BajaNomad

L.A. to SQ

sanquintinsince73 - 5-18-2020 at 10:25 AM

We are going to roll South to San Quintin for the Memorial Day weekend. I understand that some people are being turned around at El Sauzal. Have any of you nomads gotten thru? My wife is a Mexican citizen with American residency, she also has a current voters credential card from Mexico. In the event that we are turned around, are there any places to stay North of Ensenada?

Alm - 5-18-2020 at 04:04 PM

The purpose of check-point North of Ensenada is to turn around people who don't live in Ensenada or farther South. Citizenship doesn't come into play.

Lee - 5-18-2020 at 07:32 PM

MX citizenship should get you past Ensenada if destination is SQ. A MX voter card proves residency in the eyes of a check point. Same with RP card.

Surfboards on the roof or gringoes looking like tourists will not.

''Ensenada Mayor Armando Ayala Robles said entry into the city would only be allowed for emergencies, medical appointments, transportation to essential workplaces and to allow for the supply of food and medicine.''

amigobaja - 5-19-2020 at 07:07 AM

last saturday I saw a lot of Mex and cali license plates turned back north at the ensenada check point. My permeant res card would not have got me thru. CFE bill was the ticket

sanquintinsince73 - 5-19-2020 at 11:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by amigobaja  
last saturday I saw a lot of Mex and cali license plates turned back north at the ensenada check point. My permeant res card would not have got me thru. CFE bill was the ticket


Right on. I wanted to take advantage of the holiday weekend to drive my wife down there. She is a retired dentist and does volunteer work in Baja....she loves to do root canals.

thebajarunner - 5-19-2020 at 03:18 PM

Dive off the Cuota at La Mision, take the free road around, not much longer in time and save a couple bucks..:)

If things look gnarly there at Sauzal, just dogleg back and take the "new road" headed over toward Ojos Negros, then drop down into Ensenada when you see the city from up on the hill.

There is always an alternate route in Baja!!
Maybe a little rough, but always a way around

sanquintinsince73 - 5-19-2020 at 03:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner  
Dive off the Cuota at La Mision, take the free road around, not much longer in time and save a couple bucks..:)

If things look gnarly there at Sauzal, just dogleg back and take the "new road" headed over toward Ojos Negros, then drop down into Ensenada when you see the city from up on the hill.

There is always an alternate route in Baja!!
Maybe a little rough, but always a way around


Thank you kindly!

thebajarunner - 5-20-2020 at 08:13 AM

The Las Mision exit is also the La Fonda exit,
miss it and you can't turn back for a long ways

lizard lips - 5-20-2020 at 08:23 AM

Even if you decide to take the free road at La Mission you will still need to go through the check point north of Ensenada so I don't know what that is all about. Family from Tijuana came down a week ago to attend to the burial of their mother who died in Ensenada and they are Mexican citizens and showed the check point people their Mexican ID and were not permitted in. They pulled over and with much discussion they were finally passed through.

If you cannot show that you live in Ensenada or points further south you will be turned around. Of course you can try but if you want to waste time and money go for it.

Easy way around

thebajarunner - 5-20-2020 at 03:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lizard lips  
Even if you decide to take the free road at La Mission you will still need to go through the check point north of Ensenada so I don't know what that is all about. Family from Tijuana came down a week ago to attend to the burial of their mother who died in Ensenada and they are Mexican citizens and showed the check point people their Mexican ID and were not permitted in. They pulled over and with much discussion they were finally passed through.

If you cannot show that you live in Ensenada or points further south you will be turned around. Of course you can try but if you want to waste time and money go for it.


As always, there are ways around, in Baja
So, I assumed that the check point was north of the toll booth
Take the free road from La Mision/La Fonda, and before you get to Ensenada there is a turnoff, well marked to the left to Porvenir and Guadalupe.
Take it a few miles, first stop sign is an easy connect over to 3 at San Antonio de las Minas.
From there head into Ensenada, after crossing the big hill you see the "new road" heading left/south.
Take that for a few miles and then drop down into Ensenada

Easy peasy, as DK would say.
Less time involved that waiting an hour in line
Less (probably zero) chance of being turned back.

