 5, then San Felipe is 125 miles south of Mexicali and there are many hotels and motels there.
Howard - 11-26-2016 at 11:36 AM
Which route do you plan to take and how long of a trip down do you want to do from the border? I/we can make suggestions once we know that.
danzanti - 11-27-2016 at 03:05 PM
I am actually driving from Phoenix to Loreto and I want to get there as quickly as possible. I would be grateful for any suggestions you might offer
as to the best route and crossing.
bajagregg - 11-27-2016 at 03:51 PM
First of all, I suggest taking 3 days for the trip for safety's sake. Driving at night in Baja is tricky and especially so when towing a wide
trailer. Phoenix to San Filipe on day one. Plenty of hotels there with decent security. Day two to San Ignacio for a stay at La Huerta as suggested
by David K. Security not a problem there. Day three will get you to your Loreto destination. You should be able to do these 3 legs in daylight at a
reasonable speed.
Heads up on a couple of things. There are some nasty dips in the road not far south of San Felipe that can play havoc with your boat. Moderate your
speed. Keep your tank topped off south of San Felipe. Before hitting Mexico Hwy 1, you will have 20 miles of dirt road. Allow 2 hours for this and
go slow. Good tires and spares are a must.
Good luck and happy fishing!
Howard - 11-27-2016 at 03:56 PM
Here is my recommendation for your travel route. I am sure others will chime in with suggestions on where to stay.
Also, keep in mind that in January the days are short AND IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM SHOULD YOU DRIVE AT NIGHT OR EVEN AT DUSK.
Day #1 - Phoenix crossing at Mexicali and spending night #1 somewhere around San Felipe for a total of 361ish miles.
Day #2 As long as you have a good trailer with at least one spare tire. - San Felipe using highway #5 to highway #1 and spend the night in Guerrero
Negro or to San Ignacio. Others will chime in but I would guess the time to be about 6-8 hours?
Day #3 Only 257 miles to Loreto from G.N.
I don't see how you could do it any quicker than 2 nights, 3 days at that time of year.
Others will chime in with their opinions.
danzanti - 11-27-2016 at 04:30 PM
Thanks for the advice. Two years ago we took the dirt road 20 something miles to San Ignacio and it was awful. I have an F350 4x4 diesel with
duallies and a camper and it was a boulder hopping crawl in places. I'll be leaving the camper and pulling the boat. It's a 21" Triumph 210 Chaos
with a dual axel trailer, new tires and bearings.
I'm concerned about the stress on the transom w/ the 115 HP outboard.
Have they made any improvements since I was there two years ago?
I learned about the dips when I hit one so hard I tore out a rear camper tie down and the cabover portion of the camper caved in the truck cab.
Expensive lesson. I think we were airborne at one point.
bajagregg - 11-27-2016 at 04:35 PM
The last 20 miles is not that bad. There is a lot of road construction going on and they are keeping it pretty well graded. Just go slow. It's way
faster than going all the way over to Tijuana and using Hwy 1 all the way down.
Howard - 11-27-2016 at 09:01 PM
Ironic, I did that drive a year ago with my 2000 F350 4X4 diesel dually with an 11.5 overhead camper. I don't think the road is as bad as the San
Ignacio one was but you should be OK if you go very, very slow. I also have a 210 Triumph and would I pull it down that road, probably not unless I
planned on at least 2-3 hours on the dirt portion.
As someone else on this board says, "No hurry, no worry."