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PYandre
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 11-23-2006
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Road conditions San Felipe to Bahia de Los Angeles?
I was told that the road from San Felipe to Bahia de los Angeles is now paved. Has anyone driven it recently? Please advise, I plan to drive down
the week of March 19th
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dizzyspots
Senior Nomad
Posts: 603
Registered: 9-22-2008
Location: Mescal AZ
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Mood: rather be on the beach at Gonzaga
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San Felipe to Puertecitos...same paved road...lots of vados..no cruise control here
Puertecitos to Gonzaga Bay....nice wide new highway with pullouts, etc...almost to Papa Fernandez
Gonzaga Bay to Coco's normal washboard w/ parallel sand track
Coco's to Chapala....see other posts
Chapala to BOLA= paved?
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PYandre
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 11-23-2006
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Then, the only road to Bahia de los Angeles from San Felipe is via Coco's corners to Mex 1 then to the turn off to Bahia Los Angeles?
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Yes
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Latest report shows 38 unpaved miles... from the bridge just north of Papa Fernandez' driveway (Bahia San Luis Gonzaga) to Hwy. 1 at Laguna Chapala
(via Coco's Corner). This is the shortest amount of dirt road, and it is a 2WD graded road... just not smooth!
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PYandre
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 11-23-2006
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I just received this email today (3/12/13) from friends who drove from Chapala to Coco's Corners to San Felipe yesterday:
The road from Chapala to Gonzaga is quite rough, especially the 20km section between Coco's Corner and Chapala (Hwy 1). However, we felt it was well
worth it. We went slow to Coco's Corner but even then it took less than an hour. And the section between Coco's Corner and Gonzaga (almost 40 km) was
a lot easier, especially with some side sand roads which were easy to drive. The whole 60 km took about 2 hours, and that includes the obligatory beer
stop at Coco's Corner.
We stopped at Alfonsina's in Gonzaga Bay -- very pretty but decided to go on to San Felipe for the night. The road is paved almost all the way from
Gonzaga to San Felipe and it is a beautiful drive along the Sea of Cortez (except for the tacky little developments along the way). The only thing to
watch out for are the vados between San Felipe and Puertocitos -- a 70 km stretch or so. YOU HAVE TO SLOW DOWN FOR THEM, unless you want to really
shake things up in the car.
The advice you got on Baja Nomad about pulling a trailer over this sections was very good. I wouldn't want to pull between Chapala and Gonzaga. We met
one fellow who was doing that and he was fine, but said it was taking a long time.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Spot on report!
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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This is what can happen when pulling a trailor on the highway from San Felipe thru Gonzaga to hwy 1.
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buenasolas
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: 4-27-2012
Location: San Diego
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dizzyspots
San Felipe to Puertecitos...same paved road...lots of vados..no cruise control here
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Forgive my ignorance, but what's a vado?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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A DIP... and in the Puertecitos highway, they are sudden and steep... made for max speed of like 30 mph. South of Puertecitos to the end of pavement
by Gonzaga Bay (and north of San Felipe), the highway is modern, and good for 110 kph!
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Desertbull
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 8-27-2003
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It's so dangerous as a herd of chupacabra are stealing beer and small children from the area. Pass the word to all travelers not to go south of San
Felipe during the months of April and May (I will be there but it's dangerous) I swear! Bwahhhhhh
DREAM IT! PLAN IT! LIVE IT!
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micah202
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 1-19-2011
Location: vancouver,BC
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| Quote: | Originally posted by TW
This is what can happen when pulling a trailor on the highway from San Felipe thru Gonzaga to hwy 1.
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.....OUCH!!!
.
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dizzyspots
Senior Nomad
Posts: 603
Registered: 9-22-2008
Location: Mescal AZ
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Mood: rather be on the beach at Gonzaga
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Interesting drivers mirror reinforcement as well...
