BajaNomad

LA to LA PAZ

kiwikitesufer - 9-12-2018 at 05:45 PM

Hola

Planning on driving LA to La Ventana BCS in October. Have three days to make trip. What route and what towns (hotel/Motel) to overnight are people recommending? Do I need to be concerned with surf gear on car at overnight stops?
Thanks for help

woody with a view - 9-12-2018 at 06:44 PM

Yes.

tiotomasbcs - 9-12-2018 at 06:50 PM

Tip the night watchman $100p in the evening and tell him another in the morning. Find secure parking Hotels.

SFandH - 9-12-2018 at 06:55 PM

IMHO cross at Tijuana or Tecate, first night San Quintin, second night Mulege, third night you're there.

Of course, there are other options.

Just assume anything that can easily be stolen, will be stolen. Take your gear in with you at night.

Perhaps others can recommend hotels.

[Edited on 9-13-2018 by SFandH]

mikeymarlin - 9-12-2018 at 07:57 PM

lock it up !!! inside room---

San Quintin--- Jardines great rooms and great restaurant--they have a website-- reserve room is best good travels

BajaBill74 - 9-12-2018 at 08:18 PM

1. San Quitin
Hotel La Villa on the left, look for billboard on left as you first enter the area with divided road. Lighted parking lot. Others will recommend Jardines. I've never stayed there.

2. Mulege
Mulege Inn. As you enter Mulege under their arch, it's about 50 yards on the left. Parking is in their quad and they have a locked gate. If you leave before sun up (not recommended) there is a buzzer by the gate they will answer. They always have for me. :)

3. You're home.

JZ - 9-12-2018 at 08:28 PM

I live in LA.

1. LA to San Felipe (via Mexicali)
2. San Felipe to Mulege
3. Mulege to La Paz

Lee - 9-12-2018 at 09:58 PM

LA > SQ (Jardines) or El Rosario (Cactus) via Tecate
ER > Loreto (Coco's)
Loreto > Ventana

Surfboards should go in room. Gear can be in locked rocket box. I believe in vehicle kill switches and alarms.

David K - 9-13-2018 at 08:07 AM

El Rosario, Km. 57, next to the Pemex station is Antonio's 'Baja Cactus Motel' with a large secure parking yard. A new restaurant is under construction in front, so the temp main entrance for the lobby is from the parking yard. 24-hour desk, well-appointed rooms with king beds, coffee maker, pressure boost showers, bottled water, telephone in the room can reach anywhere in the world, satellite flat-screen TV, LED lighting now. All this at crazy low prices. luxury on the edge of Baja's Central Desert... and the end of the power and phone lines.

June 2017:









bajabuddha - 9-13-2018 at 08:26 AM

Kiwi, be advised if you stay in either San Quintin or El Rosario an early start will put the sun smack-dab in your eyes going uphill on what I call the hogback ridges southerly-bound towards Catavina.... so have a good breakfast first, then head out if you choose that option.

kiwikitesufer - 9-13-2018 at 02:09 PM

Thanks everyone for the great info. Will post a report of the trip down to my new casa in La Ventana.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 9-13-2018 at 06:25 PM

hola kiwikitesufer,

firstly, welcome to nomad.

i've done that trip many times pulling a small utility trailer from los angeles to los barriles and back again.

if not a mexican citizen or without any other papers, cross at the san ysidro crossing and get your fmm ( visa ). you will need a current passport. obviously, you'll need an fmm . as it sounds like more than a seven day trip. ask for 180 days. they take pesos and dollars.

just pull through the border gate on the right side, mexican border guards may have you pull over for an inspection. if so, after they're done, have them direct you to where you will get your fmm. if you're more than one person in your group, have one stay back and watch your stuff. if just you, it's probably o.k. to go inside alone. i've never had problems and have seen people just go inside leaving their open trucks.

after parking, go into the building to the right and walk in and about 50 feet or so, there should be a guard to direct you to the little office where you get your fmm.

make sure to look at david k's directions on how to get to the toll road to ensenada and how to get to mex 1 going through ensenada ( i still get lost ). i forget how much the toll is but have small bills about two or three dollars ( ? ) at each of the three toll booths. they do take pesos and dollars.

make sure you have mexican insurance. i get mine at bajabound.com and all done over the phone and email and are highly recommended.

get pesos and don't have all your monies in one place. i go to an atm inside a bank. have at least 2 atm cards as some machines eat cards. it happened to me at a bancomer in los barriles.

don't drive in the dark

my first stop is san quintin and i always stay at el jardines after making reservations well in advance a they are very busy. super clean with a/c and unbelievable hot powerful showers. they have a night guard at the office facing the huge parking lot. he has coffee ready at the office around 5 a.m. take bigger cups with you or you'll have to carry a couple of small cups back to your room.

