oslotboom
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 1-25-2007
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Quick tour to Catavina, any suggestions?
I'll be in the San Diego area in late March (spring break) and I really want to see the boojum forest and prime desert fauna/flora around Catavina.
I'm thinking this is a two-day, one night trip. I can't find any organized tours that just go to Catavina, and I am definitely not qualified to
attempt driving (don't speak Spanish and I'm not Mexico street smart.)
So I'm thinking of a personal tour guide/driver service that would take me and a buddy on the trip, including supplying the vehicle. I found one
listing in San Diego (Baja Guia) but it is non-responsive.
I'm looking for suggestions on how I could make this happen, or any recommended personal guide services.
Thanks,
Dallas,TX
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Drive it man!!!! Go for it!!
Hey, you only live once, and this is not like driving the Dakar Rally.
You don't need Spanish, shoot, you don't even need pesos.
I am sure you will be inundated with comments, but let mine register first.... buy an insurance policy at the border and let 'er rip!
My wife and I took a fast dash down to Catavina the day after Christmas.
It is certainly a drive that will fill a good part of the day, each way, but you will have plenty of time to see, wander, and be amazed.
More later, after you let this sink in.
In fact, our Central Cal. Baja Boyz are cruising down there that week, hook up and follow us, and see how easy it can be.
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DavidT
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Drive time to Catavina is 7& hours from San Diego, take an extra day or two if you can.
Rent a car and drive as far as you can, the most difficult part of your trip will be returning to the US.
David
Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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I would be happy to help as a guide, with my 'self-guided tours web site'!
There is MUCH to see in the Cataviņa region (El Rosario to Punta Prieta)!
Go here and see the list of links to sites to see around El Rosario, Cataviņa, Bahia San Luis Gonzaga and Bahia de los Angeles: Baja Self Guided Tours
When you click on that link, scroll down to this group... each listing is a direct link to photos of that place:
EL ROSARIO AREA:
Missions, Museum, La Bocana, La Lobera
Cactus Garden and Sauzalito mine ruins
Punta Baja and south (coast road)
Petrified Forest (guide required)
El Camino Real near Km. 80
Las Pintas Fossil Grotto
Los Martires to El Socorro, cactus forests, petroglyphs found!
Mision San Fernando and petros '05
Mina de San Fernando (plus mission and petros in '00)
El Marmol & El Volcan
Agua Dulce historic spring (plus Baja Cactus Motel)
CATAVIŅA AREA:
Colorful Petroglyph Cave
Rancho Santa Ynez cafe '01
Rancho Santa Ynez and road to Mision Santa Maria '03
Mision Santa Maria '99
More of the road to the mission in '03
Mision Santa Maria de los Angeles
Hiking the El Camino Real and canyon trails between Santa Maria and Gonzaga Bay
Petroglyphs near Santa Maria
BAHIA SAN LUIS GONZAGA AREA:
Mission-era warehouse ruins on the shore of the bay
Alfonsina's Beach
Onyx Springs create a mineral glacier
Molino de Lacy ruins & grave
Las Palmitas oasis and Santa Maria Canyon
El Camino Real to Mision Santa Maria
Santa Maria Canyon from the air
La Turquesa Canyon
Coco's Corner
Calamajue mission site
BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES AREA:
Tinaja de Yubay
Punta Candeleros & Remedios (Bahia Guadalupe)
El Toro Copper Mine
Camp Gecko cabin, turtle research station, & La Gringa
Bahia de los Angeles highway, Pemex, etc. '05
Bahia de los Angeles Museum
Mision San Borja
Mision San Borja (inside)
Old San Gregorio
Santa Ana, San Ignacito
Montevideo Petroglyphs
Las Tinajitas Petroglyphs
Camp Gecko '03
Las Flores
Los Paredones, La Bocana, Bahia San Rafeal
Las Flores Railroad and Tramway
Rock Palm Hill (near Yubay)
=========================================================
Here's a sampling of the Cataviņa and nearby area!:
BOOJUM (Cirio) TREE:
BOOJUMS behind my truck:
CATAVIŅA CAVE ART:
MISION SANTA MARIA:
OASIS near Santa Maria:
GONZAGA BAY
EL MARMOL & WORLD'S ONLY ONYX SCHOOLHOUSE
ELEPHANT TREES (El Marmol-El Volcan road)
EL VOLCAN (Cold Water Geyser)
TURTLE RESEARCH STATION, Bahia de los Angeles
CUTE BABY TURTLE
ARCH BOOJUM
STRAIGHT BOOJUM
MONTEVIDEO PAINTED CLIFF
OLD BAJA NUT & YOUNG BOOJUM
Contact me if I can be of further assistance! (u2u or email: info*at*vivabaja.com)
[Edited on 1-26-2007 by David K]
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TMW
Select Nomad
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Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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And after you get back give us a trip report.
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larry
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Location: Orinda, CA
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I have to agree with those above: you should drive this yourself. For the most part, you are talking about slower driving conditions than on US
freeways. Tijuana urban traffic can be avoided completely. You will hit some traffic in Ensenada and San Quintin, but most of the trip on Highway 1
is one lane in each direction with very little traffic. Not everyone will speak English but if you really need to communicate you will be able to do
so in English. Most of the tourism in this area is gringo and many don't speak Spanish.
You can do this trip in two days, one night but it is a long drive which will allow you only a few hours to look around.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Perhaps the guy just wants to kick back and enjoy the trip without learning the ins and outs?
Two days there would allow you to see so much stuff, but two days total is not enough... Cataviņa is 300 miles from San Diego (6 hours+).