As I said, there is always a way around in Baja

David K - 5-20-2020 at 04:08 PM

Dan makes it sound like the Covid check is south of the toll both and south of the free road connection... but if it is north of the Hwy. 3 junction on Hwy. 1, then using the El Tigre cut across between Hwy. 1 & 3 will do it! Easy peasy... LOL

On this 2010 map, the road is not paved, but it is the one above El Tigre that passes El Perral, 4.7 & 2.6 miles long...

1A2B.jpg - 238kB

KM. 83 on Hwy. 1 and KM. 91.5+ on Hwy. 3

[Edited on 5-20-2020 by David K]

thebajarunner - 5-20-2020 at 04:12 PM

All paved now

sanquintinsince73 - 5-20-2020 at 07:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Dan makes it sound like the Covid check is south of the toll both and south of the free road connection... but if it is north of the Hwy. 3 junction on Hwy. 1, then using the El Tigre cut across between Hwy. 1 & 3 will do it! Easy peasy... LOL

On this 2010 map, the road is not paved, but it is the one above El Tigre that passes El Perral, 4.7 & 2.6 miles long...



KM. 83 on Hwy. 1 and KM. 91.5+ on Hwy.

Save for the very first comment on my question, the comments and suggestions that follow are what this site is all about. You guys rock. Been traveling to baja since I was 10...47 years now. Being a creature of habit, I always take the same routes; hence my lack of knowledge on other routes. Is there any way that someone can highlight the exact route to take on the map that DK provided? Thank you kindly.

[Edited on 5-20-2020 by David K]

David K - 5-21-2020 at 08:34 AM

Quote: Originally posted by sanquintinsince73  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Dan makes it sound like the Covid check is south of the toll both and south of the free road connection... but if it is north of the Hwy. 3 junction on Hwy. 1, then using the El Tigre cut across between Hwy. 1 & 3 will do it! Easy peasy... LOL

On this 2010 map, the road is not paved, but it is the one above El Tigre that passes El Perral, 4.7 & 2.6 miles long...



KM. 83 on Hwy. 1 and KM. 91.5+ on Hwy.


Save for the very first comment on my question, the comments and suggestions that follow are what this site is all about. You guys rock. Been traveling to baja since I was 10...47 years now. Being a creature of habit, I always take the same routes; hence my lack of knowledge on other routes. Is there any way that someone can highlight the exact route to take on the map that DK provided? Thank you kindly.





I shaded in the dirt roads that are now paved.

[Edited on 5-21-2020 by David K]

thebajarunner - 5-21-2020 at 10:10 AM

Just to further clarify....
Couple miles before you get connected back to Hwy 1 at El Sauzal you will see the big new bypass that cuts off to the left, up the hill and over toward Ojos Negros
Take that new road up into the hills.
When you get your grand view of the city and the bay you will drop down off that road, into east side of Ensenada, work your way across the city and connect back to Hwy 1 for the rest of your trip.
"Easy peasy"

sanquintinsince73 - 5-21-2020 at 01:58 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner  
Just to further clarify....
Couple miles before you get connected back to Hwy 1 at El Sauzal you will see the big new bypass that cuts off to the left, up the hill and over toward Ojos Negros
Take that new road up into the hills.
When you get your grand view of the city and the bay you will drop down off that road, into east side of Ensenada, work your way across the city and connect back to Hwy 1 for the rest of your trip.
"Easy peasy"


Big THANK YOU to you and DK.

esemjay1956 - 5-21-2020 at 03:20 PM

so is that bypass now open and does it help getting around Ensenada?
Anything that makes it easier headed south....

thebajarunner - 5-21-2020 at 03:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by esemjay1956  
so is that bypass now open and does it help getting around Ensenada?
Anything that makes it easier headed south....


I drove it a couple months ago, clear to the end
You go for at least a dozen miles, losing sight of the city and then come to a dirt berm, with a hand lettered sign that says "Ojos Negros" with an arrow around the berm
We turned around and came back to where we saw the city, then dropped down and proceeded across town.
My friends in Guadalupe go that way when they are going to Costco, they seem to think it is quicker than going through the centro… I don't have an opinion on that.
I certainly would give it a try, next time you are there
You won't gain or lose much time, but you will see new sights.

If you are headed to San Felipe then for sure I would go out there and find a way to connect to the Hwy 3.

David K - 5-21-2020 at 04:18 PM

OK... here is the latest thread I could find on the Libramiento de Ensenada, and it is over two years old: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=87759

(I bumped it up for new discussion)