Hotel Jardines Baja
Proprietors: Carmen and Guillermo
3 Miles South of Colonia Lazaro Card##as
San Quintin, B.C. Mexico
USA: (619) 591-8922
Mexico: 616 165 6060
Email: carmen@hotel-jardinesbaja.com

they have rooms with one, two or three beds. i use a two bedroom for about $ 40.00 u.s. as i have quite a bit of fishing equipment, gear and ice chests for drinks and doggy bags from restaurants and stuff to make sandwiches.

they also have a great restaurant about 100 feet or so from the rooms. as i recall, they don't do breakfasts on mondays.

get gas at stations before leaving el rosario as the next station is about 210 miles at santa maria or 36 miles further south at guerrero negro. stay the night at guerrero negro but someone will need to advise you. leaving guerrero, you'll be heading east directly into the sun. i have heard that mex 1 to el rosario is being radar patrolled so take your time.

my last stop is in loreto and i stay at hotel angra.
Hotel Angra, Loreto, B.C.S.
Phone: 6131351172
ana.carranza@hotelangra.com
www.hotelangra.com
about ten years old and super clean, king beds, great showers, wifi, continental breakfast, english speaking and hands on owners onsite. large secure parking lot locked at night. off the main drag so no traffic noise. restaurants nearby and a pemex on the main drag.
if you stay here, please tell ana that james referred you. if you need anything or directions, just ask. very service oriented.

NEXT STOP...LA VENTANA.

make sure to check the weather along the way as it used to be prime time hurricane weather AROUND AND AFTER SEPTEMBER 12.!

HAVE A GREAT, SAFE JOURNEY,

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT






David K - 9-13-2018 at 08:19 PM

Getting through Ensenada follow signs for San Quintín (right fork in the 4 lane highway, just north of Ensenada) and La Bufadora (a left turn from the harbor-side drive you are on center of Ensenada city section). In about 3 long blocks you will turn right to continue south on Highway 1. The actual road to La Bufadora branches about 10 miles further south, just stay on Mexico #1. You are aware there are several military checkpoints along the way looking for illegal drugs, guns, ammo, yes? There are also construction detours as they widen the highway (decades overdue). Truck accidents are also a source of delay. Don't drive at night as cows and burros are a hazard plus missing seeing Baja!

No more confusion until La Paz where you will fork right at the giant dove (or whale tail) monument, right again along the river jetty, and left (north) to the La Ventana highway.
If you need to visualize this, see my 2018 maps on the Road Conditions forum.






[Edited on 9-14-2018 by David K]

JZ - 9-13-2018 at 10:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
El Rosario, Km. 57, next to the Pemex station is Antonio's 'Baja Cactus Motel' with a large secure parking yard. A new restaurant is under construction in front, so the temp main entrance for the lobby is from the parking yard. 24-hour desk, well-appointed rooms with king beds, coffee maker, pressure boost showers, bottled water, telephone in the room can reach anywhere in the world, satellite flat-screen TV, LED lighting now. All this at crazy low prices. luxury on the edge of Baja's Central Desert... and the end of the power and phone lines.

June 2017:











That looks really nice. We'll have to stay there some time.

BajaBlanca - 9-14-2018 at 06:14 AM

and on your way BACK, do like many other la ventanans do and stop by La Bocana for the high winds!

When La Ventana wind stops, ours begins! I don't kite, but our kiting is for advanced folks, definitely not for beginners.

David K - 9-14-2018 at 08:07 AM

Baja is filled with great things... It makes it very tough to leave or sit on Nomad and wish you were there!