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Disastrogirl
Newbie
Posts: 16
Registered: 11-21-2017
Location: San Diego
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Driving from Todos Santos to Punta Conejo
Hi. I’m driving through Baja in my 4x4 Bronco over the next couple weeks. If you see a grey-haired lady with a brown dog in a lifted OJ special be
sure to say howdy!
I’m wondering if there is a route along the ocean from Todos Santos to Punta Conejo. I am a beginner 4x4 driver so I don’t want anything too
difficult.
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6030
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Mood: Retireded
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I poked around out there for a couple of days about five years ago. Yes, you can make it from near Todos Santos to Conejo on back roads, and it can
be done in two wheel drive.
I suspect that the road maintenance is done by, and for the ranchers in the area, and the 'most traveled' roads frequently dead end at ranches! Back
tracking to take the road less traveled ate into my limited gasoline capacity, but I enjoyed the outing.
The beaches I found access to were fun, but soft and required airing down quite a bit, so if you do not carry a compressor, it will be a long drive to
re-fill your tires.
I look forward to exploring the area some more, and wish I was there right now. A GPS, or phone app may help you find the right connections, but at
one point my Garmin showed me just offshore, trolling along parallel to the beach front road I was on.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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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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Having a tire air compressor pump is an absolute must in Baja!
Not only to refill the tires after airing down for soft sand or any dirt road driving but to refill a flat tire that you just repaired... so you want
to have a tire plug kit, too!
I drove over 12,000 miles in Baja last year, and never once had to take my spare out. Besides the many places I aired down for dirt road driving, I
also fixed three flats and refilled the tires with my MV-50 air pump.
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Disastrogirl
Newbie
Posts: 16
Registered: 11-21-2017
Location: San Diego
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  | Having a tire air compressor pump is an absolute must in Baja!
Not only to refill the tires after airing down for soft sand or any dirt road driving but to refill a flat tire that you just repaired... so you want
to have a tire plug kit, too!
I drove over 12,000 miles in Baja last year, and never once had to take my spare out. Besides the many places I aired down for dirt road driving, I
also fixed three flats and refilled the tires with my MV-50 air pump. |
Thank you for the advice! I have both of the those! So far I haven’t needed them but I try to be prepared.
I love your travel posts. Inspirational and so much great info.
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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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Thank you!
I wish you a wonderful trip full of adventure!
I stayed with Rob and Baja Linda (she replied in your other post) at their Playas Pacificas development (Rancho La Aguja). The beach there was great.
I drove down the coast from Punta Conejo. You will need to contact Linda in advance, to open the gate. This coastal road was the main road to La Paz
before the 1950s and more recently, the Baja 1000 course. It is slow driving.
See photos and details beginning on Day 9 of my Trip #6 Report, here:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=87323
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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The 2007 Baja 1000 ran the coast line which included Punta Conejo to just north of Todos Santos. The map, Google Earth file and GPS files are at http://www.murdocknav.com/mapsmex1.php
2007 was the last 1000 to go to Cabo. Several including last years go to La Paz but they turn away from the coast further north in the La Aguja and El
Cedro areas shown in the almanac.
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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It can be very remote, if you break down. The sand and silt in some areas is very deep so you need to really power through which is hard on the
vehicle. You may enjoy using the freeway and taking visits down to the beach then head north and south to explore. Or expect to have issues and work
through it, but it would be better to have 2 vehicles and some friends to help dig you you or pull you out or go get replacement parts if needed. I
also have driven it in a bronco which was awesome but a lighter weight car is probably better in the deep sand and silt, like Toyota old school
truck.
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3824
Registered: 2-9-2004
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"The sand and silt in some areas is very deep"
Si - I explored some roads heading to the beaches south of Todos Santos, and found myself squirrling around in deep sand or inching around eroded, 12"
deep ditches in the more solid spots, no place to turn around, so I had to forge ahead - more deep sand. Made me very nervous and was not fun. Take
gnukid's advice. As you learn what you and your vehicle can handle, you can expand on your adventures.
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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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Last year, after staying in La Paz with 4x4abc, I drove from Hwy. 1 to Punta Conejo, then south on the Baja 1000 course to La Aguja (Playas
Pacificas). Explored around Punta Marquez and Ejido Conquista with Nomad 'rob' then back to La Aguja for more of Linda's great cooking.
There was no silt (dust bowls) in that stretch but the road surface was very rough (ledges) and slow to drive.
Km. 79.5 Punta Conejo road west. Dirt road, no typical government signs.
0.0 Highway 1
9.1 Fork, left for Punta Conejo and south.
9.4 Fishing camp, Punta Conejo. I was last here in 1985 and not much has changed!
9.7 Punta Conejo Lighthouse, shoreline. The sea water is so clear!
The road south is very rough on jagged rock face much of the distance south.
0.0 Punta Conejo Lighthouse
0.4 Ranch driveway
0.9 Beach access (0.1 to west)
2.3 Road to beach.
6.2 Abandoned ranch
10.0 Playas Pacificas (La Aguja) entrance gate.
Punta Conejo road, just off Hwy. 1 (Km. 79.5)
Punta Conejo
You can't get the feel of a road in photos, always. The Baja 1000, since 1979 has used this road when it has run to La Paz. The first 1000s
(1967-1972) used Mex. 1, and was paved from Constitucion south to La Paz.
