Anyone know how long it takes to get from La Purisima to there? Looks like about 12 miles of it is dirt and 18 miles or so paved?
Is is worth going to the area around San Juanico? Any dunes in the area or near by?
Hotel ok?
[Edited on 9-30-2017 by JZ]StuckSucks - 9-30-2017 at 08:15 AM
I think you are looking at the old road. From La Purisima, you want to backtrack south on Highway 1, then head west to Las Barrancas. From there, you
can take 100% paved road north to San Juanico. You can take the old road directly from La Purisima, but it's not fast going. Ultimately, that old road
meets the new paved road along the coast.David K - 9-30-2017 at 08:24 AM
I think you are looking at the old road. From La Purisima, you want to backtrack south on Highway 1, then head west to Las Barrancas. From there, you
can take 100% paved road north to San Juanico. You can take the old road directly from La Purisima, but it's not fast going. Ultimately, that old road
meets the new paved road along the coast.
I posted photos, kilometer markers, and maps as I covered this area last month. As before, just go the Baja Nomad Trip Reports forum (Trip #6).
[Edited on 9-30-2017 by David K]AKgringo - 9-30-2017 at 02:14 PM
It would be a shame to get as close as La Purisima and not check out San Juanico. I did not drive the old road that connects to the highway, but it
was used in the Baja 1k in 2014.
I like the town, but have not spent much time there. There are several hotels and B&Bs around, but the first two I checked did not allow dogs, so
I slept in my rig on the beach.
The beach is easy, almost 2wd solid, but I was a bit surprised how high the tide came up on a calm night.
[Edited on 9-30-2017 by AKgringo]JZ - 9-30-2017 at 03:34 PM
The 12.5 is dirt? 4.5 and 20.6 paved? JZ - 9-30-2017 at 03:37 PM
All the green route on DK's post is paved. Take care down in the estuary section, that may be damaged,
has been in the past.
The old dirt route get pretty rough in the hilly section; last season had to drive through one rancho's yard/corrals because the origional route is
blown out. I used 4WD (just to be sure) on the steep off-camber climb up to the small rancho.
I'd take the "green line!"
We poked around on the south side of the estuary, north of Las Barrancas. There's limited sand there, the dunes are vegetated and have weird
laydown/snakey super prickly cactus at the beach bluffs, gotta be really careful walking around there in the dark!
[Edited on 9-30-2017 by MulegeAL]AKgringo - 9-30-2017 at 04:15 PM
Everything that DavidK highlighted in green is good pavement.
He also reported camping in some dunes between El Datile, and San Juanico, but I don't know how far north of S.J. they are. Maybe it is in his trip
report #6. (edit) I found it on day #2, it looks like the dunes are 29 miles north of San Juanico on mostly dirt road.
When Ged and Dave and I traveled south from S.J. last Thanks giving, they left the highway and rode the beach somewhere near the blue car icon on the
map that DK posted. I met them at the bridge that crosses the arroyo/river SW of La Purisima.
[Edited on 9-30-2017 by AKgringo]David K - 9-30-2017 at 05:55 PM
As others reported back (and is described in my trip report): paved. Lots of potholes in the 4.5-mile section, too! Few to none on the other parts.
The old dirt section [I labeled for you] "Original (dirt) road" is from the truck icon Red Arrow to the Red Arrow that is 4.2 miles from La PurÃsima.
The dirt section is approx. 20 miles long.JZ - 9-30-2017 at 07:19 PM
Thanks guys. We are gonna do it. willyAirstream - 10-1-2017 at 09:25 AM
a couple of miles north of SJ the dunes look doable. Riding on the beach and dune edges is really fun and goes endless miles. The old road was doable
before the last 2 storms, but probably not now.BFS - 10-2-2017 at 11:58 AM
whatever you do, DO NOT go next weekend. All of So Cal will be there...JZ - 10-2-2017 at 12:27 PM