If you are going to already be in San Diego for other reasons, then give yourself at least one more day... You won't regret it!
Day 1: Head south, if at midday or afternoon then stop for a lobster lunch at Puerto Nuevo (Chela's) or dinner at the Half Way House. If rushed, then
a fast meal at Tacos el Yaqui in Rosarito!
As seeing the central desert is the primary purpose, then breeze through Ensenada and head straight for the finest, inexpensive accomodations... Baja
Cactus Motel, El Rosario.
If the trip starts from San Diego in the morning, then visit La Lobera... the sea lion crater (3 miles from Km. 47.5), 6 miles north of El Rosario...
A guide could take you to the petrified forest of El Rosario.
There are two mission sites in El Rosario, a museum, Mama Espinoza's (just to see the stuff inside, if not a meal there), other restaurants and taco
satnds... Hugo's art gallery/taco shop 'Mision', as well.
Day 2, breakfast at Baja's Best on your way south and head into the boojum hills!
A trip of about 10 miles north on the Los Martires road takes you into a great boojum forest, past abandoned copper mines.
Mision San Fernando (1769) is just 3 miles off the highway and a cliff of petroglyphs is a mile beyond.
El Marmol and El Volcan is 9 + 4 miles more from the highway.
Agua Dulce is a historic spring on the padre's El Camino Real, just a couple miles from Hwy. 1... You can drive a section of the original Baja main
road (pre 1973) to Cataviņa from Agua Dulce ... the famous Mexican 1000 & Baja 500 race used it.
The Cataviņa painted cave is a must see...
Depending how much of the Day #2 places you visit and spend time at, you can either head back to Baja Cactus in El Rosario, continue on to Bahia de
los Angeles (many motels), or stay at Cataviņa (2 motels or dorm room at Rancho Santa Ynez).
Day 3, if starting from Bahia de los Angeles... a quick tour of town and the bay, breakfast at Las Hamacas Restaurant... Visit Montevideo and perhaps
Mision San Borja, then head to San Diego. The tallest (or one of the tallest) boojum trees in Baja was along the Montevideo road... A hurricane
toppled it. The best cactus garden in Baja is here. Montevideo has wonderful painted pictographs.
It will be a 9 hour trip to San Diego from Mision San Borja, so you will arrive late on day 3, if you want to get all of the above in.
Another option would be to start day 3 in Cataviņa, go to Gonzaga Bay via Coco's Corner and to San Diego past San Felipe... You get to see a whole lot
more of northern Baja!
Photo at Gonzaga Bay...
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oslotboom
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 1-25-2007
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Thanks to everyone for the responses. The info and photos make me want to go even more!
I'll have to give closer consideration to driving myself. If I can find a travel partner who has some experience in Mexico, I'll be ready to go for
it.
The comment about spending 3 or 4 days on the trip makes a lot of sense, especially with the time required to get back into the U.S.
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fdt
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4059
Registered: 9-7-2003
Location: Tijuana, Baja California
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Mood: Yeah, what if it all goes right
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Check you U2U oslotboom
A well informed Baja California traveler is a smart Baja California traveler!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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oslo... I have a lot of nice photos, honest! You aren't seeing them today because the Internet server is off line... The one at Gonzaga Bay is off my
PC, the rest off VivaBaja.com
So, do come back later!
Between fdt (Fernando de Tijuana) and the I and the other Nomads, we will help you enjoy a boojum tree wonderland!
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3825
Registered: 2-9-2004
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"but most of the trip on Highway 1 is one lane in each direction with very little traffic. "
There is plenty of traffic, and most of it is huge trucks, motorhomes and buses, or people towing boats with wide trailers which sway into your lane.
That portion - TJ to Catavina - also crosses two mountain ranges - plenty of hairpin turns and slow uphill pulls. With all those speeding SUV's with
US plates, the huge trucks, buses and military vehicles carrying 20 soldiers in the back, they all cross over to your lane, some even pass on blind
turns, and often there rocks and debris in the road which has fallen of the abutting cliff. And you may enounter slow trucks going uphill, which will
necessitate a risky passing maneuver; and lord help you if you get behind a caravan of motorhomes. Or a howling windstorm or dust storm. In short, it
is not a carefree drive - white knuckles and be alert at every moment. The traffic does start to thin past the turnoff to Bahia de Los Angeles.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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What a great encouragement.... NOT!!!
| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
"but most of the trip on Highway 1 is one lane in each direction with very little traffic. "
There is plenty of traffic, and most of it is huge trucks, motorhomes and buses, or people towing boats with wide trailers which sway into your lane.
That portion - TJ to Catavina - also crosses two mountain ranges - plenty of hairpin turns and slow uphill pulls. With all those speeding SUV's with
US plates, the huge trucks, buses and military vehicles carrying 20 soldiers in the back, they all cross over to your lane, some even pass on blind
turns, and often there rocks and debris in the road which has fallen of the abutting cliff. And you may enounter slow trucks going uphill, which will
necessitate a risky passing maneuver; and lord help you if you get behind a caravan of motorhomes. Or a howling windstorm or dust storm. In short, it
is not a carefree drive - white knuckles and be alert at every moment. The traffic does start to thin past the turnoff to Bahia de Los Angeles.
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Wow, after 35 years of driving that road I now feel like I should be afraid....
Maybe that is why my hair is turning gray.
Oh well, even if your assessment were accurate- which I do not feel that it is- that wonderful liberating sense when I pass the last plowed field of
San Quintin somehow makes it all worthwhile
BAJA VIVA!!
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