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winwinstudios
Newbie
Posts: 9
Registered: 6-25-2021
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Driving Baja
Hello,
We are planning on driving down to Los Cabos this summer from San Diego.
Thinking of taking about 7 days to get down there. Our itinerary is:
SD to Ensenada
Ensenada to San Quintin
SQ to Catavina
Cat to Guerrero Negro
GN to Mulege
Mulege to Loreto
Loreto to La Paz
I've read through the forum on things not to do: speed, drive at night, etc.
Can you advise on places to stay for the night? Any places I should skip or add on the way down or up?
Thank you.
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Howard
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Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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You will get lots of feedback here but I have a few questions first.
Are you talking about hotels and motels or camping?
If hotels, price range that you are comfortable in.
Actually for your first time down that sounds like reasonable places to stay.
If I were to tweak it I would pass on Catavina and continue on to G.N.
Upon further review I would pass on Ensenada as well and go from SD directly to SQ. Not a bad drive, maybe 170 miles from the border.
[Edited on 6-25-2021 by Howard]
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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A couple places, for the north half of the peninsula...
About 1/2 hour south of San Quintín, km.57 in El Rosario, is the Baja Cactus Motel (next door to the gas station). Top class accomodations for low
cost).
In San Ignacio (between Guerrero Negro and Mulegé), on the paved road into town, off the highway 2 miles, just past the mission church, Hotel La
Huerta. Another nice motel, like Baja Cactus, with low rates.
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Archie
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Quote: Originally posted by winwinstudios  | Hello,
We are planning on driving down to Los Cabos this summer from San Diego.
Thinking of taking about 7 days to get down there. Our itinerary is:
SD to Ensenada
Ensenada to San Quintin
SQ to Catavina
Cat to Guerrero Negro
GN to Mulege
Mulege to Loreto
Loreto to La Paz
I've read through the forum on things not to do: speed, drive at night, etc.
Can you advise on places to stay for the night? Any places I should skip or add on the way down or up?
Thank you. |
I´d skip all the san quintín valley, instead i´d go east from Ensenada to San Felipe and then to Chapala.
San Quintín offers nothing but problems, traffic and lousy roads. Even Cataviñá its getting too hot and expensive.
In terms of time and peace of mind, i´ll choose anytime the Hwy 5.
From Ensenada to GN its about 25 km longer via the Hwy 5, but less traffic and better roads, its a good 1 to 1.5 hours faster.
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TMW
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Location: Bakersfield, CA
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What David K said. Take Hwy 5 on the return trip. Make sure you fill up in El Rosario going down. It's a long way to the next gas station. Summer time
keep your gas tank full of gas and your ice chest full of ice. Take your time and enjoy.
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mtgoat666
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Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Ignore the advice to skip catavina. Best desert in all of baja, one of the best hotels in baja.
Skip GN, and stay in san ignacio.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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amigobaja
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San Quintin I like Old Mill Hotel where you can stumble out of one of the best restaurants in Baja The Eucolipto to your room. 2nd choice Jardin with
a good restaurant and great bar.
Mulege The Serenaded and walk down the Rio to the Junga for afternoon fish stories and libations. Loretro my go to is the Oasis hotel and live the
Gigglie dolphin restaurant. La paz just staid l at the seven crown hotel. Really nice people, good drinks, secure off street parking, walking distance
to malecon and lots of restaurants.I tend to enjoy the old fishing hotels. Seems like when your bar tender is the same guy for thirty years its a
great experience.
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RFClark
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Mood: Delighted with 2024 and looking forward to 2025
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The Goat is right!
Go down HWY 5 to Chapela stop at the new restaurant south of the turn on to HWY1 for the best huevos rancheros ever. Spend the night at Ignacio
Springs in a yurt and have a free breakfast. Then stay in Loreto there are lots of places there and great food.
Stay in the Todos Santos area not Cabo, it’s nicer!
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willardguy
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I like your itinerary....I'd stick to it 
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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What makes Baja so interesting and entertaining is the endless possible places to see or choices of routes to take... No one trip can satisfy your
curiosity for what is over any one hill or beyond that desert garden.
Each time you go, you see something new and different... even if you go back to the same place as last trip!
There's 3,000 miles of coastline on two very different bodies of water... Mountains with condors that go to 10,000 feet plus... See pine forests,
dozens of tropical palm oasis, the world's largest (cardón) and weirdest (cirio/ boojum) varieties of cactus... Great great food and beer...
I can't stand it.. as Mike McMahan says: I gotta go back, please Lord, just one more time!
>>> BAJA IS MAGIC <<<
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bajagregg
Junior Nomad
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What David said. Skip San Quintin and stay at the Baja Cactus in El Rosario. Have dinner at Mama Espinosas next door. Good for breakfast too!
Catavina is just a couple of hours south so no hurry in the morning...lots of cool sights to check out there. The Hotel Mission is the only place to
stay and is nice with a decent restaurant for dinner. For lunch, go south of the hotel about a mile and go left at the sign for Rancho Santa Inez.
You can get tacos and check out ranch life in Baja.
Guerrero Negro is about 3 hours south and a good place for lunch is Malarrimo on the entrance road to town. It's on the right after the Pemex station
and the seafood is outstanding. Not much to see in GN but there are lots of cool spots a little south of there.
Do your research and enjoy your adventure!
[Edited on 6-26-2021 by bajagregg]
Traveling Baja for 50 years.
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Bajabus
Senior Nomad
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Location: Elias Calles B.C.S. or NC USA
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| Quote: Originally posted by RFClark | The Goat is right!
