BajaNomad

Is Highway 5 paved in area approaching Chapala and Hwy 1 ?

ZipLine - 9-1-2019 at 05:14 PM

I've never driven that route and would like to do it in a regular car.

If unpaved, what is the condition of the road?

David K - 9-1-2019 at 07:28 PM

20-30 miles are unpaved. Some south of Gonzaga and some north of Puertecitos. Regular cars and semi-trucks drive it, but it is not always smooth.

JZ - 9-1-2019 at 07:48 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ZipLine  
I've never driven that route and would like to do it in a regular car.

If unpaved, what is the condition of the road?


Easy in a regular car. Just slow down.



yes, sort of

John M - 9-1-2019 at 08:18 PM

Six weejs ago we found that the first half-mile or so heading east from Highway 1 was dirt. Then the dirt route was blocked and you were put onto the new asphalt. We stayed on the new asphalt for about 4 miles then were on the new dirt roadbed. Two or three miles later we were detoured off of the new dirt roadbed and back on the older road all the way to Coco's and beyond. It was obvious they didn't want us on the new dirt roadbed where the detours were - big boulders and high dirt berms blocking access.

After talking to several other folks on the road, the construction company changes where you can and cannot drive regularly.

The nine mile dirt portion east of Coco's is good for a passenger car, going slowly. The dirt portion west of Coco's for about 4 miles is rocky but all sorts of cars drive it. Decent tires and patience would be helpful.

John M

[Edited on 9-2-2019 by John M]

shari - 9-2-2019 at 09:10 AM

guests of ours just drove it and were totally freaked out and said we really needed to warn people not to go that way...when they finally got to Mex 1 they were held up for 4 hours at a construction site there at the turnoff.
Lesson for me is that road condition advice is very relative and some say no problem and others are completely frightened by it..this group said they felt it was life threatening....they were scared....sooooo...be forewarned.

norte - 9-2-2019 at 09:31 AM

Quote: Originally posted by shari  
guests of ours just drove it and were totally freaked out and said we really needed to warn people not to go that way...when they finally got to Mex 1 they were held up for 4 hours at a construction site there at the turnoff.
Lesson for me is that road condition advice is very relative and some say no problem and others are completely frightened by it..this group said they felt it was life threatening....they were scared....sooooo...be forewarned.


scared, life threatening because it was a dirt road. good thing they didn't travel Baja 30 years ago. Things and people are changing.

bajamary1952 - 9-2-2019 at 09:35 AM

Someone has a recent Youtube video of a trip taken earlier this year all the way to Bahia de LA & the road all the way down from south of San Felipe would prevent me from traveling in a 2WD drive esp. solo.

David K - 9-2-2019 at 10:40 AM

Wow....

Bajazly - 9-2-2019 at 10:46 AM

Quote: Originally posted by shari  
guests of ours just drove it and were totally freaked out and said we really needed to warn people not to go that way...when they finally got to Mex 1 they were held up for 4 hours at a construction site there at the turnoff.
Lesson for me is that road condition advice is very relative and some say no problem and others are completely frightened by it..this group said they felt it was life threatening....they were scared....sooooo...be forewarned.


Sounds like they had a “Most excellent Baja adventure”.

Any story involving life threatening, either real or imagined, gets the “Most” designation.

[Edited on 9-2-2019 by Bajazly]

del mar - 9-2-2019 at 11:03 AM

4 hours at the turnoff???? whats going on there?

JZ - 9-2-2019 at 11:25 AM

Quote: Originally posted by shari  
guests of ours just drove it and were totally freaked out and said we really needed to warn people not to go that way...when they finally got to Mex 1 they were held up for 4 hours at a construction site there at the turnoff.
Lesson for me is that road condition advice is very relative and some say no problem and others are completely frightened by it..this group said they felt it was life threatening....they were scared....sooooo...be forewarned.


Life threatening.... lol. They have no business going to Baja.

ZipLine - 9-2-2019 at 11:31 AM

Gracias!

bajaric - 9-2-2019 at 01:00 PM

I think it is a little harsh to disparage someone for describing that road as life threatening. That is a rough little stretch of road and it is best to know what you are doing and if you get stuck not run out of water. It is the desert, after all, and in the summer an elderly person or someone who ran out of water might truly describe it as life threatening if they got stuck.

kiterkip - 9-2-2019 at 01:20 PM

Do any of you let air out of your tire before driving this gravel section? I did the route in my Subaru 2 years ago and it was wonderful.... wondering if it was pointless letting tire pressure down to 20psi pre-gravel?