Rob and Linda have done much work to secure this land and have water rights and electrical power from La Paz.
See their web site for more details: www.playaspacificas.com
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JoeJustJoe
Banned
Posts: 21045
Registered: 9-9-2010
Location: Occupied Aztlan
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mad as hell
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | Having a tire air compressor pump is an absolute must in Baja!
Not only to refill the tires after airing down for soft sand or any dirt road driving but to refill a flat tire that you just repaired... so you want
to have a tire plug kit, too!
I drove over 12,000 miles in Baja last year, and never once had to take my spare out. Besides the many places I aired down for dirt road driving, I
also fixed three flats and refilled the tires with my MV-50 air pump. |
Will a truck fix-a-flat work temporarily?
I don't want to be sexist, but I don't think too many grey-haired ladies, would be comfortable jacking up a big SUV, and fixing a flat tire out in the
desert.
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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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| Quote: Originally posted by JoeJustJoe | | Quote: Originally posted by David K | Having a tire air compressor pump is an absolute must in Baja!
Not only to refill the tires after airing down for soft sand or any dirt road driving but to refill a flat tire that you just repaired... so you want
to have a tire plug kit, too!
I drove over 12,000 miles in Baja last year, and never once had to take my spare out. Besides the many places I aired down for dirt road driving, I
also fixed three flats and refilled the tires with my MV-50 air pump. |
Will a truck fix-a-flat work temporarily?
I don't want to be sexist, but I don't think too many grey-haired ladies, would be comfortable jacking up a big SUV, and fixing a flat tire out in the
desert.
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?? There is no jacking up to plug repair a tire... you just roll the vehicle to where the hole can be reached with ease, insert the plug, add air!
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StuckSucks
Super Nomad
Posts: 2325
Registered: 10-17-2013
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Here's a photo sphere taken at Punta Conejo - take a look around. The hippy chick lives in that building over yonder.
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StuckSucks
Super Nomad
Posts: 2325
Registered: 10-17-2013
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The road from Punta Conejo continues north along the coast 40km to the farming community of Estero Salada -- from there it's an easy graded dirt road
to Highway 1. Be prepared for occasional silt beds beginning where the road trends inland 20km north of Conejo, with possible bigger silt as you
approach the Estero. I've done this solo, but would feel totally comfortable with a second vehicle.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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I hope you have some type of communication device such as a Spot, inReach or a satellite phone for emergencies.
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2308
Registered: 4-23-2006
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| Quote: Originally posted by gnukid | | It can be very remote, if you break down. The sand and silt in some areas is very deep so you need to really power through which is hard on the
vehicle. You may enjoy using the freeway and taking visits down to the beach then head north and south to explore. Or expect to have issues and work
through it, but it would be better to have 2 vehicles and some friends to help dig you you or pull you out or go get replacement parts if needed. I
also have driven it in a bronco which was awesome but a lighter weight car is probably better in the deep sand and silt, like Toyota old school
truck. |
this is good council. some of those tracks are super deep/soft sand. bring lots of water, you might need it if you bury the truck.
[Edited on 12-23-2018 by pacificobob]
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chippy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1722
Registered: 2-2-2010
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| Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob | | Quote: Originally posted by gnukid | | It can be very remote, if you break down. The sand and silt in some areas is very deep so you need to really power through which is hard on the
vehicle. You may enjoy using the freeway and taking visits down to the beach then head north and south to explore. Or expect to have issues and work
through it, but it would be better to have 2 vehicles and some friends to help dig you you or pull you out or go get replacement parts if needed. I
also have driven it in a bronco which was awesome but a lighter weight car is probably better in the deep sand and silt, like Toyota old school
truck. |
this is good council. some of those tracks are super deep/soft sand. bring lots of water, you might need it if you bury the truck.
[Edited on 12-23-2018 by pacificobob] |
Or beer!
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2308
Registered: 4-23-2006
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i like beer as much as most guys. but when i am sweat soaked, shoveling sand under a mid day sun, i choose water..... liters of it. i am often
surprised how little water people have on hand given their location, and the possibility of having your machine quit on you.
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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Out there they are fisherman and not particularly good with cars or mechanical stuff, it's kinda spooky too, the road to Conejo is sometimes hard
rock, washboard and later you find deep narrow lateral ruts or mini arroyos along the coast, some paths look good but they are narrow used by quads.
Surprisingly as the crow flies it's a very short distance, but driving on roads or paths is a long way. Once in a while, I loose patience and drive at
full race speed 4x4 and you can get from conejo to La Paz in no time like 45-60 minutes, or break steering arm or drive shaft and get towed out in 5
hours.
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bajalinda
Senior Nomad
Posts: 551
Registered: 6-7-2008
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
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It's 10 miles from Rancho la Aguja to Conejo - about 25-30 careful minutes on a road that varies from short destroyed stretches (thanks Baja 1000) to
pretty good to stony hilltops. There are no "paths used by quads" if you stick to the road. Never had an issue in any vehicle in 20 years - even
towing UTVs back from Conejo.
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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I'm talking about exploring all over off the road Linda not staying on the regular road -we're talking adventure-I don't know if the trails are made
by animals, quads, motos or arroyos but there's lots of little ruts to explore, narrow, too narrow for full size Bronco really. Here's some of the
easy stuff...
[Edited on 12-24-2018 by gnukid]
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