Go down HWY 5 to Chapela stop at the new restaurant south of the turn on to HWY1 for the best huevos rancheros ever. Spend the night at Ignacio
Springs in a yurt and have a free breakfast. Then stay in Loreto there are lots of places there and great food.
Stay in the Todos Santos area not Cabo, it’s nicer! |
I agree with all these recommendations. At Ignacio Springs stay in the yurt right along the river with the king bed. Most comfortable bed in all of
baja besides mine. They even have free Kyaks to use and an honor system bar after closing with top shelf liquor. Cabo is a cluster ____k
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked of such a thing."
Dwight David Eisenhower
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winwinstudios
Newbie
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Registered: 6-25-2021
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Dang, lots of replies, thank you.
We are looking at motels/hotels. Figure no more than $100/night. Honestly, it's to break up the drive and allow us 1/2 day to check things out.
I've got two kids under 12 that want to explore the region.
Planning on taking the 1 South, then the 5 on the return trip. Might as well see something new. In addition, would like to surf on the way down.
Going to El Rosario and San Ignacio sounds interesting. I will have to look at a map, if I can hit San Quintin and Guerrero Negro on the way back.
Also planning on going to Bahia Los Angeles on the return trip too.
Please keep the suggestions coming, I've learned to listen. Going to google the suggestions then modify the itinerary.
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AKgringo
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What are you going to be driving, and how do you feel about dirt roads? For me, some of the best parts of my trips start when I leave the pavement!
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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JZ
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If you want to go in style here are the best hotels:
Ensenada - Hotel Coral (my favorite hotel in Baja Norte). Really nice views of the Pacific.
San Quintin - Hotel Jardines, I'd definitely stay here over Baja Cactus in El Rosario.
Loreto - La Mision (my favorite hotel in Baja Norte). Hotel Oasis if you want something more budget but still right on the ocean.
La Paz - Costa Baja (upscale), Casa Juarez is a very nice and inexpensive B&B
Personally, I'd skip Catavina and go to Bahia de Los Angeles (BoLA). Stay at Costa del Sol. Stop at Catavina for lunch, but keep trucking. Bahia
del Los Angeles is for sure worth seeing.
From BoLA I'd go directly to San Ignacio, skipping GN. GN is nothing to write home about, at all. San Ignacio is a very cool mission town. There is
a place that has Yurts. I haven't stayed there yet, but the reviews are great and it looks really cool.
It's 6 hours from SQ to BoLA, and 4.5hrs from BoKA to SI.
BoLA and San Ignacio are must sees. Catavina and GN, not so much.
[Edited on 6-27-2021 by JZ]
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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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There are people on here who give astonishingly bad advice, just to be contrary.
You say that you are making this a "summer" outing.
Well, Hwy 5 is also my fave, but not in mid-summer.
This site does not have fonts big enough to describe the HOT HOT HOT world you will encounter on 5, especially the upper three hundred miles.
Yes, I always recommend the "down on 1 and back on 5" or vice versa, but you will not enjoy San Felipe, Laguna Salada, Mexicali, etc. unless you
really are wanting to get baked.
Catavina is always the highlight of the journey for me, but we always camp out, so no comment on the hotels. GN hotels are nothing special, San
Ignacio much better.
Best advice, make sure your aircon is working, go, enjoy, and take both routes, whichever direction is first, try to anticipate the heat and humidity
of the Gulf Side in summer.
Most important.... go and enjoy!!!
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | Hmmm, summer on the gulf coast is our favorite season. Along the coast, where we camp, it rarely exceeds 95°. However, just a mile or more inland, it
is 10° or more hotter. That is what the AC is for on drives. Locals often don't have AC, yet they live there summer after summer.
Give me heat any day, over cold!
Baja has a cool Pacific side in the summer, so something for everyone. |
No sane person vacations on sea of Cortez in summer. The heat/humidity is oppressive.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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JZ
Select Nomad
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Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner | There are people on here who give astonishingly bad advice, just to be contrary.
You say that you are making this a "summer" outing.
Well, Hwy 5 is also my fave, but not in mid-summer.
This site does not have fonts big enough to describe the HOT HOT HOT world you will encounter on 5, especially the upper three hundred miles.
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Ummm... he already said he was going to Catavina, Mulege, Loreto, and La Paz.
So he doesn't seem to be afraid of the heat.
Summer time is my favorite time on the Sea of Cortez.
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winwinstudios
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Registered: 6-25-2021
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RFClark, good call on staying at the yurts in San Ignacio; place looks pretty cool. Decided to skip GN and save Mulege for the trip home. Will go to
BoLA when we are heading north. I've got a 4x4 SUV; the idea of going off road seems fun, but doubt my family will be into that. Thanks for the
idea.
Thank you for the hotel recommendations JZ; we've stayed at the Coral in Ensenada in the spring time.
Thank you all for the words of encouragement and advice. I am looking forward to this road trip.
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
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Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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| Quote: Originally posted by winwinstudios | | Will go to BoLA when we are heading north. I've got a 4x4 SUV; the idea of going off road seems fun, but doubt my family will be into that. Thanks
for the idea. |
It sounds like you will have a full schedule without any back road adventures, and I agree that you should avoid "off road" on this trip!
If you should change your mind, the stretch of road I would suggest is south of Bahia de Los Angeles through El Arco to MX 1. Unless there is a flash
flood between now and your trip, you would not need 4 wheel drive!
Pretty good scenery, and more than a few great spots, but I won't drone on unless you decide to "get dirty" either on the way down, or back!
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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