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buenasolas
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: 4-27-2012
Location: San Diego
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
A DIP... and in the Puertecitos highway, they are sudden and steep... made for max speed of like 30 mph. South of Puertecitos to the end of pavement
by Gonzaga Bay (and north of San Felipe), the highway is modern, and good for 110 kph! |
Thanks, good to know! I am venturing over to the sea of Cortez side for the first time soon, so I'm doing my research. 
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Yah, the first one isn't as bad as it used to be... just south of the Valley of the Giants turnoff (just south of Punta Estrella Beach road)... they
are sacttered from there south to Campo Cristina road... then you get many as you cross the Arroyo Matomi flood plain, which begins about 11 miles
north of Puertecitos. About a 40 mile stretch where the pavement is narrow and has these sudden dips (vados), so keep your speed to 50 mph or less.
Once you have passed the paved junction for Puertecitos, you are then on NEW highway, and it is great (if that's what you like, lol)... The only
concern is the next 20 miles as the highway cuts through the volcanic ridges, as there is a lot of falling rocks you may need to dodge. 
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Retireded
Nomad
Posts: 129
Registered: 10-4-2012
Location: El Sauzal
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Mood: Wishin' I was Fishin', Oh, I am!
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We turned off highway 1 onto 5 this afternoon. after the first 3 miles, we turned around and put off visiting San Felipe until another time. Wife
has a bad back and that road was too much for her. I found it interesting when I saw a tire standing in the road, went around it, and saw it was
there to mark a large hole in the road. Mexican ingenuity? The tire was about 1 foot into the hole and certainly warned me away from it. Could have
done serious damage to the suspension.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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They like to built up roadbeds in Mexico, but in the case of Laguna Chapala, that is near a large lake bed, so maybe a good idea there for a wet year.
Lack of maintenance is why the wet season erosion into the road is refilled, so a tire will do! It may be 6 more years for the last 38 miles to get
paved, but since money is going to that work, don't look for any fixes to the older road before then. Come back with a better vehicle or when your
wife's back is better... Lower the air pressure to about 20 psi to improve the ride, and also prevent flats. Sharp rocks poke through a high inflated
tire easier than a softer one... I know, I have until recently never deflated for graded roads (the Tacoma suspension is great, so no ride softening
needed)... but I have gotten my last 4 flat tires on Baja graded roads, and all from rock punctures, as I was at full street pressure.
Here's where Hwy. 5 (mis-labeled as Hwy. 1) meets the Transpeninsular road, northbound on Hwy. 1 at Laguna Chapala:
[Edited on 3-14-2013 by David K]
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Retireded
Nomad
Posts: 129
Registered: 10-4-2012
Location: El Sauzal
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Mood: Wishin' I was Fishin', Oh, I am!
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Thanks for the tips. I lowered the tire pressure when I had gone about a mile, then turned back and had a long drive on under-inflated tires before I
was able to get air. I'll never do that again unless I know how far I'm going on the road and am willing to commit to it. LOL After whale watching
with Shari Saturday and three nights camped in a waterfront palapa in BOLA, We were definitely up for some more adventure. Just too bad Merrys back
was not tuned in to her brain.She was very much looking forward to visiting San Felipe in the same trip. A neighbor tells me the tire in the hole
trick is common here in Baja. I thought it was ingenious. Great warning for the hole in the road. We met up with a couple on bicycles on their way
from Argentina to Alaska, they shared what they had been told that the road got worse the farther one ventured. Based on that, we cancelled that part
of our trip and will go to San Felipe at a later date.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Too bad her back wasn't feeling great... it is only 38 dirt miles, but that is maybe 2 hours driving slow to normal, and that wouldn't be fun for her
(or you)! Coco is a hoot, and his Corner is just 13 miles from Highway 1, making it a good break and beer stop...
Sign his guest book... after you leave, he draws a cartoon of you next to your log in. See it the next time you go there!
Here is a sample showing the couple who walked to Cabo pulling a wagon, last year:
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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| Quote: | Originally posted by buenasolas
| Quote: | Originally posted by dizzyspots
San Felipe to Puertecitos...same paved road...lots of vados..no cruise control here
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Forgive my ignorance, but what's a vado? |
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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