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pal57
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 4-10-2009
Location: San Marino
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Mood: Valentino Rossi the Best!
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From Italy to Baja
Hola to all,
we are coming from Italy and arriving at La Paz on april 20. Staying there for only 3 days, going to see the beautiful beaches like Tecolote and
Balandra and the second day going for a boat trip to Isla Espiritu Santos. After we have 8 days left and renting a Jeep we are just going to trow a
coin and see if going north up to San Ignacio hoping that we can still see some lately whales in the lagoon. Or just stopping to Loreto and relax in
Bahia Conception for 4 days and return south stopping at Todos Santos and finishing or trip at San Josè del Gabo.
If there is any suggestions for or trip we appreciate it.
if I can find some internet points long our trip, I'll try to write a trip diary on BajNomad for every day being at Baja.
Thankx Pal57.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
     
Posts: 15940
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Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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have fun, take fotos!
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Thanks pal57! Have a fun time!!
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 3922
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Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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Looking forward to your trip report. Have a great time!
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pal57
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 4-10-2009
Location: San Marino
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Mood: Valentino Rossi the Best!
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Thankyou all for your replays
Thanks Kat54, nice rental, looking out for it maybe.
Again, thanks
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Udo
Elite Nomad
    
Posts: 6364
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Pal57.
One bit of advice: All the ATM's are in spanish and only spit out Pesos. Be sure you are up on the exchange rates. Do not exchange your Euros at the
airport except just enough to pay for some incidentals. Exchange your $ at a bank for best exchange rate.
If you are renting a Jeep, be sure to take some of the dirt side roads. Be sure you obtain a good Baja map. Don't be shy about eating at the road side
taco stands where you will find some of the best food in Baja. Also, since you will have a Jeep, drive the dirt roads along the coast from La Paz
south. If going to San Ignacio, you may want to stay at the waterside palapas for the night at the lagoon...an unforgetable experience. You will still
see some whales. In Santa Rosalia stop at the bakery in town.
On another note, my wife and I shipped our Goldwing and trailer to Milan in 1999 and rode the bike on coast roads all the way to the bottom of the
peninsula and up to Venice...fabulous trip and the best of people. Everyone we met wanted us to stay at their house.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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pal57
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 4-10-2009
Location: San Marino
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Mood: Valentino Rossi the Best!
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Thank you so much Udo for your advice. I was sure that the best rate for exchanging euro was at the airport, we are arriving at Mexico City Sunday and
wanting to exchange it there, but now I'll keep care of you suggestion.
Glad to hear that you had a nice trip here in Italy and that you are also a bike rider.
We have 3 motocycles in our family and we do much rides with our friends. Next time when you come let me know and we will show you the best roads in
Tuscany.
We already rented a Jeep at La Paz but it would be great to take a motor trip for one day in the dessert near La Paz.
Thankyou again all of you nomads.
Pal57
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Udo
Elite Nomad
    
Posts: 6364
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Pal57,
I am sure you already have some books on Baja, but buy from Amazon.com Moon Baja and perhaps Guia Roji which is in Spanish, but Italiano & Espanol
are fairly close and you should be able to get by OK. Your English is pretty good and you should be OK. You will find many Europeans in that part of
Baja at this time of year.
Be sure to carry copies of your passports as well as the original ones. Helps if you lose the originals which happens more than you think.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Bob and Susan
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Posts: 8813
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Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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richard...thanks for the "plug"
lots of vacationers here this week in mulege
reservations encouraged
when you come so far you really need a "plan"
alot of italians come to baja in the summer
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Udo
Elite Nomad
    
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Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
when you come so far you really need a "plan"
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My wife works for an airline and consequently we somehow end up with free passes on various airlines. When we flew to the different countries that the
airline gave us the passes for, all we did was rent a car at the airport and kind of did like Captain Kirk always did "just take us out there,
somewhere." Yes, we had maps and a tourbook. We never went to the typical tourist areas and got the best deals on rooms. When we did our bike trip in
Italy, our plan consisted of riding the coast and stop when we saw someplace we liked. We had three weeks to get back to the airport.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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pal57
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
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Location: San Marino
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Udo,
Thanks for the tip for our passports, nice idea, for the books (very interresting saw the reviews on internet, written by Joe Cummings and Nikki Goth
Itoi) don't know if I have time for ordering them knowing that we are leaving next sunday, maybe when we arrive in Mexico City I'll try to find it.
Very nice place Playa Frambes, saw the website and youtube video. Not sure if we are going to stop there but who knows?
Our big doubt is in 8 days how much things can whe see? Is it the worth going up till San Ignacio and then drive all the way down until San Josè del
Gabo. It is a long long drive.
Bye Pal57
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Marie-Rose
Senior Nomad
 