JZ - 9-2-2019 at 01:56 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaric  
I think it is a little harsh to disparage someone for describing that road as life threatening. That is a rough little stretch of road and it is best to know what you are doing and if you get stuck not run out of water. It is the desert, after all, and in the summer an elderly person or someone who ran out of water might truly describe it as life threatening if they got stuck.


If you think that is a rough stretch of road you have no business going to Baja.

What you said about water and heat could be said about any road, paved or not.

Ppl who shouldn't travel in Baja should not be giving advice to the op.

JZ - 9-2-2019 at 01:58 PM

Quote: Originally posted by kiterkip  
Do any of you let air out of your tire before driving this gravel section? I did the route in my Subaru 2 years ago and it was wonderful.... wondering if it was pointless letting tire pressure down to 20psi pre-gravel?


Yes, air down about 40 to 50%.

AKgringo - 9-2-2019 at 02:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by kiterkip  
Do any of you let air out of your tire before driving this gravel section? I did the route in my Subaru 2 years ago and it was wonderful.... wondering if it was pointless letting tire pressure down to 20psi pre-gravel?


If I was driving a vehicle that was running 60 psi or so, I would probably want to air down. In my light weight Kia the psi is already pretty low, so I don't bother airing down for that brief stretch of dirt.

Driving a little slower for an hour or so is a better use of my time than deflating, and then re-inflating a few miles further down the road.

I do drop the pressure on longer, rougher or softer routes than the dirt on Mex 5!

Lee - 9-2-2019 at 02:56 PM

There are newbies who venture down the Peninsula, freak out, never return, and spread their personal experiences about deadly close encounters with folks. Surprised the bandidos didn't show up.

Baja. Not for everyone.

SFandH - 9-2-2019 at 03:01 PM

Rome wasn't built in a day, but it took less time than this two-lane road.

How many years has this thoroughfare been under construction? 63?

David K - 9-2-2019 at 04:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH  
Rome wasn't built in a day, but it took less time than this two-lane road.

How many years has this thoroughfare been under construction? 63?

The Puertecitos south construction began in 2007. In 7 years it reached Gonzaga and 20 kms. beyond. That's about 59 miles.
Blazing a straight line through the mountain and canyon to Chapala has been a big, slow deal. They sadly need to renegotiate the contract every 10 kms. it seems?! Lots of work stoppages the past 5 years.

[Edited on 9-2-2019 by David K]

bajabuddha - 9-2-2019 at 05:03 PM

After the last floods literally wiping out new construction in monumental droves, I figger another 63 aught to do it (or so).

Bajazly - 9-2-2019 at 05:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
After the last floods literally wiping out new construction in monumental droves, I figger another 63 aught to do it (or so).



Let’s hope so.

AKgringo - 9-2-2019 at 05:35 PM

I prefer hwy 5 over hwy 1, and hope there is always enough rough road to keep it less traveled!

bajaric - 9-2-2019 at 05:48 PM



If you think that is a rough stretch of road you have no business going to Baja.

What you said about water and heat could be said about any road, paved or not.

Ppl who shouldn't travel in Baja should not be giving advice to the op.

Jizzers, you might recall that a young lady perished on that road not too long ago, so I am not speaking from ignorance, only adding a word of caution to the unprepared. Its not a freeway in the San Fernando Valley. As for me, well, I can drive it in my sleep in a 2WD pickup without letting the air out of the tires, no need for that unless you have insecurity issues.

Alm - 9-2-2019 at 07:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by del mar  
4 hours at the turnoff???? whats going on there?

What is going on, is holdups. Has been known to happen in secluded areas of this stretch after sunset. Unfinished construction with pieces of equipment and rough terrain are perfect for ambush. But I am puzzled, as 4 hours is a bit long for a holdup :). They usually work in more expedited manner.

[Edited on 9-3-2019 by Alm]

David K - 9-2-2019 at 07:24 PM

Hwy. 5 is busy, even the dirt part. It would be a terrible place to commit a crime... hundreds of miles from a city... where would they hide as they surely don't drive off-road vehicles!??

Shari, you really could do us a favor and get better details from your guests... and that is before the pitahaya margaritas are served!

[Edited on 9-7-2019 by David K]

BajaDanD - 9-6-2019 at 09:05 PM

I towed my boat over it a month or so ago went slow as hell and still shook the crap out of my boat and trailer but it was in better condition then from San Felipe to Gonzaga. I've been driving the 5 to Chapala or vice versa for years back when it was dirt all the way from Puertecitos to Chapala and the pavement north of Puertecitos had car swallowing potholes. Never did I think my life was in danger. I drove from Mexicali to La Paz right the day after the first Hurricane last year and back during the second Hurricane and never thought my life was in danger.
Baja is an adventure, Always that's why I go there