Posts: 894
Registered: 10-2-2003
Location: Victoria, B.C. and Todos Santos
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IMHO I think the drive to San Igancio and then back to La Paz would fill 8 days without trying to add Cabo and San Jose.
Having said that... you must at least make a day trip to TS
Todos Santos has a large Italian community if you do decide to stay for awhile. You would enjoy staying at Hotelito where Jenny could make you feel
at home!!!! As well, Sol Caliente is run by an Italian family.
Remember, when in Mexico, yes may be no and no may be
maybe!
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
    
Posts: 9274
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I realize that you could keep adding places to see, but if you do go to Todos Santos, you will only be an hour from Cabo San Lucas, give or take,
depending on traffic. I have made many a day trip to la Paz when staying at Cabo. Since there's two roads, you don't even have to retrace your trip
back. That being said, Cabo is no longer everyone's cup of tea. Once a quiet, serene fishing village, it is now hugely overgrown with time share
hotels. But the view of El Arco at land's end is worth the trip, in my opinion.
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pal57
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 4-10-2009
Location: San Marino
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Mood: Valentino Rossi the Best!
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Quote: | Originally posted by Marie-Rose
Todos Santos has a large Italian community if you do decide to stay for awhile. You would enjoy staying at Hotelito where Jenny could make you feel
at home!!!! As well, Sol Caliente is run by an Italian family. |
Well we are looking foward to stay at least one night at Todos Santos maybe somedays off in north of La Paz. We will keep care of your tips Marie-Rose
and in fact Hotelito was on our list of the B&B nice place.
Pal57
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pal57
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 4-10-2009
Location: San Marino
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Mood: Valentino Rossi the Best!
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Yes Bajahowodd,
we thought for only passing through Cabo San Lucas and staying at San Josè del Cabo that seems much a smaller and peaceful place than Cabo San Lucas.
 
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Bajahowodd
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Yes and no. Downtown San Jose has a colonial look and feel. But along the beach and the approach to San Jose, it's not much different than Cabo, what
with the high rise hotels. In downtown San Jose, a very nice place to stay is Casa Natalia. Owned, actually by a European. Right in the middle of
town. The church, town square, art galleries, restaurants all within a short walking distance.
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vandenberg
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Pal57,
8 days doesn't leave you much time for relaxation if you try to do all the things you're thinking off. From La Paz to Loreto is not a very pretty
drive, except for the last 40 miles or so through the mountains. Boring actually for someone from Italy. Best bet is, on the way to Loreto, to go to
Lopez Mateo and do your whalewatching there. If you leave La Paz early enough you can do that and then continue on to Loreto on the same day. Then
make Loreto your base and visit Conception Bay and Mulege. For that length a time I wouldn't travel any farther unless sitting in a car all day
appeals to you.
And Los Cabos will remind you of the worst of the Riviera, a great place to stay away from. You can do that at home and pretend you're in Baja. 
[Edited on 4-11-2009 by vandenberg]
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Udo
Elite Nomad
    
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Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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8 days in Baja will leave you hungry for more!
La paz to San Ignacio will take you most of a driving day. and another day back, plus a day to see the whales. That leaves you only 5 days. If you
don't have any reservation plans, I would drive to San Ignacio first and see the whales, if that is one of your goals. Then work your way south and
stop at your leisure.
You should have no problems finding a room during the week you are in Baja. Don't walk into a hotel and say you need a room. Ask what the room rates
are before you comit to staying there. Tell the clerk you are shopping for room rates. La Paz to Cabo is about three hours drive. If I had 5 days left
after San Ignacio, I would stay mostly in the La Paz area.
By the way, visiting Isla Espiritu Santo will be an all day trip, if you drive to Playa Tecolote. There are large pangas that take visitors to Los
Islotes for a snorkel dive with the seals, sea lions, and other sealife, then take you on the big island for a picnic. Your fee includes the food and
drink. Reservations are not necessary. There is a small restaurant there also.
One of the dive pangas:

Diving rock;

Another part of the rock;

Pic nic beach;
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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pal57
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 4-10-2009
Location: San Marino
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Mood: Valentino Rossi the Best!
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Tankyou so much vandenberg, I think that your suggestion is very good for Lopez Mateus. Is that near Magdalena Lagoon?.
Nice Photos Udo cann't wait to be there to see the sealions. :-)
Pal57
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David K
Honored Nomad
       
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Location: San Diego County
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Quote: | Originally posted by pal57
Tankyou so much vandenberg, I think that your suggestion is very good for Lopez Mateus. Is that near Magdalena Lagoon?.
Nice Photos Udo cann't wait to be there to see the sealions. :-)
Pal57 |
Lopez Mateos is on the giant Bahia Magdalena... the north end. It and San Carlos are the two ports reached by paved road from Hwy. 1. (Lopez Mateos is
the prefered place to see whales from of the two ports)
See your maps in the Moon guide or whatever you have. Baja travel is really all about maps, IMO!
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